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Eating out in Vienna

food in Vienna
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Updated bybdvoranon 01 November 2019

From tasty "Wiener Schnitzel" to mouthwatering types of "Strudel" over heartwarming soups, you can find almost everything a foodie's heart is craving. The typical Austrian cuisine is influenced by the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and overall Central European cuisine. The Viennese or Austrian dishes are quite unique in this region only, and you probably won't find most of them in other parts of Europe.

The typical Viennese breakfast consists of tea or coffee, a croissant that Austrians would call "Kipferl," some jam, butter, and a boiled egg.

Many people do not have time for breakfast and will only sip a quick cup of coffee before leaving for work. If you have a day off or on weekends, try "Breakfast Club" which counts to one of the hidden gems of Vienna or "Wirr" that offers breakfast until 4 pm every day!

For lunch, they usually have a quick snack or enjoy their company cafeterias meals. They tend to have a slice of cake or some biscuits with their afternoon coffee. And in the countryside, they do not have dinner but "Jause" instead, around 5 to 6 pm after getting home from work. A "Jause" usually consists of a slice of bread accompanied by cheese and "Wurst." In Vienna, people typically cook their main dish in the evening or have dinner in some restaurant after leaving the office.

For foodies, Vienna is pure heaven! Meatlovers can enjoy various deliciously prepared recipes like "Gulasch" that dates back to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the famous "Schnitzel," or something typical for Vienna - "Tafelspitz."

Even though most of the Austrian dishes contain meat, there are many vegetarian options as well like "Knödel" or "Kaiserschmarrn" or the world-famous "Apfelstrudel."

All of the above might sound very traditional to you now, but no worries it's not all about "Schnitzel und Knödel."

The best places for eating out in Vienna

Vienna is home to some of the best restaurants across the country with influences from all over the world, and you can find every possible cuisine there is.

You can find amazing restaurants around town, but the place to be if you are into state-of-the-art cuisine are the inner districts like the Second, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth.

From hip Sourdough-Pizza places to all-vegan burger houses like "Swingkitchen" that have set new standards, there is nothing you cannot find in this area. Even Pamela Anderson had to visit them during one of her stays in Vienna.

The best places to enjoy as many different cuisines as possible at the same time are the markets of Vienna. The most well-known is the "Naschmarkt" where you can find many Asian and Middle Eastern specialities like "Neni," a traditional Israelian restaurant.

Also, try the less popular ones like "Brunnenmarkt" or "Yppenplatz."

If you are looking for a first-class vegetarian restaurant, "Tian" is the place you are looking for. It is the only Austrian vegetarian restaurant that has been awarded a Michelin-star and three Gault-Millau toques.

Bars in Vienna

Hot summer nights are best spent outside in one of the many outdoor bars across town. For a spectacular view over the first city, you should go for a cocktail to "Lamée", a super fancy rooftop bar overlooking the "Stephansplatz" in the First District.

The best cocktails in town are served at "If dogs run free" - do not miss out on their super tasty Gin and Tonic! Trust us. This one is not just like any other!

Whatever you choose, it is tough to go wrong as Vienna enjoys a very high standard when it comes to food and drinks.

Prost and Mahlzeit!

We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.

About

Barbara is a freelance translator and works as a lecturer for German at the Language Centre of the University of Vienna. She writes a blog about languages for an Austrian daily newspaper and lived as an expat in Portugal and Italy for several years.

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