Adi Bittermann began his career in Vienna in 1981 as an apprentice chef at the Vienna Rathauskeller, which at the time was owned by Erich Bayer of the Bayer Healthcare family. He worked his way up to junior chef and in 1985, he was offered the position of commis chef and entremeiter at the Hotel Bbergwangerhof in Tyrol, Austria. In 1987 he became the head chef and in 1988 the sous chef.

In 1989 he worked a year as Garde manager chef at the Hotel Monzabon Lech on the Arlberg, and then sous chef at another hotel, The Bachmair Tegernsee.

In 1991 he was offered the Executive Chef position at Vienna’s Vikerl’s Lokal and became the owner in 1994. Great Chefs Television filmed Chef Adi Bittermann in the fall of 1997 where he prepared a Blood Sausage Pockets appetizer, Roast Leg of Venison entrée and Fried Apple-Poppyseed Beignets as a dessert for their Great Chefs of Austria series for ORF Television.

In 1999, Chef Adi Bittermann and Anna-Maria Weidinger fulfilled the dream of every restaurant proprietor. After 5 years, they sold their small but fine restaurant to his sous chef, and bought a yacht to sail the world’s oceans. Ten years later, and longing for a land base operation, Chef Adi opened Bittermann Vinarium in Gottlesbrunn, Lower Austria.