The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include VAT but not service charge or tip.
$$$$ (over €60)
$$$ (€40 to €60)
$$ (€20 to €40)
$ (under €20)
More expensive restaurants
automatically add a service charge of around 10% to the bill, otherwise a tip is usually required - either round up the bill to the nearest €1 or add 5 to 10%.
GourmetKorso bei der Oper From the exquisite, classic décor to the exceptional food, produced under the direction of one of Austria’s finest chefs, Reinhard Gerer, the Korso is considered one of the city’s finest restaurants. It specializes in Austrian delicacies, with only the finest ingredients, including
tafelspitz (boiled beef) and perch in red pepper cream sauce. The wine cellar also is one of the best in Europe. Diners should always save room for the wonderful versions of Viennese desserts. The restaurant has long been a favorite with international opera stars. No lunch Saturday.
Hotel Bristol, 01, Kärntner Ring 1
Tel: (01) 5151 6546.
Website:
www.luxurycollection.com Price: $$$$
Österreicher im MAK This former cafe attached to the Museum of Modern Art (MAK) was given a revolutionary culinary makeover when one of Austria’s seminal chefs, Helmut Österreicher, took charge of the kitchen in early 2006. Now the menu resides in the ‘modern Viennese’ category, which equates to new takes on old plates; you’ll still find
wiener schnitzel,
tafelspitz (boiled beef), and
zwiebelrostbraten (beef and onion roast) here, but they’re lighter versions of grandma’s recipes in both size and calorie-count. There’s a fine selection of additional dishes to choose from, which employ ingredients in season (pumpkin and wild meats feature heavily in autumn, asparagus in spring), and the sleek décor only helps smooth digestion. Evening reservations recommended.
01, Stubenring 5
Tel: (01) 714 0121.
Website:
www.oesterreicherimmak.at Price: $$$-$$$$
TrendyFabios
Fabios has been at the head of the fashionable restaurant/bar scene for a number of years now, and its status doesn’t look like changing soon. Everyone from politicians to TV personalities graces the tables here, but this isn’t just a place for celebrity spotting, it’s also a spot for exceptional dining. The attentive, professional waiters glide through a minimalist interior fitted with dark woods and floor-to-ceiling mirrors (for checking appearances don’t you know darling), serving dishes from a creative menu heavily influenced by Mediterranean flavors. Perennial favorites include homemade potato gnocchi with squid in white wine and roast rack of venison fillet with red wine - but there is much more to choose from. Reservations are essential. Closed Sunday.
01, Tuchlauben 6
Tel: 532 2222.
Website:
www.fabios.at Price: $$$$
Neu Wien The venue’s casual, cellar-like setting is popular with Vienna’s media and avant-garde crowd. The low lighting effectively sets off the many paintings and interesting murals and the restaurant itself was designated by the artist C L Attersee. Neu Wien is one of the finest examples of New Vienna dining, where nouvelle cuisine meets that of the Habsburgs. The menu changes frequently but could include dishes like
zanderfilet (crispy pike with cream beet sauce) or veal in truffle sauce. The superb Vranac wines from Montenegro should not be overlooked. Open Monday to Saturday until 0100, Neu Wien is an excellent choice for late-night dining. No lunch.
01, Bäckerstasse 5
Tel: (01) 512 0999.
Website:
www.neuwien.at Price: $$
Novelli Novelli is one of Vienna’s finest modern Italian restaurants, with an open-plan room with chandeliers and big leather chairs. The antipasti bar is superb and main courses include dishes like steak with sage gnocchi and onions in balsamic vinegar or sea bass poached in tarragon cream. Desserts are well in keeping with Viennese luxury and the Italian wine list is extensive. There is also a discreet bar. Closed Sunday.
01, Bräunerstrasse 11
Tel: (01) 513 4200.
Website:
www.novelli.at Price: $$$
BudgetWrenkh Two venues form what is arguably Vienna’s top vegetarian restaurant and bar combo, in which Christian Wrenkh serves great seasonal food to a young and elegant crowd. The restaurants have a light and airy designer feel, with the accent on comfort. Firm favorites include miso soup, Greek fried rice with vegetables, feta cheese and olives and wild rice risotto with mushrooms. The attached bar was designed by Eichinger and Knechtl. Closed Sunday.
01, Bauernmarkt 10
Tel: (01) 533 1526.
