Vienna is a great place for foodies – as we are sure you know by now. The city offers a wide variety of eateries, ranging from budget-friendly pubs to extremely upscale restaurants.
What Vienna has as well is an extensive selection of special places that serve or offer food in some way, but does not fit either of the above categories, nor anything in between. And as (some of) those spots rank amongst the most traditional and beloved Viennese food venues, no guide to the city would be complete without mentioning at least some of them.
And here are our favourites:
Altwiener Würstelstand zum Volkstheater
The best Würstelstand in town (chosen both by the Falstaff readership and a quick poll amongst our friends and families) located right next to the Volkstheater is a great example for why the Viennese love their Würstelstands. There is no other eatery that is as levelling as a traditional Wiener Würstelstand – it is not uncommon to see tired shift workers coming from or going to their job enjoy a beer and fatty pick-me-up next to visitors to a theatre/the opera or high-flying business people dressed to the nines, chatting away happily over their shared culinary delights. Speaking of which – the Alt-Wiener Würstelstand offers all the traditional delicacies you could expect, ranging from extra tasty Käsekrainer (a sausage filled with cheese, usually cut into pieces and served with mustard) to your average (Viennese) Hot Dog. A definite must: their homemade chili-curry sauce.
Where: Museumstraße corner Burggasse, 1070 Vienna
Opening hours: Mon – Thu: 10 am – 4 am; Fri & Sat: 10 am – 5 am; Sun: 10 am – 2 am
Web: Alt-Wiener Würstelstand zum Volkstheater
Trześniewski
Trześniewski, the (self-admitted) unpronounceable eaterie, is a famous Viennese deli bar that can be found throughout the city. The most famous (and most touristy) one is the small location at Dorotheergasse in the city centre, but whichever location you end up at, it’s always worth a visit. Locals revere the Trześniewski for the large selection of incredibly delicious Brötchen (petite sandwiches topped with anything from egg to bacon and tuna to onions), which are traditionally consumed alongside a Pfiff (a tiny, 1/8 litre, glass of beer).
Where: Dorotheergasse: Dorotheergasse 1, 1010 Vienna; Rochusmarkt: Rochusmarkt, Stand 8-9, 1030 Vienna; Mariahilfer Straße: Mariahilfer Straße 95, 1060 Vienna; Hietzing: Lainzer Straße 1/Altgasse, 1130 Vienna; Auhof-Center: Albert-Schweitzer-Gasse 4, 1140 Vienna; Westbahnhof: Bahnhofcity Wien West, Europaplatz 1, 1150 Vienna; Währinger Straße: Währinger Straße 108, 1180 Vienna; SCN: Shopping Center Nord, Ground Floor, Top 114, 1210 Vienna; Citygate: Wagramer Straße 195, Top 52, 1210 Vienna; Donauzentrum: Wagramer Straße 81, Top 141, 1220 Vienna;
Opening hours: Dorotheergasse: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 7:30 pm; Sat: 9 am – 6 pm; Sun & holidays: 10 am – 5 pm; Rochusmarkt: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 7 pm; Sat: 8 am – 2 pm; Mariahilfer Straße: Mon – Wed: 8:30 am – 7 pm; Thu & Fri: 8:30 am – 8 pm; Sat: 9:30 am – 6 pm; Hietzing: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 7 pm; Sat: 9 am – 5 pm (July & August: 9 am – 2 pm); Auhof-Center: Mon – Fri: 9 am – 8 pm; Sat: 9 am – 6 pm; Westbahnhof: Mon – Fri: 7 am – 11 pm; Sat, Sun & holidays: 8 am – 11 pm; Währinger Straße: Mon – Fri: 8:30 am – 7 pm; Sat: 8:30 am – 5 pm (July & August: 8:30 am – 2 pm); SCN: Mon – Wed: 8:30 am – 7 pm; Thu & Fri: 8:30 am – 8 pm; Sat: 9 am – 6 pm; Citygate: Mon – Fri: 9 am – 7 pm; Sat: 9 am – 6 pm; Donauzentrum: Mon – Fri: 9 am 8 pm; Sat: 9 am – 6 pm;
Web: Trześniewski
Wiener Deewan
In this unconventional, hip venue you get your food from the buffet, enjoy a wide variety of curries and stews (no worries, there’s always meat-free and vegan alternatives) with flatbread, and pay whatever you feel is right at the end. The simple fact that the pay-as-you-wish system has literally payed off since 2005 shows that a) the food at the Deewan is so good that it tends to make people pay adequately, and b) that a social sharing business venture can be profitable. It’s a win-win for everyone, we think!
Where: Liechtensteinstraße 10, 1090 Vienna
Opening hours: Mon – Sat: 11 am – 11 pm; Sun: closed
Web: Wiener Deewan
Cafe Hawelka
This coffee house in the very heart of the city is the best-known and most popularised of all traditional Viennese Coffee Houses. The Hawelka is steeped in tradition and nostalgia, and has been cited time and time again in movies, pop songs, and books. This doesn’t surprise any regular as it has been treated as a second living room by poets, intellectuals, artists and politicians from almost the beginning, and continues to draw this particular set of people like moths to a flame. And no wonder: to this day, the café is a family affair, and regular guests are treated just like relatives. And to this day, the heavenly smell of fresh Buchteln (a traditional Austrian speciality; oven-baked yeast dumplings served with custard) baked by Leopold Hawelka’s wife Josefine fill the room each and every evening.
Where: Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Vienna
Opening hours: Mon – Thu: 8 am – midnight; Fri & Sat: 8 am – 1 am; Sun & holidays: 10 am – midnight
Web: Café Hawelka
Naschmarkt
For everyone enjoying incredibly tasty, varied international food made from the freshest ingredients, the Naschmarkt is a definite must. The market is Vienna’s most popular food market and holds a very special place in the hearts of all foodies. The delicacies that you can get at the various market stalls are unparalleled and the ever-growing multicultural restaurant scene with its many small delis, bars and restaurants are any food-lover’s heaven.
Where: Naschmarkt, 1060 Vienna (located roughly between Getreidemarkt and Kettenbrücke)
Opening hours: Stalls: Mon – Fri: 6 am – 9 pm; Sat: 6 am – 6 pm; Gastronomy: Mon – Sat: 6 am – 11 pm
Web: Naschmarkt
