Vienna’s restaurant scene
It would be all too easy to believe that the Viennese have nothing to do all day but eat, with such an astonishingly wide variety of food on offer in the Austrian capital, and eateries seemingly on every corner.
Naturally, the starring role in Vienna’s culture of enjoyment is reserved for Viennese cuisine – an appetizing mixture of culinary traditions from the nations of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire that, over the centuries, has become a distinctive combination ofthese in its own right. A touch of the Alps, a healthy portion of Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, and northern Italy, a dash of Croatia and Galicia, a bit of Yiddish, a little Bavarian, all rounded off with inspiration from Styria and Slovenia. Many of the dishes are braised, boiled, or stewed, a few are fried and of course there are plenty of breadcrumbed delicacies – Vienna’s favorite way to prepare food: almost everything under the sun, whether it’s fish, meat, or vegetables, has probably at one time been covered in a crisp, golden, undulating mantel of flour, egg, and white breadcrumbs. According to various surveys, the Wiener Schnitzel, originally a breaded veal escalope – though nowadays the less costly pork variety is also often served – is far and away Austria’s favorite dish.
But it goes without saying that the capital’s Beisln and Gasthäuser (pubs and inns), and restaurants – known and loved for upholding traditional Viennese cuisine – serve more than just food coated in breadcrumbs. Establishments such as Pfarrwirt, Gasthaus Wolf, Servitenwirt,the newly reopened Gasthaus zum Herkner and the fully refurbished branch of Wein & Co just off Stephansplatz are attempting to introduce some modern elements into the classic mix. At Freyenstein, Jakob Keineder cooks up creative takes on traditional recipes inspired by his mentor Meinrad Neunkirchner. Eckel and Schwarzen Kameel both serve outstanding Viennese food, while Blauensteiner, Grünauer, Gelbmann’s Gaststube and 3 Hacken are all bastions of authentic cuisine. And if anyone still needs convincing that Viennese cuisine can meet the highest gastronomic standards even in a chain of restaurants, they should make a beeline for one of Mario Plachutta’s establishments, and enjoy one of the thousands of portions of Tafelspitz (tender boiled beef), Schulterscherzl (flat iron steak), or Wiener Schnitzel they serve every day.
The culinary avant-garde
With such a strong, well-established and creative mainstream dining culture, avant-garde and haute cuisine face some pretty stiff competition in Vienna – but they are alive and well, spearheaded by Steirereck, widely recognized as the best restaurant in Austria. The UK’s Restaurant Magazine 2018 ranks it the 14th best restaurant in the world. Starting life more than 40 years ago as a corner tavern, over the decades Steirereck has gone from strength to strength, living through nouvelle cuisine before becoming one of the pioneers of the new regional focus in culinary innovation, under Heinz Reitbauer senior. Since the restaurant moved to its current location in Stadtpark, Heinz Reitbauer junior has developed a thoroughly unique brand of cookery that showcases unusual vegetables and herbs to create astonishing flavors.
Young chef Silvio Nickol has also enjoyed success at the restaurant in the Palais Coburg luxury hotel with his creative, meticulous Franco-Viennesecuisine, as has Walter Bauer in his tiny gourmet paradise under centuries-old vaulted ceilings. Markus Mraz continues to break boundaries with his avant-garde creations, andKonstantin Filippou serves some of the most modern and elaborate cuisine in the country at his simply-decorated yet elegant restaurant in a quieter part of the first district. And Walter Leidenfrost’s painstakingly-creative approach to classic culinary themes at the reopened Ludwig Van added a worthy entry to the list of restaurants reconsidering the fine Viennese art of cooking at the start of 2017.
International cuisine
Viennese cuisine is not the only style of cookery on the menu in the Austrian capital – a lively international restaurant scene is full of culinary traditions that have their own distinctive identity, or are too exotic to be subsumed into the broader church of Viennese cuisine. Italian food is far and away the most popular foreign food among the Viennese. Over 500 restaurants in Vienna serve up the powerful flavors and delightfully uncomplicated classics of Italian fare: from simple panini and Friulian delicacies in Cantina Osteria Friulana, to an Italian meal of several courses in the exclusive Fabios.
Just as surprising is the slow but steady progress made by French cuisine, which had until recently found it surprisingly difficult to gain a foothold. Choice examples are the high quality brasserie food served at Le Salzgries, and the more down-to-earth bistro dishes at Beaulieu. In contrast, the Asian restaurant scene is thriving. ON, ON Market, Chinabar an der Wien and Goldene Zeiten all showcase the endless diversity of Chinese regional cookery.An astonishing variety of Japanese cuisine and cookery approaches can be found at the refined Unkai in the Grand Hotel, hypermodern Shiki, hip urban restaurant Mochi and its larger offshoot Klon Iki in the new Belvedere quarter close to the Main Station (Hauptbahnhof), Karma Ramen and Sakai. But it’s the Vietnamese restaurant scene that is truly buzzing at the moment. The best are Pho Sai Gon, Good Morning Vietnam, Le Viet and Vietthao.
