Food & Drink

Snack Bars Vienna. At our traditional sandwich and snack bars you get quality food from Austria, which is a far cry from mainstream snacks. The basis for most of these snacks is dark Austrian sourdough bread and rolls, soft inside, with a crunchy upper crust. You can delve into crispy breads and fluffy spreads, cheeses on dark bread, and succulent pork …

  Vienna cooking classes with private dining let you dive into local life, make Viennese friends, and learn about Wiener habits and culture beyond the guide books. To show you what it’s like, I joined a cooking class at a local foodie’s home to prepare Wiener Schnitzel and apple strudel. Unlike apple strudel shows for tourists at Schonbrunn Palace this …

 Because there are more than a hundred of them, cherry pick the best Vienna coffeehouses before you go. Why not match the best cafés in Vienna according to your preferred atmosphere instead of random travel rankings? Before you screen my shortlist, here is why Viennese coffee and coffeehouses are so special: Why Are Viennese Coffeehouses So Special? Since they started …

Thanksgiving Restaurants Vienna. Where do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Vienna? If you are American you will envisage a large family-style dinner… though it may be just the two you in Wien. Possibly in a rustic place where tables groan under a pile of roast poultry, potatoes, vegetables, pies and bread. While Thanksgiving is not well known in Austria, you will …

Vienna wineries. Where are the best wineries and wine taverns in Vienna? And what about wine tasting? Few people know that my hometown is the only world city with a notable wine growing industry. Local wineries are a fantastic excuse to venture out of the city centre and into the green outskirts of Grinzing, Neustift am Walde, Stammersdorf, and Jedlersdorf. …

One warm April evening, my husband and I sidestepped busy restaurants and went for Vienna restaurant Hofzeile 27. Here is our independent review: The restaurant Hofzeile is an exclusive private dining place that is in the best sense unique. Whether you are a romantic couple in search for an exclusive place to eat, plan a discrete business dinner, want an authentic local experience, …

Michelin Restaurant Steirereck is Austria’s number one gourmet temple for Austrian food. One of two star Michelin restaurants in Vienna, the Steirereck ranks in the first half of S. Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Chef Heinz Reitbauer has earned his reputation for innovative local food creations by rediscovering rare local vegetables like the Beta Sweet Carrot, a purple carrot that is cultivated in the Higher School …

Vienna Restaurants Best Roast. Where can you have the best roast in town in a relaxed place in the centre?  My Portuguese in-laws were fast approaching my hometown. They love all things meat, and authentic local eateries. Having a succulent chunk of pork topped with a crispy upper crust in a cosy little tavern would certainly make their day. Hence, …

Dining in Vienna. After four decades of Gasthaus experience in my native Wien, let me share where best to extend your taste repertoire beyond Schnitzel. When in Vienna, a relaxed Viennese Gasthaus (tavern) with quality cuisine is likely all you need. In the past years, I have seen many traditional Gasthäuser refine their menus and upgrade their interiors to follow local …

What Is Gugelhupf? Essentially, gugelhupf (or kugelhopf) is a yeast or sponge cake served with caster sugar sprinkled on top. Its characteristic form comes from the peculiar high creased cake form with a tube in the middle. What makes it taste special is the chopped orange or lemon peel used in the dough. Among the most popular varieties are cakes with …