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Questioning what to eat in Vienna? Use this first-timer’s information to the highest native meals and drinks to find within the Austrian capital..
For me, consuming and journey go hand in hand! There’s simply no higher method to delve into a rustic’s tradition than to style it.
So after all, in between exploring all of Vienna’s lovely palaces with my journey pal Lisa from Flåm Journey Information, I made positive to eat as many native dishes as attainable.
If you wish to attempt all probably the most iconic meals and drinks in Vienna, I’ve rounded up the highest 12 must-try dishes, together with the most effective mains, road meals snacks, and candy treats.
Vienna can be the one capital metropolis which produces vital portions of wine inside the metropolis limits. On the finish of this submit, I’ve additionally shared some Viennese wine varieties you need to attempt within the metropolis.
From decadent desserts to the long-lasting Wiener schnitzel, and from creamy coffees to crisp white wines, that is every thing it’s important to eat and drink once you go to Vienna…
What’s Viennese Delicacies?
Do you know that Viennese delicacies is the one delicacies named after a metropolis and never a rustic?
Vienna has been the capital of Austria for over 1000 years. In consequence, Viennese delicacies has been influenced by the totally different areas that had been as soon as a part of the monarchy – specifically, the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918).
Conventional Viennese delicacies is commonly fairly heavy and hearty. Anticipate numerous meat, potatoes, and cheese! However that is additionally a metropolis with a legendary espresso home tradition and a world of scrumptious desserts to attempt.
One of many causes I liked Viennese delicacies a lot is that the town is well-known for pastries and truffles! From the long-lasting strudel to the legendary sachertorte, there are such a lot of unbelievable candy treats to find in Vienna.
Pastries and desserts are typically eaten a with a espresso within the afternoons. This can be a custom I used to be very happy to bask in whereas I explored Vienna – and I like to recommend you do too!
What to Eat in Vienna
1 – Wiener Schnitzel
Austria’s nationwide dish, and possibly one of many nation’s most well-known worldwide, Wiener Schnitzel was born within the Austrian capital. Therefore the identify: Wiener=Vienna in Austrian.
Historically, Wiener Schnitzel is made utilizing veal, however as of late pork and hen are additionally fairly widespread. The dish is made utilizing a flattened piece of meat which is roofed in breadcrumbs, then fried (normally in butter) till golden yellow.
Normally, the crispy-coated cutlet is served with a slice of lemon and parsley to garnish. The commonest facet dishes are potato salad or french fries.
You’ll discover Wiener Schnitzel at eating places everywhere in the metropolis, so it’s simple to do that tasty Austrian dish once you go to Vienna.
2 – Sachertorte
Anybody who follows me on social media has most likely seen I’m a BIG fan of desserts! So after I visited Vienna there was actually just one meals that was high of my checklist to attempt: sachertorte!
Sachertorte, or Sacher Torte, is a super-rich, decadent chocolate cake named after its inventor, Franz Sacher. In accordance with the story, he created the dessert in 1832 for Prince Metternich, particularly to be served at a dinner for high-ranking friends in Vienna. Sacher’s son later opened the Resort Sacher in 1876, which grew to become well-known because the “house” of the sachertorte.
So what’s sachertorte? It’s a chocolate cake with two layers of dense chocolate sponge, with a skinny layer of apricot jam in between. The entire thing is coated with thick chocolate icing, creating a wonderfully clean circle of wealthy chocolate deliciousness. A slice is normally served with a giant dollop of whipped cream, and is greatest eaten with a cup of espresso.
Though you’ll be able to attempt sachertorte at cafes and bakeries throughout Vienna, there’s actually nowhere higher to style this piece of chocolatey heaven than at its house, Cafe Sacher Wien on the Resort Sacher. The cafe here’s a sumptuously glamourous area. Assume crystal chandeliers and regal pink trappings – excellent after a morning exploring Vienna’s lovely palaces! Attempt to arrive early, as there’s typically a queue out the door for seats.
LEARN MORE: Candy Vienna Tour – Residence of Muffins and Cafe Tradition (from $30.32pp).
3 – Tafelspitz
One other Austrian nationwide dish and a staple of conventional Viennese delicacies is Tafelspitz. Supposedly, this was the favorite dish of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, so it’s positively a meal it’s important to attempt once you’re in Vienna.
It’s a hearty, wintery meal with boiled beef or veal and root greens, served in a skinny broth. The identify comes from the meat lower used, which is what we name topside within the UK (or standing rump within the US).
Normally, tafelspitz is served with thinly sliced roast potatoes, in addition to bitter cream with chives. There’s additionally a extremely tasty sauce made out of pureed apples combined with slices of recent horseradish. This fruity-but-hot sauce is the right accompaniment, as in any other case the meal would really feel a little bit bland.
