7 Best Restaurants in Carinthia and Graz, Austria

A tiny bar, café, and restaurant, Aiola is located at the top of the Schlossberg mountain fortress. The restaurant serves traditional Austrian breakfasts with a selection of bread, cheese, and meat, and dinner entrées such as Styrian corn-fed chicken breast with gnocchi and a white wine risotto with chanterelles. Relax under crisp, white-canvas umbrellas on an outdoor deck, or behind the glass walls that blend with the environment. Enjoy a glass of the local dry Rose Schilcher or a coffee with all of Graz spread out before you.

Inventive dishes, excellent staff, and an inviting atmosphere sum up a visit to 151. The menu is a fascinating fusion of Austrian, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors, including vegan options. Dinner only. The seating layout doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy, but the service and food more than make up for it. The luminescent bar has a good selection of gin, rum, and Austrian and international wines and the terrace is magical.

Chef Stephan Vadnjal offers up fresh local fish and seafood with a Mediterranean flair and a hand-picked wine selection to match. The interior is clean and smart; the service welcoming. Entrance is around the corner from the square.

The magnificent centuries-old Landhaus complex also includes this popular traditional restaurant. Styrian beef is the main event here, but there are lots of other tasty dishes to choose from. The place contains a labyrinth of charming old-world dining rooms set within the ancient arcaded Landhaus itself. Weather permitting, try to get a table in the historic courtyard.

Gorgeous is the word to describe this spot's perch, which offers a view over the Wörthersee and makes a fitting backdrop for some of the area's best seafood. This former villa offers several romantic dining rooms in champagne and red tones, or you can sit outdoors on the wraparound terrace overlooking the glistening water. Don't miss the appetizer of delicate trout caviar and smoked salmon on crispy toast points, then try the grilled calamari or the Maria Loretto fish platter for those who can’t decide. For dessert, try the lemon sorbet. You'll need a taxi to get here.

With its vaulted ceiling and dark, gleaming wainscoting, Peppino im Hofkeller offers the most innovative Italian cuisine in the city. The chef serves a classic Italian menu that includes homemade pasta dressed with seasonal specialties and wonderfully fresh seafood. Look for the sea bass with grilled vegetables, creamy salmon tagliatelle, and their daily fresh ravioli and risotto.

Salon Marie offers a stylish setting with its chandeliers, greenery, and floor-to-ceiling street art by Josef Wurm. The expansive menu by Chef Aleš Rascan includes something for everyone, be it Holstein schnitzel, spicy grilled octopus, or homemade vegan spring rolls and curry. The restaurant is closed on Sundays, but does a Grand Brunch from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm.