Where to Eat in Vienna, Austria
09 October, 2019
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Café Sperl
Vienna, Austria
The coffee house is an integral part of Viennese culture. Time seems to stand still in these opulent, nicotine-stained rooms, which embody the Austrian word “gemütlich”, meaning warmth, comfort and familiarity. For the truest taste of this custom try Café Sperl, with its gold and wood-panelled walls, mahogany coat stands, high ceilings, red booths and bowed windows draped with gold velvet. Strong, bitter coffee is served on silver platters, while trays of traditional sweet treats, which seem to be appropriate at any time of day here, lie in wait – including plum cake, ring cake, cheesecake and crumbly apple strudel dusted with icing sugar.
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Aida
Vienna, Austria
The trademark pink and brown interior of this Viennese bakery, which has many locations across the city, has remained untouched over the decades. Locals rely on Aida’s simple, no-frills approach to coffee, cakes, snacks and ice cream, which are prepared to perfection by ladies in candy-pink pinafores.
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Vollpension
Vienna, Austria
As an ode to the full-board guesthouses scattered around Vienna, this cosy café puts baking in the capable hands of omas (grandmothers) who bake tarts, cakes and pastries using local produce and generations-old family recipes. The room is decked out like the living room of your sassiest great aunt, with scrubby brick walls, camelback sofas and formica tables.
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Heuer
Vienna, Austria
Jars of pickles and fermented goods line the walls of this sleek inner-city restaurant that serves traditional dishes with contemporary flair. All of the ingredients are fetched from local farms or the restaurant’s garden, which is lined with fruit trees and beehives, and regularly hosts concerts by contemporary musicians.
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Labstelle
Vienna, Austria
Dedicated to sourcing the best produce from local suppliers to create inventive slow food, this casual fine-dining spot is furnished with Ercol chairs, natural wood and copper. The menu is seasonal – think stem cabbage with pork neck and brown hollandaise, smoked trout with almonds and pancetta, organic chicken with local mushrooms.
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The Breakfast Club
Vienna, Austria
Locals fill their boots with contemporary brunch dishes including poached eggs and French toast, or jazzed-up Austrian classics such as bread, honey and fruit at this all-day breakfast joint in the heart of the lively fourth district.
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Neni
Vienna, Austria
Nestled in the heart of Naschmarkt, Neni serves up Israeli food inspired by the cafés of Jerusalem and the market bars of Tel Aviv. Breakfast includes bubbling baked eggs, yoghurt with candied nuts and Yiddish sweet bread, while lunch or dinner calls for feasts of oven-baked aubergine with tahini, almond chicken, lamb shawarma, perfect pitta bread and the best hummus in the city.
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Zweitbester
Vienna, Austria
Join the fashion pack at this bar/restaurant surrounded by the artisan stores and boutique galleries of the Freihausviertel. The food is bright, modern and comforting with a concise brunch, lunch and dinner menu of seasonal dishes. The bar even hosts concerts in the loos, with a crammed programme of local DJs and musicians.
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Café Prückel
Vienna, Austria
Café Prückel is all pink drapings and chandeliers. Opposite the beautiful MAK museum (worth a visit if you’re interested in applied arts), this is a great spot to meet friends and experience Viennese coffeehouse culture. With coffee specialties, stacks of newspapers and homemade pastries, this spot is perfect for whiling away a few hours.
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Café Frauenhuber
Vienna, Austria
As the oldest coffee house in Vienna, Café Frauenhuber is pretty popular. Located at the old Fleischmarkt (meat market) in the first district, it makes a convenient centrepoint for a taste of Viennese nostalgia.
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Kleines Café
Vienna, Austria
This tiny coffee shop lives up its name which translates as “little café”. But that’s its charm. Drink in the bohemian atmosphere (and maybe a hot chocolate too). If seating is an issue, the outdoor cobbled square offers an equally appealing setting (weather permitting) for a coffee break.
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Hollerei
Vienna, Austria
At Hollerei the menu changes weekly. Surrounds compliment the restaurant’s wholesome fare with dark wood parquet floors and benches big enough for two. While here, check out the Hollerei gallery, which promotes emerging artists and facilitates entry-level collectors. Check its website for information about exclusive art dinners and events hosted in the exhibition rooms. Cooking workshops are also bookable online.
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Amerlingbeisl
Vienna, Austria
Base yourself in this lantern-filled courtyard for an afternoon of conversation with friends. Sample a mixture of Viennese and international cuisine – opting for a mix of fettuccine with wild garlic, and local sausage with potato salad. The small menu has a seasonal focus, and vegetarian, vegan and organic dishes are available in limited supply.
