A Canadian’s guide to 72 hours of eating in Vienna, Austria

For a city with over 2000 years of history, it’s only fair that the food scene in Vienna — from centuries-old cultural staples to new establishments rewriting the city’s culinary story — would be just as established as the city’s opulent palaces, vibrant row houses and the deep blue Danube that flows through it.

Still, much of central and eastern Europe is fighting for recognition when it comes to food. Not everyone can be France or Italy, sure, but we think it’s time that the little guys get more credit, especially those with food and drink cultures as deeply ingrained and expansive as Vienna’s.

Running the gamut from a Michelin-starred institution serving inventive Latin American bites to the most famous sausage stand in the city, our food tour of Vienna tells the story of the city through taste, which is, in our opinion, the way it’s best experienced.

So, without further ado, here are the restaurants, cafes and bars you absolutely can’t miss on your trip — even if it’s a mere 72 hours — to Vienna.

Gastwirtschaft Steman

If you’re in the market for a traditional Viennese meal, you won’t come much closer than a classic Wiener küche (that’s Viennese kitchen, to you), like Gastwirtschaft Steman. Once a local inn, here you can find a full suite of Austrian staples, like boiled beef specialty tafelspitz — don’t knock it ‘til you try it — and Wienerschnitzel.

Affordable, simple and utterly satisfying, you couldn’t possibly find a better introduction to classic Austrian cuisine.

Address: 7 Otto-Bauer-Gasse
Phone: +43 1 5978509

Bitzinger Würstelstand

A close second, however, can be found at street level, sandwiched between the Albertina Museum and the Vienna Opera House, marked by an oversized copper rabbit and equally sizeable bottle of Moët. Though sausage stands are a dime a dozen in the city, the most iconic, largely thanks to its proximity to some of the city’s most iconic sites, is Bitzinger.

Sure, you’ll likely have to endure a considerable line before sinking your teeth into the wurst of your choice, but it’ll be well worth it once you get your hands on our personal favourite, the Käserkrainer, a smoked sausage with Emmental cheese mixed into the meat itself.

Address: 1 Albertinapl.
Phone: +43 664 88622428

Cafe Schwarzenberg

Coffee house culture is a pillar of the Viennese experience — so much so that it’s a UNESCO-recognized tradition, and it’s a far cry from the cafe experience we know all too well at home in Canada.

The coffee house is something of an extended living room for the Viennese, a space to sit down for lengthy conversations, debates, or merely to dive into a good book, and many, like Cafe Schwarzenberg, have been around for longer than Canada has been recognized as a country.

Situated on the Ringstrasse, a road that completely encircles the city centre, this old-school coffee house is the oldest of its kind on the street, though some of the oldest in Vienna still have it beat by a century. Nevertheless, you can swing by for a melange (Austria’s version of a cappuccino) or any caffeinated beverage of your choosing and an apple strudel or sachertorte, just don’t ask if you can take it to go.

Younger businesses, like Kaffe Fabrik, are also keeping the coffee culture of Vienna alive, albeit with a third-wave sensibility. In the case of Fabrik, that means self-imported beans harvested in four different continents and roasted in-house. Don’t worry, you can order a melange anywhere you do.

Address: 17 Kärntner Ring
Phone: +43 1 5128998

Z’Som

You don’t have to stick to traditional eats during your time in Vienna. In fact, we’d advise colouring outside the lines just as often as you sample the classics, and in the case of fine dining, you’re in particularly good hands.

Vienna boasts a particularly impressive Michelin scene, including three restaurants with three Michelin stars, four with two and eight with one. Of the latter category, Z’Som is a can’t-miss entry.

Owned and operated by husband-wife duo chef Diego Briones and sommelier-manager Judith Lergetporer, the restaurant serves a distinctly creative menu of Latin American food inspired by chef Diego’s Chilean roots, cooked using seasonal ingredients. The multi-course menu (€179 for eight courses) rotates by season, but you can always expect inventive dishes, powerful flavours and plating that belongs in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

For those who stay away from alcohol or are merely curious about what’s out there, Judith’s non-alcoholic pairings are second-to-none. Don’t expect hum-drum dealcoholized wines, but instead entirely singular pairings from kombucha to sparkling tea.

Address: 12 Gußhausstraße
Phone: +43 1 9204454

Moby Dick

In the mood to grab a nightcap? This playful bar, named after the fictitious white whale, is a spot where exceptional cocktails are significantly less hard to find than the bar’s namesake.

With a dive bar-inspired interior and attitude, the cocktails on offer are far more intricate than one may expect, from tropical-inspired delights like the Tiki Taka Tuka with grappa, Havana rum and dry Curacao, to inventive takes on classics like the White Spagliato and entirely unique concoctions, like the Pisco Disco with pisco, gin and penja pepper cordial.

Be warned: whatever you order, you’ll be tempted to down it in a handful of sips and immediately try something new. A late start the following morning is advisable.

Address: 26 Neustiftgasse
Phone: +43 1 9974279

Chez Bernard

Tucked appropriately on the border of the tourist-centric Sixth and cooler, up-and-coming Seventh Districts and just a stone’s throw from a number of U-Bahn (Vienna’s underground transit system) stations, Hotel Motto is a perfect place to hang your hat at the end of a busy day.

Opening its doors in 2021, the chic boutique hotel seeks to embody 1920s Paris-meets-2020s Vienna in its design, a nod to the hotel’s past of serving as quarters for the French occupying forces after the Second World War. This deft cultural blend can also be found in culinary form on the hotel’s top floor at the Michelin-recommended Chez Bernard. Helmed by Austrian native chef Makus Winkler, the restaurant serves superb takes on French and Austrian classics. From Wienerschnitzel to Coq au Vin, it’s all done with a level of intricacy and care that impresses even the most discerning of palates. 

The restaurant is also open for breakfast, and, might we add, the expansive windows of its dining room are best enjoyed under morning sunlight. There’s a generous selection of breakfast foods, frequently incorporating baked goods from downstairs bakery Motto Brot. Whatever you do, tack an almond croissant onto whatever you order. The ones here have a serious bid for being some of the best outside of France.

Address: 71A Mariahilfer Straße
Phone: +43 1 5814600

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Espresso

A local stalwart for over 20 years, this restaurant and wine bar is a go-to for the area’s creative crowd, who lay claim to the charming patio — weather permitting, of course — to wax poetic like the great Austrian thinkers of yesteryear, fuelled by organic eats and natural wine.

Next door, you’ll find grocery and prepared food offshoot Espresso Buffet. Here, you can walk away with bottles of local, natural wines, house-made pickles, produce and pre-packaged meals, but you’ll also find small-batch bakery, Ährnst, sharing the space.

At Ährnst, baked goods from a globe-spanning variety of global backgrounds (think Portuguese Pasteis de Nata, Italian sourdough Panettone and seasonal Viennoiserie) are available in limited quantities, but take it from us, you’ll want to do everything in your power to get your hands on some of these goodies.

Address: 57 Burggasse
Phone: +43 1 52210570

Burggasse 24

The Seventh District is as much a staple for shopping as it is for food, and Burggasse 24 (affectionately referred to as BURGI) is the ultimate spot for both. A curated vintage store boasting holy grail finds spanning rare designer duds to deadstock, the store is also home to a stylish, spacious cafe that serves coffee-based beverages by day and cocktails by night. It’s the sort of spot that Toronto’s Dundas West dreams of.

Address: 24 Burggasse
Phone: +43 677 63076341

The author of this story was hosted by the Vienna Tourist Board.