As someone who does not have her roots in Vienna you don’t really go to this lovely area of vineyards and orchards, ruined castles and small towns. Mostly, Viennese people who are into all kinds of water sports like swimming, sailing, surfing, kite surfing, water skiing, and fishing gather at lake Neusiedl. It’s also a hot spot for Viennese boat and yacht owners – a well known yacht mole is called “Mole West”. And that’s also the name of the newly constructed, fashionable restaurant-cafe-bar my friend was talking about.

Photo: Johannes Jungel-Schmid

The “Mole West”, a building completely surrounded by water, welcomes you with its huge inviting terrace and outdoor bar. The view is gorgeous and I really do not exaggerate when saying that one develops a kind of holiday feeling over a cafe latte with unobtrusive electronic vibes on a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon. If you are a person with a lively imagination the palm trees, surfers and boats in front of your eyes as well as the sound of the small wavelets might give you the idea of being somewhere at the Italian Riviera or in southern France… it’s only the behaviour of a certain “clientele” that might urge you to remember where you are: “incognito VIPs” mingle with really nice people in the “Mole West”.

The construction of the “Mole West” itself consists of two areas, a transparent restaurant area with glass walls and the functional part — kitchen, toilets and storage rooms are disclosed from the view of the guests. The dark grey sheet facade of the building perfectly adjusts to the colour of the lake and reflects its different moods.

The “Mole West” definitely is an extraordinary location. As the building is oriented towards the south you can enjoy not only the perfect view but also the morning, afternoon and evening sun. Tables, chairs and functional elements are made of tasteful teak, dark grey cement and leather. The outdoor area leads you down to the small marina and invites you to sail away for a couple of hours…

Mole West
Address: Strandbad Westmole, 7100 Neusiedl am See, Burgenland
Building owner: Karolyi & Ehrengruber OEG
Architects: Architekten Halbritter und Halbritter ZT Gmb., Hans Peter Halbritter and Herbert Halbritter
https://www.h2arch.at