The Obauers are calling it a day

WERFEN. The Austrian restaurant and hotel Obauer will cease operations at the end of October 2026. In an Instagram post, Karl, Rudi and Angelika Obauer announced that the two-star restaurant and hotel will remain open until 26 October. “We are thus bringing to a close a wonderful chapter in our professional lives spanning over 47 years for reasons of age and are entering what is known as retirement. We have always viewed the hospitality industry as a competitive sport. Competitive sport requires passion, total commitment and, above all, high standards for oneself. To ensure we can live up to these standards right to the end, we are stepping down from our roles as chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and hosts,” the post continues. In the rest of the text, the Obauers thank guests, staff, suppliers, service providers and agricultural producers for a long period of professional success. Without them, the development of the style and atmosphere would not have been possible.

The closure of the business in October marks the end of an era spanning almost five decades in Austria’s top-tier gastronomy. Since Karl and Rudolf Obauer took over their parents’ house in Werfen in 1979, they have developed the restaurant into one of the most enduring establishments with international appeal. Their cuisine, which bridged the gap between Alpine tradition and modern classicism, secured the restaurant top rankings for decades: in the current restaurant rankings for Austria, the Obauer restaurant consistently holds a place in the top 5 – currently occupying third place. In Gault&Millau, the restaurant holds the highest rating of five toques. The award of ‘Chefs of the Decade’ also underlines their role as mentors to generations of subsequent top chefs. The Michelin Guide awarded the Obauer two stars until 2007. It retained one star until the guide ceased publication in Austria in 2009. Since the Michelin Guide resumed rating restaurants across the whole of Austria in 2025, the restaurant has once again been awarded two stars.

The Obauer brothers’ culinary style is often described as ‘integrative cuisine’, combining French classics with regional Alpine avant-garde. Characteristic of their approach is the use of local produce, combined with a cosmopolitan approach to spices. Dishes such as the classic trout strudel or creations featuring offal and game from the Pongau region are exemplary of a cuisine that is also documented in numerous cookbooks.