Website:
www.wrenkh.at Price: $-$$
Zawodsky
In the green and vineyard-cloaked district of Grinzing in the northern stretches of Vienna is Zawodsky, a lovely (and traditional)
heuriger (wine tavern). Its best visited in summer, when its apple trees offer plenty of shade for the picnic tables that dot the extensive garden, although a cosy evening indoors during spring and autumn is also inviting. The tart wine served is best mixed with soda water (the common practice at a
heuriger), while the hearty buffet, which offers fresh spreads, breads, salads, and roast meats, requires more than one visit. There’s occasional live music. Closed Tuesday and mid December to February.
19, Reinischgasse 3
Tel: (01) 320 7978.
Website:
www.zawodsky.at Price: $
Zwölf-
Apostelkeller (Stadtheurigen) ’City
heurigen’ are generally located in the cellars of Vienna’s old monasteries and offer a taste of what the outlying wine taverns are all about, for those who do not have the time to leave the city. In this one, parts of the ’12 Apostles Cellar’ predate 1561, with wooden tables under lighting partially provided by streetlights set into the floor. The low prices do not detract from the quality of the traditional food, which includes goulash soup, meat dumplings and
schlachtplatte (a selection of meats with hot bacon and cabbage salad). As it is from the barrel rather than the bottle, which is common in a
heuriger, wine is sold by the quarter liter. There is music daily from 1830. Closed July.
01, Sonnenfelsgasse 3
Tel: (01) 512 6777.
Website:
www.zwoelf-apostelkeller.at Price: $
Personal RecommendationsMotto
Motto is the kind of restaurant that accepts everyone - from straights to gays, from TV stars to hard-working white-collar workers. But this is only the first plus of many, for Motto also has quality staff, modern, cellar-like surroundings and live DJs which add to an already relaxed, convivial atmosphere, and a menu with Austrian, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisine. The steaks here are famous, but you’d do just as well ordering the green chicken curry or tagliatelle with mussels; save some room for the dark and white chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce though. Evening dining reservations recommended.
05, Schönbrunner Strasse 30
Tel: (01) 587 0672.
Website:
www.motto.at Price: $$$
Stomach
Stomach specializes in wonderful Styrian cuisine and a hearty welcome. The menu does have a smattering of international dishes, but expect the majority to be of the southern Austrian variety, such as Styrian roast beef and pumpkin soup with an essential spoonful of
kürbis kernöl (rich Styrian pumpkin oil). The building itself is also a gem, featuring dark-wood panelling and one of the loveliest gardens in the ninth district. The name derives from the rearrangement of Tomaschek, the butcher’s shop originally located here. Reservations for evening dining recommended.
09, Seegasse 26
Tel: (01) 310 2099.
Price: $$-$$$
Ubl
Of the many
beisl (traditional beer taverns) that dot Vienna, Ubl ranks among the finest. It still retains the heavy dark-wood wall and floor panelling reminiscent of such establishments, and the beer is as cold and refreshing as a good Austrian beer should be, but there are also modern touches, such as silver cutlery, a selective list of quality Austrian wines, and a refined, dining atmosphere. Order from a small but fine menu filled with Viennese classics - its hard to go wrong with the
tafelspitz or
wiener schnitzel here. Evening dining reservations not essential but recommended.
04, Pressgasse 26
Tel: (01) 587 6437.
Price: $$
Nightlife:The most popular cluster of bars in the First District is in the old Jewish Quarter, in an area around Ruprechtskirche known as the Bermuda Dreieck (Bermuda Triangle). Other districts with fewer tourists include the Spittelberg area, around Amerlinghaus (in the Seventh District) and in the Fourth District, adjacent to the Naschmarkt. Many of the best places in Vienna will not be obvious to tourists, as they are strictly marketed at locals and are not necessarily in the center of town. Quite a few clubs are filled with ’schicki-micki’ (style-conscious) partygoers and many of these venues operate choosy door policies, where the beautiful or the correctly dressed waltz past the queue. Alternatives to the club and bar scene abound - hip and trendy Viennese still enjoy traditional favorites, such as
heurigen and the city’s many balls.
Clubs generally stay open until 0200 during the week and 0400 on the weekend, although there is considerable variation. For late, late nights, there are quite a few bars in the First District that are open until 0300, 0400 or even later. The legal drinking age is 18 years.
For information on what kind of sound and crowd to expect on any given night of the week, pick up the
Der Falter listings paper (website:
www.falter.at).
