6 Best Restaurants in District 2/Leopoldstadt, Vienna

Dine at Vienna's poshest restaurant while taking in the stunning, 360-degree panoramic vistas of the city's skyline from the 18th floor of the Sofitel Stephansdom. The gourmet meals, often made with seasonal, locally-sourced fare, are just as fabulous as the view. A four-course tasting menu may include a caviar sandwich, sweetbread, fresh pan-fried pike perch from nearby Neusiedler Lake, and a dessert of melon with Yuna chocolate, parsley, and hazelnut. The ambience is centered on the spectacular ceiling, designed by Swiss multimedia artist Pipilotti Rist. She has created a magnificent visual feast, which is best viewed at sunset, as the changing colors outside have a lovely dance with the colors playing out on the ceiling above you.

Run by a Georgian couple with Lebanese roots, this stylish and airy restaurant is part modern Viennese coffeehouse, part Mediterranean escape. The light-filled interior features a beautifully tiled bar area with Lebanese tile, ornate lamps, and vases filled with fresh flowers, while the shady terrace is a perfect spot to slowly enjoy specialties like kinkhali (meat-filled dumplings) and kwerebi (Georgian ravioli), along with Georgian wines, and specialty teas and coffees. Make a reservation for breakfast here as the Georgian breakfast of cheese-filled bread with an egg in the middle has made it one of Vienna's most popular breakfast spots. Come with a group so that you can sample the Russian breakfast (with vodka) and a Viennese breakfast, too.

This upmarket Asian takeout joint from the famed Japanese restaurant Mochi offers fresh ramen, sushi, and maki, plus coffee, matcha, and sake.

With tables set outside amidst flowering plants and trees, in the middle of cobbled Nestroyplatz, it is no wonder this is one of Vienna's favorite breakfast and brunch spots. The menu is huge with plenty of vegetarian options, but if you're here for a leisurely breakfast or brunch, go with the eponymous Ramasuri sandwich, with bread from one of Vienna's best bakeries (Josef), wildflower cheese, scrambled eggs, candied bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes. Drinks, coffees, and service are excellent, so this is a perfect stop at any time of day.

This "beautiful pearl" is one of the most popular dining spots for locals in Leopoldstadt. It offers traditional Austrian comfort food, including tafelspitz—boiled beef, the favored dish of Emperor Franz Josef—and Wiener schnitzel, but its real palate pleasers are the wide selection of vegetarian dishes on the menu. Avocado salad, red lentil soup, käsespätzle (traditional cheese and noodle dish with roasted onions), and the runner bean and pumpkin stew are among the top favorites. The interior is surprisingly spacious, so the restaurant can get crowded, but not cramped. The staff is friendly, and seems to tolerate well the children who can't resist roaming the vastness.

One of Vienna's most popular burger joints offers veggie and meat options at this market location.