Chef Philip Rachinger - The Curious Thinker

Philip Rachinger is ranked as one of the top chefs in Austria and beyond, famed for his maverick relationship to his homeland through food, taste, texture, scent and provenance. Rachinger is a curious thinker, never fearing to question and innovate. Philip Rachinger is the sixth generation of family culinary talents at his Mühltalhof Restaurant and Hotel in Neufelden, Austria. 

Incredibly charismatic, likeable, focused and always on the lookout for some fun, his enthusiasm for food is infectious, as are his signature dishes infused with his natural passion for exploiting the uncomplicated indigenous plates of Austrian food. 

Philip had been out in the world nurturing his creative skills learning from the best kitchens: Steirereck in Vienna, Döllerer's, Pfefferschiff and Tantris in Munich, before working with Sven Chartier, a pupil of the great Alain Passard, at the Saturne in Paris, Sketch London and Isaac McHale in London, at the Clove Club and the Ten Bells. 

His passion for food was ignited by his grandmother, who taught him the basics of good food and was his strongest mentor and critic, alongside his father.

With three toques, 18 GaultMillau points, and a current ranking of fifth in the "50 BEST CHEFS AUSTRIA", Philip Rachinger has the hallmarks earning the mid-30-year-old a place among the world's top chefs. 

The "Fillet of fish in hot wood shingle" and the "Beetroot with a saddle of hare and smoked cream" are already legendary Rachinger signature dishes that have created an international sensation. The foundation of Philip Rachinger's experimental regional cuisine is the intensive personal relationships that he cultivates with small producers in the surrounding area. In addition, the young, three-toque chef grows herbs, fruit and vegetables in his hotel garden, which is how he manages to create such unusual taste experiences, such as the "Spring greens and weeds salad with vermouth" or "Peas with lovage and vinegar greaves".

Although regional flavours and taste are the guiding principles behind his cuisine, Rachinger's modern style is also heavily influenced by the years he spent training and travelling, not forgetting his legendary pop-ups from Berlin to London.