44 Best Bars in Austria

This excellent craft beer bar serves up rotating beers on tap from a variety of microbreweries. There's usually at least one Austrian brew on tap alongside a United Nations of beers, and despite their name, the brick and wood-filled space has a vibe that's more rustic and cozy than divey. Staff are incredibly knowledgeable and always happy to give you a taste before committing to a full mug.

One of the largest beer cellars in Europe and the only one of its kind in Austria, the celebrated Augustinerbräu is at the north end of the Mönchsberg, a short walk from the Old City. Pick up a stone jug of strong, frothy, 10-week aged Märzen beer, made using the same recipe since 1621 and served directly from wooden kegs. With communal, dark-wood tables and beautifully restored chandeliers, the halls overflow with cheerful locals, and outside, where massive chestnut trees shade the sprawling garden, you'll find a complete cross section of Salzburg society. If you're feeling hungry, shops in the huge monastery complex sell a vast array of salads, breads, and pastries, as well as sausages and spit-roasted chicken. Advent and Lent offer special beers, because the Catholic church decreed that "drinking does not interrupt fasting." You can tour the brewery by appointment on weekday afternoons (€19.90 per person, including a souvenir); call to book.

The city's coolest cocktail bar can be found within this long and atmospheric vaulted cellar just off the Hauptplatz. Expert mixologists serve an array of unique, crafty cocktails, incorporating everything from port wine to peanut butter.

"U" stands for underground, and fittingly, Club U is located below one of the two Jugendstil pavilions that Otto Wagner built when designing Vienna's subway. One of the best dance halls for alternative music in the city, it has outdoor seating, live music, a great atmosphere, and excellent DJs.

For dancing, this basement club on Landhaus Square is a leading hot spot and a magnet for students Wednesday through Saturday. DJs are highly rated, usually playing house music, hip-hop, and R&B.

The bar in the Burg hotel in Oberlech features live music most nights.

In a cavernous subway station, Café Carina is dazzling in its dinginess. It's offbeat, artistic, and action packed—you get the sense that anything can happen here, from an air-guitar competition to an evening of 1980s hits. On weekends expect it to be packed.

In the MuseumsQuartier, this café-bar is hidden inside the large, white cube that is the Leopold Museum. Tables are scattered outside on the plaza at night, and in summer the restaurant morphs into a bar and trendy hangout in the evenings.

The ornate Casino Baden—with a bar, restaurant, and gambling rooms—still includes traces of its original 19th-century touches, but has been enlarged and, in the process, overlaid with glitz rivaling that of Las Vegas. Evening attire is expected, and jackets are available on loan at the coat check. Casual dress is only acceptable in the Jackpot Casino.

The jazzy casino next to the Marriott Hotel offers blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker, and plenty of slot machines, as well as a bar. You must present your passport to enter the casino. Special meal-plus-gambling-chips packages are available in conjunction with the hotel.

Few casinos are located in such a charming building as this: the historic, facade-covered Goldener Greif hotel in the center of town. It offers baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and one-armed bandits. There's a restaurant and bar, and it's open late (usually until 3 am). A valid passport or driver's license is needed to enter.

Located in the Hotel Schillerpark, the casino has roulette, blackjack, poker, and slot machines (and a formal dress code). The less formal Jackpot Casino does not require a jacket and tie. Note that a passport is required for entry.

In the middle of the Freihaus Quarter, the Schikaneder serves as both an independent, experimental movie theater and a very popular bar filled with the city's artists. It screens a few films daily (in original languages with German subtitles), hosts art exhibits, and offers first-class DJ lineups regularly.

This restaurant-café and dance pub is in the center of town. It has legendary status among skiers and boarders, serves hot mulled wine in the winter along with heaters and blankets, and has a great summertime scene on the terrace. There's also regular live music.

Inspired by Austrian painter Ernst Fuchs this Graz institution is a cocktail lover’s dream. The dedicated staff shakes and stirs creative drinks, including some classics not often seen. The dark interior is cozy and elegant.

In this very popular bar, the partying lasts from 3 pm to 3 am, thanks to the great dance floor.

One of the leaders and originals of nightlife in Vienna's 2nd District, the Fluc attracts world-famous DJs, who praise the small venue as one of the best in Europe. It is on the site of a converted passageway, so its thick, soundproof walls mean DJs can max out the volume.

This cozy little bar on the narrow Steingasse serves well-crafted drinks, an extensive selection of Austrian wines, antipasti, cold smoked locally caught fish, and small portions of savory Austrian favorites like faschierte laibchen (finely minced meatballs with bread and pickles) and krautfleckerl (square pasta with caramelized onions, shredded white cabbage, sweet wine, and cumin). Eclectic music runs the gamut from Tarantino soundtracks to Italian music to jazz.

Located in the center of town, this place is full of character and has many dedicated fans. It's good for late-evening cocktails and attracts a somewhat more mature and relaxed clientele who prefer conversation to partying.

Many like to stop here for a cold beer, but you should ponder the historic vibes, too. In this old inn Richard Mayr—a star of Vienna's State Opera House—was born. He later became one of the organizers of the music festival. After studying the parlor of Mayr's parents—a dark, wood-carved, neo-Gothic interior from the end of the 19th century—head for a table and order yourself a drink or a bite to eat.

The bar at the Goldener Berg is usually a hot après-ski spot, often with live music.

This classy but casual Spanish wine bar pours exceptional Iberian wines and serves small and large tapas to nibble on. It's also a fully-stocked wineshop in case you want to grab a bottle for your hotel room. Service is friendly and welcoming and in warmer weather they have a few tables outside. It's the perfect place for a casual bite and a glass or two to wind down after a day of sightseeing. Reservations are recommended (it's a tiny space with few seats).

In a cellar under St. Ruprecht's church, this is the granddaddy of Vienna's jazz clubs and is the oldest jazz venue in Austria. Thanks to the pioneering work of the club's founder, Axel Melhardt, Austrian jazz musicians have grooved with the best American stars. The club also serves excellent, inexpensive, and authentic cuisine.

This upstairs bar is wildly popular and has built up a jazz-loving clientele. In the winter it's something of an après-ski hangout. You can expect lots of events here, from guest DJs to jam sessions and party nights.

Near the Naschmarkt, Johnny's is the classic, every-city-has-one good old Irish bar. Good beer, inexpensive meals, quiz nights, and live music make this pub a popular hangout.

This hopping establishment has its own home-brewed beer on tap, light snacks, and hearty regional dishes.

Known for its wide choice of beer—the drink of choice here rather than cocktails—Krahvogel is also something of a gastropub, with regional and international cuisine on offer. It's on one of Innsbruck's busiest shopping streets and attracts a good cross-section of customers, from tourists to local office workers and students.

A favorite après-ski gathering spot, the Krazy Kanguruh is located right on the slopes: that means you'll have to ski down to get back to town, which could be tricky after a few drinks. Skiers have been partying here since 1965, and a trip to St. Anton is not complete without at least one visit here.