I attempted tafelspitz at Reinthaler’s Beisl, a really cosy and pleasant restaurant specialising in conventional Austrian meals in Vienna metropolis centre.
4 – Würstel
Should you fancy a fast, scorching snack while exploring (or bar-hopping) in Vienna, you’ll be able to’t go mistaken with a würstel!
Würstel simply means sausages, however these are a brilliant fashionable road meals snack in Austria. Vienna is stuffed with Würstelstands, which serve up scorching grilled sausages both sliced, or in a crusty baguette (for a greater model of a scorching canine!).
Conventional Wiener Würstel is normally made out of each beef and pork and wrapped in a sheep’s gut. However there are a selection of choices at most würstelstands, together with bratwurst, frankfurter, and currywurst. Don’t miss the favored Käsekraine, a cheese-filled sausage.
5 – Käsespätzle
Käsespätzle isn’t really a Viennese meals however an Alpine dish which originated in Germany. Nonetheless, it’s a highly regarded dish all through Austria, and also you’ll see it on menus throughout Vienna.
I found käsespätzle on my journey to Vorarlberg a couple of years in the past and fell in love – so I used to be delighted to search out its fairly fashionable in Vienna too.
Also called kasspatzln in Tyrol, käsespätzle are smooth egg noodles or dumplings (spätzle), that are coated in cheese and baked. Form of like an Austrian model of mac n’ cheese!
This gooey, tacky pile of yumminess is topped with a sprinkling of fried onion. Easy, hearty, and positively a must-try once you go to Austria.
READ MORE: Uncover extra alpine Austrian dishes in my Tyrol Meals Information.
6 – Austrian Goulash
Goulash is historically a Hungarian dish, however Austria have their very own model of this hearty meat stew, generally additionally referred to as Wiener goulash.
Austrian goulash is historically made with beef and onions, in a tomato-based sauce flavoured with paprika. It’s usually fairly a thick, wealthy sauce, not like Hungarian goulash which is normally a little bit extra soup-y.
The opposite distinction between the 2 types is that Hungarian goulash typically accommodates bell peppers and/or potatoes, whereas in Austria the dish solely accommodates beef and onions.
7 – Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel)
OK – time to get again to desserts! One Austrian dish that just about everybody is certain to have heard of is apfelstrudel – aka apple strudel.
Strudel is a dessert made out of a really skinny, delicate and flaky pastry rolled round a filling and baked. Normally, the filling is fruit, and the best-known model is apple strudel.
Enjoyable reality; the identify “strudel” comes from the German phrase for whirlpool or eddy, due to the swirled form of the dessert as soon as it’s lower open.
Though it’s very strongly related to Austrian delicacies, strudel is believed to have been primarily based on the Turkish baklava pastry, which was launched into Austria in 1453. The oldest recognized strudel recipe was handwritten in 1696 – the unique nonetheless exists on the Viennese Metropolis Library.
8 – Topfenstrudel (Cream Cheese strudel)
One other nice strudel it’s important to attempt in Vienna is topfenstrudel – cream cheese strudel.
This wealthy and creamy Austrian dessert is made with the identical delicate pastry as every other strudel. However the filling is made utilizing sweetened curd cheese and raisins, creating an nearly cheesecake-like flavour with a texture much like the UK’s bread and butter pudding. Mainly, it’s dense, creamy, and really, very tasty!
9 – Kaiserschmarrn
I found kaiserschmarrn on my journey to the Salzburgerland area of Austria final summer time and couldn’t get sufficient of it.
Primarily, it’s a lightweight, fluffy pancake made out of a candy batter (typically with rum-soaked raisins added, in keeping with the unique recipe) which is then served shredded and dusted with powdered sugar.
Historically, the pancake chunks are served with a scorching plum sauce. However it’s also possible to discover it served with totally different fruit
This dessert is fashionable all through Austria, in addition to many elements of the previous Austro-Hungarian empire. However it’s named after the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I (kaiser = emperor), who lived in Vienna – so it’s an amazing dish to attempt after visiting his former residence on the Hoffburg Palace.
10 – Method Wafers
One other candy deal with you completely HAVE to attempt in Vienna is Method Wafers. However let me warn you, you most likely received’t need to cease at only one!
I really like these little wafer biscuits, that are like a hazelnut model of the UK’s Pink Wafers (a 90s kids’s get together basic).
This basic Viennese deal with was invented within the Nineties by Viennese confectioner Josef Method. The Unique Neopolitan is the basic model: 5 layers of wafers stuffed with 4 layers of candy hazelnut cocoa cream.
There are many new flavours and totally different variations at the moment, however the basic continues to be the most well-liked – and a must-try meals in Vienna.
