18 August 2026

From Levante to Wiener Schnitzel: Lagune x Friends in Wolfsburg

Autostadt Wolfsburg and Figlmüller street-food dishes including a burger and Viennese-style food.

Quick Read

• Autostadt Wolfsburg combines automotive history, architecture, exhibitions, gardens, mobility experiences and gastronomy on a large park-and-lagoon site.
• Restaurant Lagune is the site's market-style restaurant, overlooking the park and lagoon landscape.
• The 2026 "Lagune x Friends" series began with Vienna-based NENI and continues with Figlmüller from 20 August.
• NENI brought Levantine cuisine to Wolfsburg; Figlmüller now adds Viennese classics and the street-food concept Brioche & Brösel.
• The 20 August opening is scheduled to include live cooking, Figlmüller dishes, desserts and selected drinks.

Autostadt: More than a car destination

Opened in 2000 next to the Volkswagen plant, Autostadt is an automotive theme and experience park in Wolfsburg, combining mobility with architecture, design, culture, education and leisure. Its 28-hectare grounds include the ZeitHaus automobile museum, Volkswagen Group brand pavilions, the CustomerCenter and vehicle handover facilities, driving experiences, family attractions, exhibitions, shops and extensive park and lagoon landscapes. Food is part of the concept rather than an afterthought. Autostadt operates eight restaurants and food establishments, including AMano, BEEF CLUB, Das Brot., Erste Sahne, ESSZIMMER, Lagune, MONDO ITALIANO and Tachometer.

Lagune x Friends starts in Vienna

Lagune is the site's market restaurant, designed around different food stations and communal dining, with views across the park and lagoon landscape. In 2026, it became the setting for "Lagune x Friends", a rotating pop-up format intended to bring different culinary concepts to Wolfsburg. The series began on 20 February 2026 with NENI. Founded by Vienna-based chef and entrepreneur Haya Molcho in 2009 at the Naschmarkt, NENI became known for its Levantine-oriented cuisine, combining influences from Israel and the wider Middle East with Mediterranean elements. The name NENI comes from the first names of Molcho's four sons. NENI's six-month stay in the Lagune brought bowls, hummus, falafel, Baba Ganoush and other shared dishes to Wolfsburg. Its pop-up was announced as the first chapter of the new series.

Figlmüller brings another Vienna connection

From 20 August, the second chapter comes from another Austrian business: Figlmüller. Figlmüller traces its history to 1905, when Johann Figlmüller opened a small wine tavern near St. Stephen's Cathedral. The family restaurant became internationally associated with its unusually large, thin Wiener Schnitzel. Today, brothers Hans and Thomas Figlmüller represent the fourth generation of the family business. Figlmüller's culinary profile extends beyond its famous schnitzel restaurants. One recent example is the group's Brioche & Brösel concept, which started in 2023 as a pop-up in a former Würstelstand in Vienna's Rotenturmstraße. Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz were translated into burger-style street food served in brioche buns. After the experiment developed into a permanent concept, Brioche & Brösel opened its own restaurant at Rotenturmstraße 11 on 12 June 2026. The format combines Wiener classics with a street-food approach, including Schnitzel, Tafelspitz and Backhendl burgers.

A small piece of Vienna travels to Wolfsburg

At the Autostadt, Figlmüller will combine its traditional restaurant identity with Brioche & Brösel. Hans and Thomas Figlmüller describe the travelling street-food concept as only a small part of the group's culinary range: rather than attempting to reproduce the entire Figlmüller repertoire, it is intended as a contemporary interpretation of Viennese cuisine that can travel. In their words, the concept is "a heartfelt greeting from Vienna to Wolfsburg."

The opening event on 20 August 2026 at 6 pm is announced as the starting point of the Figlmüller pop-up. The programme includes live cooking stations and personal encounters with the Figlmüller family. The announced food selection includes Wiener Kalbsbutterschnitzel, Jour-Schnitzel, Backhendl Bowl, Spinatknödel, Kaiserschmarrn and Apfelstrudel. Drinks include a Figlmüller Negroni and a Highball with apricot liqueur. The event is listed at €49 per person.

The change from NENI to Figlmüller therefore gives "Lagune x Friends" a distinctly Austrian second chapter: first Levante flavours from a Vienna family restaurant, followed by a combination of classic Viennese dishes and a newer street-food interpretation of the city's culinary tradition.

Images: Autostadt Wolfsburg seen from above, with its park and lagoon landscape, alongside close-ups of Viennese-inspired street food from Figlmüller. © Autostadt Wolfsburg / Michael Jungblut; © Figlmüller Group