Vienna Restaurants
 

Will be in Vienna the first week of May. Any recommendations for restaurants? Staying near Stadpark U-Bahn station.

Here my personal selection:

Traditional, low-cost:

- Zu den drei Hacken (typical Vienna cuisine, atmospheric - would be my first choice)
- Gulaschmuseum (special for Gulasch)
- Figlmüller (special for Wienerschnitzel - touristy)
- and many others (look on the menus which hang at the door).

Special for Tafelspitz, medium-priced:
- Plachutta (IMO a must in Vienna because they specialize in Tafelspitz - Vienna's most authentic dish - which they serve as a three-course-menu)

Innovative, high end:

- Riegi

Kaffeehäuser (serve desserts and small dishes - very typical for Vienna):

- Diglas (perhaps the most typical one)
- Demel (posh, expensive)

We liked <i>Stomach</i>

I'd go with all Traveller1959s recommendations - except for Riegi - which I think is overrated and I would replace with Meinl

Hello afa:

Here is an excerpt from my report of our visit over Christmas week:

VIENNA

Ristorante Firenze Enoteca: We chose this Italian restaurant in the Royal Hotel for our first meal, primarily because of its location nearby the Underground. The address at Singerstrasse 3 allows use of the U1 line to the Stephansplatz station. When returning to the Underground, use the entrance across Kaerntnerstrasse, not the closer one on Kaerntnerstrasse, if you prefer a down escalator instead of stairs.

Firenze Enoteca is a comfortable room with good service. Patrons are treated to the sight of a tempting array of antipasto items as you enter the room. I had pasta with artichokes to start and the turbot with saffron sauce as the main course.

Der Demel: After attending the 9:15 am Mass at Hofburgkapelle (Vienna Boys Choir) and the 11:00 am performance at the nearby Spanish Riding School, we found this venerable caf&eacute; to be nicely convenient for lunch. It is located a few doors up Kohlmarkt from Michaelerplatz which you encounter upon leaving SRS. This is a busy place so a reservation, especially on Sunday, is a good idea.

The traditional Austrian fare is hearty (try the Goulash soup) but save room for a pastry. Dermel prepared pastries for the Emperor and I doubt that there has been much degradation in quality.

Vincent: This restaurant is a 15 minute cab ride from the Centre and was the highpoint of our dining experiences on this trip. A new, garden-type room has been added in the rear since our last visit several years ago (Our waiter kiddingly suggested that that visit enabled the owner, Mr. Frank Gruber, to make the addition) and is worth requesting.

We ordered the five course, prix fixe dinner, having been overwhelmed by the 10 course degustation menu we endured on our last visit. Our meal consisted of a pate of salmon and trout, beef consomm&eacute; and dumpling for the soup course, salad with a hot scallop and trout roe, a turbot course, and lamb tenderloin for the entr&eacute;e. Vincent serves a different, complementary wine with each course. This is a fantastic 3 hour experience.

Caf&eacute; Diglas: This caf&eacute; near St. Stephansplatz on Strobelgasse has a history rivaling Demel. We had lunch there and you need to be aware of the following: (1) You can’t get a bloody mary and (2) You must pay cash. Beyond those minor inconveniences, lunch was great and the pastry selection is more extensive than that at Demel. We enjoyed the goulash and brats with roasted potatoes and kraut.

Korso: This well-known restaurant in the Bristol Hotel was our choice for Christmas Eve dinner. There were seatings at 5:00 pm and 8:30 pm; we chose the former. The setting in Korso is elegant and the service is impeccable.

The menu was prix fixe and consisted of 3 courses including excellent veal fillet as the entr&eacute;e. Modestly priced Austrian wines were suggested on the menu. Overall, the meal was more expensive than Vincent but did not meet that standard.

Restaurant Kuchlmasterei [Niky’s Kitchen]: This restaurant is located on the west side of Vienna and was one of the few restaurants open in central Vienna on the day after Christmas, Boxing Day. The atmosphere and staff were extremely friendly. The menu is limited but the wine list is extensive (2008 Wine Spectator award) We opted for tableside service for our entrees, fillet of sole and roasted suckling pig. Very nice.

Magazin 3 Hacken: This restaurant was suggested by the hotel doorman after he learned of my selection of Griechenbeisl. Much too touristy, he said. Magazin is a small gasthaus with terrific waiters and Austrian food. We had salad with sauerkraut, german potato salad and sliced cucumbers hiding under the bibb lettuce –nice combination. The potato soup is heavenly, but don’t bulk up because the entrees of boiled beef, calves liver and duck were all excellent. For dessert, I suggest the hazelnut souffl&eacute;. We had a local red cuvee at Euro 27.50 (in fact, we had two). The bill for 3 with modest tip was Euro 140.

Caf&eacute; Landtmann: We considered a visit to this legendary spot, where Freund supposedly hung out, as necessary to completing the round of Vienna’s notable cafes. The restaurant is at the Rathaus (town hall) tram stop on the Ring. Tuxedoed, very agile, waiters navigate the tight quarters to serve good food and drink from a compact menu.

Danielli: On our last evening in Vienna, our doorman again nixed my selection of Grotto Azzura in favor of this outstanding Italian restaurant. Beginning with the unique garlic bread, the food was sensational. I enjoyed spaghetti with lobster. There is a free standing oven for making pizza that looked and smelled delicious.

If you can, try Vincent.

Gradyghost

Indochine 21 is a nice, trendy Asian
Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer is very traditional Viennese with piano music
Weingut Reinprecht Heuriger in Grinzing is delightful and reached easily by bus.
Nordsee is the best fast food in the world
Meinl am Graben is excellent upscale dining above the famous food hall that they operate.
Steirereck is a Michelin 3 star with all that connotes and then some
Treznewski is a delightful little place to grab a stand up open faced sandwich and a Pfiff--a tiny mug of beer. It's just off the Graben--as is Meinl.
I think Drei Husaren has sadly passed its prime.

I enjoyed Cafe Opera, which, as its name suggests, is located a short distance behind the Opera. I highly recommend the beverage Mozart cafe.

I also enjoyed the Rote Bar Restaurant at the Sacher Hotel. It is all red damask and gold gilt with touches of black and like dining inside a jewel box. The food was delicious, continental with some Austrian specialties. The service was also outstanding. They also begin dinner service early enough to accommodate dinner before the opera.

We liked Zum Finsternen for good food and a neighborhood atmosphere. It is located behind Am Hof Church.

Another vote for Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer.

It's in the old town near the cathedral.

The wine stubes in Grinzing are all fun with hearty Viennese food.

Hi!
Depends on how much you want to spend and on your diet!
But I suggest to check out this website: www.spottedbylocals.com/vienna

here you find some real nice spots, which are authentic and popular among viennese people and travelers!!

mangiacrauti, thanks so much for the URL for that website. It's great. Besides looking at the posts re: Vienna, I checked out other cities. It has wonderful information and helpful pictures. I've got it bookmarked.

Great!I am very pleased that I could help you!

I'll just add one favorite higher-end restaurant, as there are so many others at slightly lower price levels to choose from: My favorite to visit for a nice occasion is La Terrazza, atop the Hotel Eden, a couple of blocks off the northern end of the Via Veneto, and about a 5 minute walk from the Spanish Steps. Enjoy.

Long drive for dinner from Vienna.

My bad -- dumb mistake. I was thinking of Rome rather than Vienna. Sorry for the error.