And there is a huge diversity of other options too: Israeli cuisine at Neni and a branch of Miznon opened by star Tel Aviv-based chef Eyal Shani, Indonesian, Nepalese, Tibetan, Caribbean, Georgian, Polish, Bulgarian, Kurdish, and Afghan cuisine – there have even been Uyghur and Kyrgyz restaurants in Vienna.
The city’s palate
Vienna’s café and restaurant scene is the city’s palate and a sounding board for the latest trends – which it does not always react to immediately, but perhaps more reliably for taking its time. Sustainability is used as an umbrella term to describe the seemingly irresistible trend towards consumers making more conscious and ethical choices. In a city like Vienna, where it seems that the focus is first and foremost on enjoyment, it might sound contradictory to talk about sustainability – but that is far from the case.
Motto am Fluss, for example, is one of the hippest and most talked-about places in the whole city. At this fashionable restaurant located right on the Danube Canal, with a sun terrace and attached café, all of the food served is made using almost exclusively organic ingredients. At Gustl kocht everything is 100% organic. At Manameierei, a highly popular breakfast joint in a picture-postcard location on the fringes of the Vienna Woods, the majority of products come from the local area. The concept café by Vienna’s trendiest bakery, Joseph, focuses on organic and regional slow food products. And regional products and producers are at the heart of the elegant contemporary cuisine available at the Brasserie & Bakery in The Guesthouse hotel, designed by Sir Terence Conran. Meanwhile, Heuer am Karlsplatz is all about getting the best out of the ingredients available, a number of which are in fact grown in raised beds directly outside the restaurant.
Change and modernization are also afoot in the world of confectionery and sweet dishes, even though people long believed that the Bohemian desserts perfected in Vienna could never be improved on. A new generation is putting a twist on the classics. Joseph Bistro works almost exclusively with Austrian products, baking tarts with mirabelle plums rather than lemons. Ice cream flavored with mountain herbs or lychee, rose and raspberry can be found at Gregors Konditorei, and made using organic milk and elderflower, asparagus, or goat’s cheese at Eis-Greissler, completely free of artificial preservatives or coloring. And at Veganista, two young women are proving that it is possible to make fantastic ice cream without milk or cream– with no little success. Queuing up outside the attractive ice cream parlors is still an inevitability, even though there are five of them in Vienna these days.
Culinary hotspots
Modern, pioneering ideas have the potential to make people sit up and pay attention, and in many cases have proved to be the inspiration behind some of the capital’s most popular culinary hotspots – of which there are certainly plenty. This keeps the whole city guessing where the next one will pop up. The Naschmarkt’s famous atmosphere, combined with its attractive mix of Art Nouveau market buildings and contemporary bars and cafés is no longer a secret. And Yppenplatz in Ottakring, originally a much more alternative destination, has become well known to the mainstream eating and drinking public with its many wine bars, restaurants and cafés. Opened in 2001, MuseumsQuartier is not only one of the ten biggest cultural centers in the world – it’s also a large hub for events and restaurants, and combined with the neighboring Spittelberg area is considered Vienna’s biggest sidewalk café. The Karmelitermarkt in the traditionally Jewish heart of the second district is another great location, especially at the weekend.
But what’s next? Where in the city will the next wave of hip eateries spring up? One hot favorite is the new business university campus next to the Messe Wien convention center, where eight new designer cafés and restaurants opened in the space of just one week in fall 2013. The quiet streets of Margareten, Vienna’s fifth district, which until now have lived in the shadow of the Naschmarkt and the established scene surrounding Freihausgasse, are also a possibility. Vorgartenmarkt in the second district, is clearly blossoming, as is the Meidlinger Markt in the twelfth. Thewinds of change clearly seem to be blowing in the hitherto less salubrious part of town around Reindorfgasse and Schwendermarkt in the fifteenth district (Fünfhaus). Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna’s longest shopping street located directly between the lively sixth and seventh districts, has an extended pedestrian zone that is starting redefining the local bar and restaurant scene – as a barometer of evolving culinary trends.
