Inside Vienna’s Little-Known Casino: What To Know

Visiting the Vienna Casino is about an elegant night out while having fun. You may have noticed that entertainment in Vienna happens at a generally smaller scale and the local casino is no different – it’s far from the busy hum drum of Las Vegas. What I like about the casino Vienna is that it is boutique-style, typically Viennese, lets you breathe old world glamour with an air of excitement, and offers a fantastic gourmet cuisine that won’t break your bank.

Many people go there because they like to dress up for an elegant evening and want an alternative to opera, concert and balls. (Actually, you can dress up more elegantly at the Casino Wien than at the Vienna State Opera, which doesn’t have a dress code.) They either celebrate an occasion with gourmet Dinner & Casino or just want to have sophisticated fun with a couple of friends.

The Vienna Casino House

At no 41 on Kärntner Strasse high street, 15th century Esterházy town palace boasts an elegant yellow and white façade. In fact, the casino’s hub is the oldest building in the street. I n the 17th century a Habsburg court official commissioned the palace. Subsequently, it changed hands a couple of times, until the Hungarian noble family of Esterházy bought it in the 19th century. In the 1960s, most of the interiors were destroyed by a fire. However, you can still see some elements of the original Empire style deco, such as the mural paintings in the piano bar. Watch out for the stone crest of the Esterházy family just above the entrance portal.

Which Games To Play

Most classic casino visitors play on one of the six Roulette tables. One of them is the relatively new Double Roulette. It does double the excitement as your roulette ball defines two numbers instead of just one. For ‘just having a go’ I prefer the Easy Roulette, which you can start to play for just one Euro.

If you have missed the card players at traditional coffeehouses, you can find them here (they are a little different in style, and more international). They play Black Jack, Poker and Punto Bianco, an easy card game with South American roots. Poker players must make a prior reservation at the casino (Tel +43 1 512 48 36 – 21257) and can start from 8.00 pm. Minimum deposit: EUR 100

The Casino Restaurant

One of the city’s most secretive gourmet restaurants is located at the Vienna Casino. Essentially consisting of two salons, the Cuisino restaurant exudes a distinct retro elegance that takes inspiration from local Art Deco interiors. In the past years, the two salons have been refurbished to dramatic glamour, especially the red one. As for the cuisine, independent restaurant reviewers tend to rave about the steaks, sauces, cocktails, desserts, and customer service. All in all, expect inspired Viennese cuisine with a modern twist.

Tip: For a great night at the casino, get a Dinner & Casino package deal (see website).

Entrance Package and Dress Code

The best way to start playing is to get an entrance package of jetons. For EUR 23 you will receive jetons valuing EUR 25. For EUR 27 you will get a pack of jetons worth EUR 30. You can use the jetons at all tables and gambling machines (in the form of a gambling card).

Unless you attend the street level Jackpot Café with its slot machines, you are requested to dress up elegantly: the Vienna casino’s dress code requires evening dresses, jackets or blazers. The casino also lends blazers for the evening.

Practical Information

Note: This content was written by Hubert Douglas / Seaside Cash.

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