Bars: The
Loos American Bar, 01, Kärntnerdurchgang 1, lies just off Kärntnerstrasse. Designed by the famous Austrian architect Adolf Loos in 1908, it is a small, quiet space that serves as a good getaway from the crowds. The Bermuda Triangle, in the Jewish area around Schwedenplatz, also contains many attractive bars. The Spittelberg area (Seventh District) is dotted with bars, including the perennially popular
Amerlingbeisl, 07, Stiftgasse 8, with its leafy garden, and, a little further into the district,
Blue Box, 07, Richtergasse 8, hosts a different DJ each night.
Other popular spots include
Europa, 07, Zollergasse 8, and
Chelsea, 08, Lerchenfeldergürtel 29-31, situated under the S-Bahn arches, with regular live concerts and football by satellite from England.
B72, 08, Hernalsergürtel 72, and
Rhiz, 08, Lerchenfeldergürtel 37-38, are also situated along the Gürtel; both feature live music and DJs. The
Lutz Bar, 06, Mariahilfer Strasse 3, is an elegant venue with a good cocktail selection, but for something more alternative and arty, head along to
Futuregarden Bar & Art Club, 06, Schadekgasse 6, with its minimalist interior and electronic sounds.
Clubs: One of the hottest clubs in Vienna is
Volksgarten, 01, Burgring 1 (on the Ringstrasse) (website:
www.volksgarten.at), which offers raves on Friday and Saturday from 2200 until late in the morning and draws a very dressed-up crowd.
Flex, 01, Augartenbrücke (website:
www.flex.at), attracts ravers and all sorts of alternative types, while the futuristic
Passage, on the corner of Ringstrasse and Babenbergerstrasse (website:
www.sunshine.at), specializes in club, dance and house.
Club Roxy, 04, Faulmanngasse 4 (website:
www.roxyclub.at), tends to feature the latest underground dance hits and nothing too heavy, while
U4, 12, Schönbrunner Strasse 222 (website:
www.u-4.at), one of the city’s longest running clubs, plays an eclectic mix of dance music genres every night of the week. For something a bit different try
Elektro Gönner, 06, Mariahilfer Strasse 101/1 (website:
www.elektro-g.at), an arty venue with DJs and weekly specials such as a film club or other interactive installations.
Coffee Houses (Kaffeehäuser): The coffee shops are an essential part of Viennese life. For the price of a coffee (anything upwards of €3) you can sit for hours with the papers, some work, a book, or just watching the world go by. The new ’szene houses’ attract a young, trendy crowd.
Stein, 09, Währingerstrasse 6-8, is the king of the new style, with minimalist décor, Internet facilities, veggie fare and all-day breakfasts.
Café Landtmann, 01, Dr Karl Lueger-Ring 4, and
Café Demel, 01, Kohlmarkt 14, are two of the best known, and most expensive, of the old-style cafes - the cakes are not to be missed.
Café Hawelka, 01, Dorotheergasse 6, is an oasis in the city center, and is popular with artists, while
Café Sperl, 06, Gumpendorfer Strasse 11, still retains its original art nouveau fittings.
Café Central, located in the beautiful historic Palais Ferstel at 01, Herrengasse 14, is also an old favorite: it features gothic ceilings and live music daily.
Heurigen: Originally the Viennese word for the wine of the latest harvest, the word
heuriger now also refers to the place where this wine is sold. Each heuriger can only sell the wine produced on its own estate - and only for a maximum of 300 days per year. Although it is possible to have heurigen in the center of the city, the best locations are in the small villages in the 10th to 23rd districts, such as Grinzing, Nussdorf, Heiligenstadt, Sievering and Stammersdorf. See also
Restaurants.
Live Music: A converted porn cinema,
Porgy & Bess, 01, Riemengasse 11 (website:
www.porgy.or.at), near the Stubentor U-bahn stop, is now Vienna’s best jazz club.
Jazzland, 01, Franz-Josefs-Kai 23 (website:
www.jazzland.at), offers what the names suggest, while
Birdland, 03, Am Stadtpark 1 (website:
www.birdland.at), is another of the city’s top jazz spots. Open-air concerts are held on the
Donauinsel (Danube Island) in summer, while larger rock concerts are performed at the
Ernst-Happel-Stadion, 02, Meiereistrasse 2. The main indoor venue for large acts is the
Wiener Stadthalle, 15, Vogelweidplatz 14 (website:
www.stadthalle.com).
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