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Heurigen
Vienna, Austria
At these rustic wine taverns, food is simple and drinks flow freely. Found on the outskirts of Vienna – as well as in Austria’s winegrowing regions – they’re particularly nice to visit in summer and autumn. Stroll through the taverns’ gardens, glass of red in hand, before tucking into a selection of cured meats, breads and pickled vegetables. Strudel for dessert is near obligatory.
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Oswald & Kalb
Vienna, Austria
Positioned in the Old University Quarter, not far from St Stephen’s Cathedral, Oswald & Kalb is the place to grab a table in a cosy vault and peruse the traditional menu. Treat yourself to some typical Viennese cuisine (although the deboned fried chicken is also very good) and select Austrian wines.
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Glacis Beisl
Vienna, Austria
Sample some contemporary Austrian food a stone’s throw from the crowded Museumsquartier. Hidden sub-terra along Breite Gasse, Glacis Beisl is a surprisingly spacious spot for lunch. Enjoy authentic goulash and scrumptious wiener schnitzel beneath the walnut trees in the sun-drenched courtyard. Post lunch resume to your cultural afternoon at the nearby Leopold Museum.
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Superfood Deli
Vienna, Austria
Vienna’s food scene extends far beyond schnitzel. For the best acai bowls in town head to the Superfood Deli on the Mariahilfer Strasse. Its motto, “raw, fresh, local, vegan, natural, organic, handmade and sustainable” tells you all you need to know. After devouring your particularly tasty lunch, order a fresh juice or homemade almond-milk latte to go.
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Honu Tiki Bowls
Vienna, Austria
Honu Tiki Bowls brings a little Hawaii to Vienna. A hip spot in the city centre, it’s the perfect place for a pit stop when exploring. Mix your base of rice or zoodles with fresh ingredients to refuel before heading out shopping or sightseeing.
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Zum Schwarzen Kameel
Vienna, Austria
If Wes Anderson opened a sandwich joint, this would probably be the place. At Zum Schwarzen Kameel you’ll dine on open sandwiches and neatly cut, pastel-hued pastries. Suffice to say, this charming establishment should be on every visitor’s list – locals love it. In winter, cosy up in the open-air gastgarten under heaters and layered blankets with a wiener melange – a viennese take on a cappuccino.
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Mochi Ramen Bar
Vienna, Austria
Stop here after a visit to Vienna’s Prater amusement park. The eatery is on the smaller side and operates on a first come, first served basis. Reservations are not possible (so don’t waste your time cosying up to the front of house). The wait is worth it with a lengthy menu of ramen variations. Our advice: don’t skimp on the toppings.
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People on Caffeine
Vienna, Austria
In Vienna’s eighth district, People on Caffeine (POC) reigns with its unique setting and sumptuous brews. Located in an old church, the café strikes a balance of style with refined, minimalist interiors. Intimate without being overcrowded, this place offers welcome respite amid the busy streets of an inner-city district. Come here to sip that long macchiato in peace.
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Kaffemik
Vienna, Austria
Adorned in blue and white tiles, Kaffemik exudes the kind of quaintness that has customers cooing (and Instagramming). Simple and elegant – the same can be said for its coffee – the shop prides itself on its choice of brews, sourced from independent coffee roasters across Europe. Order one of their classic headstrong espressos and savour the flavour over a good book.
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Kaffeemodul
Vienna, Austria
This no-frills coffee shop lets the blend speak for itself. Serving “coffee and nothing else” Kaffeemodul is the smallest coffeehouse in the city. Choose from a blackboard menu detailing the basic staples for coffee aficionados – espresso, cappuccino and filter coffee.
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Jonas Reindl
Vienna, Austria
Minutes from the exuberant neo-gothic Votivkirche, Jonas Reindl is a modern offshoot in an otherwise antiquated area. Here you can expect to sit with a varied crowd of young students, tourists and locals looking for a satisfying brew. Ask owner Philip Feyer and partner Ulrich Salamun about sustainable methods used across their Nicaraguan farms – you’ll catch them by the counter.
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Café EL.AN
Vienna, Austria
Café EL.AN (an abbreviation of owners Elke and Anna’s names) serves up state-of-the-art coffee delivered to your table by infectiously enthusiastic staff. Using specialty filter roasters and high-tec lab tools, we’re willing to wager Werner Heisenberg would have frequented this place had it been up and running in his time.