Brunching out
Right across the city a new trend is making waves: breakfast. The number of cool breakfast cafés has grown exponentially in recent years, with the pace of growth so fast that people might ask whether the Viennese had simply opted to skip the most important meal of the day before they started springing up. Of course that isn’t true, but eating out for breakfast is the in thing to do right now, with delicacies like eggs benedict, homemade wild berry jam, organic yoghurt and fair trade coffee all on the menu.
Breakfast at Meierei im Stadtpark, attached to Steirereck, is so popular that a reservation is essential. Space can also be tight in the Bakery at the hip Hotel Daniel, fashionable Ulrich on Spittelberg as well as the stunning Palm House in the Burggarten. Thanks to its central location and fantastic service, the Guesthouse Brasserie & Bakery has also quickly become a very popular breakfast venue. Vienna coffeehouse doyens Querfeld operate a beautiful pavilion in Schönbrunn Palace gardens and as a brunch location by the name of Jausenstation. The delicacies on offer at Ansari include a traditional Georgian breakfast. The Salonplafond restaurant at the MAK has gone all out to make the first meal of the day the best meal of the day. Even restaurants that until now have been regarded as evening hotspots, like upscale Italian Fabios, have started serving elaborate city breakfasts.
A quick snack
Obviously there might not be much time left for lunch after such a leisurely breakfast, but Vienna has plenty of great options for those in search of a quick snack. Top of the list are the city’s legendary sausage stands, a Viennese institution and the places to sample a “Heisser” – a hot Burenwurst or Klobasse (similar to a Polish sausage), or a slice of Leberkäse – a kind of baked bologna meat loaf – enjoy a pair of frankfurters (the name Viennese give Wiener sausages), or of course savor the incomparable Käsekrainer, a sausage stuffed with cheese. The city center still boasts the greatest concentration of sausage stands, anda large number of kebab stands have also sprung up in recent years.
Another option is to pick up some classic open sandwiches from Trzesniewski – traditional Viennese take-away. Or try one of the fabulous sandwiches at Schwarzen Kameel: their display cabinet offers 20 different varieties, and the line of people waiting can get very long around midday. Anyone that prefers Italian should head to the hip Pizzeria Disco Volante for original Neapolitan pizza, or to 1500 Foodmakers for dishes with a more Italian-American twist. Wulfisch serves fish rolls just like they do in Hamburg, and at Verde 1080 guests can pick up the best take-away burger in the city – to enjoy with one of 400 specially selected beers from microbreweries around the world. Bao Bar specializes in Korean-style filled rolls made from yeast dough, Schachtelwirt cooks up traditional Viennese cuisine (also suitable for takeaway customers) fresh each day, while Chinese crêpes top the billing at Yong Streetfood. Gorilla Kitchen sells delicious burritos, ultra-cool o.m.k has the city’s best takeaway sushi, Hildegard Wurst specializes in New York style hot dogs, the gourmet sandwiches at Marco Simoni’s Bastei wouldn’t be out of place in Paris. Old Quarter and Bánh mi Vienna both offer overflowing Vietnamese sandwiches worthy of Ho-Chi-Minh city, whileand Cin Buffet’s panini could hold their own in Rome.
A glass of wine
So there is lots to eat in Vienna – but more than enough to drink too: a glass of good wine is a quintessential part of the Viennese lifestyle. Great quality and a good selection await in absolutely every bar, café and restaurant. The Wein & Co Bar presents an especially broad selection, while wine bar Unger und Klein has a special atmosphere, as does their branch, glazed floor-to-ceiling, in the entrance area of the Hochhaus on Herrengasse in the first district. Visitors can enjoy a drink as they soak up a fabulous view of the city on the top floor of the 25hours hotel, or alternatively the Bloom terrace bar at Hotel Lamée. At young hip wine bars MAST, Heunisch & Erben and O Boufés serve currently in-demand natural wines with appetisers and snacks. Generally speaking, a decent glass of wine awaits around virtually every corner and in every bar in the city. The craft beer scene is blossoming a little late in Vienna, but at Brickmakers Ale & Cider House and 1516 patrons can sample the avant-garde beers brewed on-site. And for those who want to end the day at the smallest, most beautiful and unruly bar in the city, there is only one place to go: Loos Bar. It’s a must for anyone who wants to discover what really makes Vienna tick.