In Vienna, you’ll be able to go to the flagship Method retailer on Stephansplatz to find an unlimited vary of various wafer varieties, in addition to different confectionary and merch. However it’s also possible to purchase Method Wafers everywhere in the metropolis at supermarkets and newsagents.
11 – Punschkrapfen
Should you’re not achieved with candy treats by now, there’s yet another Austrian dessert you need to attempt in Vienna. Punschkrapfen, or punch cake, is a Viennese basic that appears a little bit bit like a fancier model of my favorite truffles, Fondant Fancies!
It’s made out of a brilliant gentle sponge, stuffed with jam and soaked in rum. That is lower into small sq. cubes and coated with a brilliant pink punschglasur (punch glaze).
Nobody is aware of who invented the cake or the way it arrived in Vienna, however it might date proper again to the Center Ages! You’ll find it at bakeries throughout Vienna, though Unique Wiener Punschkrapfen declare to make the OG model of this sticky, candy pink cake.
12 – Viennese Espresso – Melange and Extra
The Italians is likely to be extra well-known for espresso, however in Vienna, espresso home tradition has been raised to an artwork type.
In Vienna, the must-try drink is Wiener Melange. Much like a cappuccino, however normally made with a milder espresso, this can be a shot of espresso topped with scorching milk and milk foam.
There are fairly a couple of variants in espresso homes all through the town. One of the fashionable twists is to high the milk foam with whipped cream, generally referred to as a Franziskaner.
One other fashionable espresso drink is Kaffee Maria Theresia, named after the 18th-century Habsburg empress. It’s a double espresso shot, combined with orange liqueur and topped with whipped cream. This makes for a decadent deal with, nevertheless it was a bit too boozy for me!
LEARN MORE: Guided Viennese Espresso-Home Tour (from $62.67pp)
Austrian Wines to Drink in Vienna
With over 700 hectares (1,680 acres) of city vineyards, Vienna is the one capital on the planet to produce a lot wine inside the metropolis limits. And Viennese wine is now counted among the many greatest on the planet.
Lots of Vienna’s wineries and vineyards will be reached by tram, and even on foot, from the town centre. So you’ll want to go to one for a tour and tasting to study a little bit extra about Viennese wine.
LEARN MORE: Native Wine Tasting in a Historic Roman Wine Cellar, from $29.31pp.
Gruner Veltliner
The vineyards round Vienna primarily domesticate white grapes, and the native selection Grüner Veltliner is the most typical. This can be a should attempt drink once you go to Vienna.
This can be a dry white wine which is ideal paired with native dishes like Wiener Schnitzel. In accordance with Wine Folly, Grüner Veltliner is gentle and tangy when younger, however turns into richer when aged.
You’ll see Grüner Veltliner on the wine checklist at nearly each restaurant and bar within the metropolis. My favorite was Vienna’s smallest wine bar, Vis a Vis, a pleasant and cosy little bar with an amazing environment. Take a look at this checklist of the most effective wine bars in Vienna to search out your ideally suited spot.
Welschriesling
The opposite predominant grape selection discovered round Vienna is Welschriesling. Unrelated to the higher recognized Rhine Riesling, Welschriesling is thought for being recent and impartial, which makes it a really easy-drinking dry white wine.
Welschriesling is much less widespread than the better-known Grüner Veltliner, however you’ll want to maintain an eye fixed out for it. We tried it at The Gloriette on the Schönbrunn Palace – value a go to for the views alone!
“Champagne” Tasting at Schlumberger
Vienna is on the identical latitude because the champagne area in France. So it’s no shock that glowing wine from this area is remarkably much like champagne.
Glowing wine followers ought to head to Schlumberger Kellerwelten in Vienna. Based in 1842, they make their glowing wine in keeping with the champagne technique. Solely the situation of the winery retains this scrumptious bubbly from being champagne!
Tour Vienna’s oldest champagne cellar (the vaults are round 300 years outdated) and luxuriate in a tasting – with out having to go away the town centre! A tour with three glasses of champagne begins from simply 16 euros.
CLICK HERE to verify costs and availability in your go to.
Different Vienna Eating places
Should you fancy a change from conventional Viennese delicacies, there are many fab eating places throughout Vienna providing every kind of different meals. These had been a few my favorite finds:
Reserva Ibérica – for Spanish-inspired tapas, wine, and sangria.
Ristorante Fratelli – for scrumptious Italian meals and an amazing wine checklist. Order the truffle pasta if it’s on the menu!
Vienna Meals Excursions
If you wish to study extra about Viennese delicacies, or attempt native meals with an knowledgeable information, these Vienna meals excursions are excellent…
So, this was my information to what to eat in Vienna! When you have any extra nice suggestions for conventional Viennese dishes and drinks – or any must-visit eating places – tell us within the feedback under…