Addresses:
Pfarrwirt, Pfarrplatz 5, 1190 Vienna,
Gasthaus Wolf, Rienösslgasse 17, 1040 Vienna,
Servitenwirt, Servitengasse 7, 1090 Vienna,
Pichlmaiers Zum Herkner, Dornbacher Strasse 123, 1170 Vienna, zumherkner.at
Wein & Co-Bar, Jasomirgottstrasse 3-5, 1010 Vienna,
Freyenstein, Thimiggasse 11, 1180 Vienna,
Eckel, Sieveringer Strasse 46, 1190 Vienna,
Zum Schwarzen Kameel, Bognergasse 5, 1010 Vienna,
Gmoakeller, Am Heumarkt 25, 1030 Vienna,
Blauensteiner, Josefstädter Strasse 4, 1080 Vienna,
Grünauer, Herrmanngasse 32, 1070 Vienna,
Gelbmanns Gaststube, Wilhelminenstrasse 62, 1160 Vienna,
Zu den 3 Hacken, Singerstrasse 28, 1010 Vienna,
Plachutta, Wollzeile 38, 1010 Vienna,
Ludwig Van, Laimgrubengasse 22, 1060 Vienna,
Steirereck, Am Heumarkt 2a, 1030 Vienna,
Silvio Nickol im Palais Coburg, Coburgbastei 4, 1010 Vienna,
Restaurant Bauer, Sonnenfelsgasse 17, 1010 Vienna, Tel. +43-1-512 98 71
Mraz & Sohn, Wallensteinstrasse 59, 1200 Vienna,
Konstantin Filippou, Dominikanerbastei 17, 1010 Vienna,
Cantina Osteria Friulana, Bartensteingasse 3, 1010 Vienna,
Fabios, Tuchlauben 4-6, 1010 Vienna,
Le Salzgries Paris, Marc-Aurel-Strasse 6, 1010 Vienna,
Beaulieu, Herrengasse 14/18, 1010 Vienna,
ON, Wehrgasse 8, 1050 Vienna,
ON Market, Linke Wienzeile 36, 1060 Vienna,
Chinabar an der Vienna, Hamburger Strasse 2, 1050 Vienna,
Goldene Zeiten, Dr. Karl-Lueger-Platz 5, 1010 Vienna,
Unkai, Kärntner Ring 9, 1010 Vienna,
Shiki, Krugerstrasse 3, 1010 Vienna,
Mochi, Praterstrasse 15, 1020 Vienna,
Iki, Am Belvedere 1, 1100 Vienna,
Karma Ramen, Hamburger Strasse 2A, 1050 Vienna,
Sakai, Florianigasse 36, 1080 Vienna,
Pho Sai Gon, Hegelgasse 17, 1010 Vienna,
Good Morning Vietnam, Sechsschimmelgasse 16, 1090 Vienna,
Le Viet, Stubenbastei 12, 1010 Vienna,
Vietthao, Friedrichstrasse 2, 1010 Vienna, Tel. +43-1-585 20 31
Neni, Naschmarkt 510, 1060 Vienna,
Miznon, Schulerstrasse 4, 1010 Vienna,
Motto am Fluss, Franz-Josefs-Kai/Schwedenplatz, 1010 Vienna,
Gustl kocht, Erdbergstrasse 21, 1030 Vienna,
Manameierei, Exelbergstrasse 32, 1170 Vienna,
Joseph Bistro, Landstrasser Hauptstrasse 4, 1030 Vienna,
The Guesthouse Brasserie & Bakery, Führichgasse 10, 1010 Vienna,
Heuer am Karlsplatz, Treitlstrasse 2, 1040 Vienna,
Gregors Konditorei, Schönbrunner Strasse 42, 1050 Vienna,
Eis-Greissler, Rotenturmstrasse 14, 1010 Vienna + Mariahilfer Strassse 33, 1060 Vienna,
Veganista, Neustiftgasse 23/3, 1070 Vienna,
Meierei im Stadtpark, Am Heumarkt 2a, 1030 Vienna,
Bakery im Hotel Daniel, Landstrasser Gürtel 5, 1030 Vienna,
Ulrich, St. Ulrichs-Platz 1, 1070 Vienna,
Palmenhaus, Burggarten 1, 1010 Vienna,
Landtmann’s Jausenstation, Kronprinzengarten Schönbrunn, 1130 Vienna,
Ansari, Praterstrasse 15, 1020 Vienna,
Salonplafond, Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna,
Trzesniewski, Dorotheergasse 1, 1010 Vienna,
Disco Volante, Gumpendorfer Strasse 98, 1060 Vienna,
1500 Foodmakers, Lerchenfelder Strasse 1-3, 1080 Vienna,
Wulfisch, Haidgasse 5, 1020 Vienna,
Verde 1080, Josefstädter Strasse 27, 1080 Vienna,
Bao Bar, Zollergasse 2, 1070 Vienna,
Schachtelwirt, Judengasse 5, 1010 Vienna,
Yong Streetfood, Rechte Wienzeile 9a, 1040 Vienna,