There can be few European cities boasting more grandeur than Vienna. From the towering buildings of the Museum Quarter to the grandiose palaces, remnants of a powerful Habsburg monarchy, everything in Vienna seems bigger and more awe-inspiring. With the city's impressive history comes a rich sense of culture - this is after all a city known for it's Opera house, and the final resting place of Mozart. It is a city to soak up the finer things in life, whether you're looking for classical music and top art exhibitions, or just a really good coffee and cake - you'll find it in Vienna.
VIENNA AT A GLANCE
Currency: Euro
Language: German is the main language in Austria, but you'll find most people speak good English too.
Clothing: There are no dress restrictions as it isn't a particularly conservative country. Keep in mind if you're visiting churches or going to events like the Opera you may need to be more covered or dressed up.
Getting Around: The main sights are spread out around the Old Town, which is easily walkable (pack comfortable shoes!). There's a good metro and tram system, for which you can buy both single and day tickets.
As a solo traveller: It's a pretty easy city to get around, and felt very safe, so would be fine for solo travel. It's also great for couples and friends - a good all rounder!
Start the day with Brunch
Viennese brunch culture is strong and plentiful, with more than enough options to keep you filled up with eggs and avocado for days. Interestingly their brunch venues often take on a hybrid form, transitioning from cafe to bar during the day. Start your day off with coffee, and end it with cocktails - whichever you go for these great brunch spots will be buzzing.
Figar 1040
Just outside the old town you'll find Figar 1040 and it's sister venue 1070, a simple, no-frills brunch venue with an extensive breakfast menu served till 4 o'clock. If you're craving your morning egg fix, this is this place, with every possible egg dish from Eggs Benedict (above, with crispy bacon) to scrambled eggs offered Italian and Greek style. They also offer plenty of healthy options including a breakfast bowl loaded with spinach and quinoa, and a raw breakfast of mixed veggies (Certainly not my first picks, but they sounded pretty good!). The staff are friendly - when they saw me taking pictures they actually brought over an intricately decorated coffee (above) for me to snap, which was a lovely gesture.
Figar 1040
Schleifmühlgasse 7
1040 Wein
Ulrich
A good example of the 'all rounder', cafe / restaurant / bar Ulrich is lively any time of day, but particularly worth visiting for their delicious breakfast menu. There's all the classics, but they're served up beautifully with touches like pink beetroot hummus. I went for the smashed avocado on sourdough, which is customisable to your tastes with plenty of add-ons. It was a plentiful portion, full of flavour and felt that little bit more special than the usual avo on toast thanks to the hummus, cashew nuts, dukkah and chilli it was garnished with.
Ulrich
Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz 1
1070 Wien
Cafe Telegraph
For those looking for that perfect morning flatlay, Cafe Telegraph has the perfect round tables, natural light, and tiled floors for the gram. It also offers a hefty brunch menu with all the classics alongside a whole dedicated avocado menu. There's offerings from all over the world, with a classic Viennese, as well as dishes inspired by Mexican, Lebanese and Ukrainian breakfasts. I wasn't blown away by my eggs Hemingway (served with avocado and smoked salmon), however my friend really enjoyed the Shakshuka. Of all the places we visited, this is one I would definitely want to return to to work my way through the menu - there are so many interesting and unique options. The cafe is near the University of Vienna, so it's a pretty studenty vibe.
Cafe Telegraph
Garnisongasse 7
1090 Wien
Discover the City
Hundertwasse House
Hundertwasse is an eccentric apartment block designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser in the 80s, and offers a colourful antidote to the stately architecture the city is otherwise known for. One of Vienna's most iconic sights, it's worth a visit to ogle the quirky design from the outside - as it is occupied by residents you unfortunately can't take a look inside.
Hundertwasserhaus
Kegelgasse 36-38
1030 Wien
Schloss Schönbrunn
Schloss Schönbrunn is one of Vienna's main palaces, serving as the Summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. Inside it's ornately decorated in the Baroque style, however we didn't visit so I can't comment on whether it's worth a tour. We did however have a stroll around the grounds, which are free to enter (it was sadly a bit bleak in March, however is probably beautiful in the Summer months!) and checked out the palm house on the premises, which was small but beautiful, housed in a grand pavilion.
Schloss Schönbrunn
Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47
1130 Wien
The National Library
The stunning baroque Prunksaal (State Hall) of the national library looks like something out of a fairytale, with high domed ceilings painted with intricate biblical scenes, and leather bound books lining the walls. There's plenty of boards outlining the history of the space, however it's worth a visit simply to take in it's splendour. Safe to say the local council library just won't cut it after this...
State Hall (Prunksaal) Österreichische Nationalbibliothek
Josefsplatz 1
1010 Wien
Museums & Galleries
Vienna's Museum Quarter is an impressive collection of museums and art galleries blocked together on the edge of the Old Town. If you're looking to immerse yourself in culture, combined tickets are available. We visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum where we caught an exhibition of work by Mark Rothko, as well a curation of artefacts by Wes Anderson.
Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
Maria-Theresien-Platz
1010 Wien
The Butterfly House
Within the Museum Quarter lives a majestic Art Nouveau palm house, home to a butterfly house and brasserie. We didn't get a chance to dine in the brasserie, but we did pop in to see the butterflies. In a stunning tropical space hundreds of butterflies roam free, and you can get pretty close to see the intricacy of their wings, as well as learning more about the species.
Schmetterlinghaus (Butterfly House)
Hofburg
1010 Wien
St Stephen's Cathedral
The main Cathedral in the centre of the Old Town, St Stephen's is an impressive Gothic building known for it's colourful tiled roof. It's free to go inside and certainly worth a look, but the real draw is the rooftop views. For a small fee you can take a lift up to the roof to see the tiles up close, as well as experiencing 360 views of the city. It's a small space, and can be windy, but makes for a great photo op!
St Stephen's Cathedral
Stephansplatz 3
1010 Wien
Time for Coffee & Cake
Cafe Central
Coffee culture is big in Vienna, and you'll find plenty of cosy spots for a rest with a cuppa after pounding the pavement. We stopped by the impressive Cafe Central, a long-standing Viennese cafe dramatically designed with grand pillars and ornate ceilings, boasting an impressive list of customers including Trotsky and Freud. They offer a wide selection of daily cakes, as well as an all day food menu. I tucked into a hearty apple strudel served with both ice cream and a hefty portion of cream (decadent!), which was richly flavoured with cinnamon and very enjoyable. It's touristy, sure, but there were also plenty of locals enjoying a newspaper with their lunch when we visited.
Cafe Central
Herrengasse 14
1010 Wien
When you get Peckish
ShanghaiTan
Slick, sexy ShanghaiTan on Gumpfendorfe Strasse is a romantic nighttime dining spot serving up an extensive menu of Asian sushi and dim sum under an atmospheric canopy of Chinese lanterns. Beautifully designed to transport you to the bustling streets of Shanghai (okay I've never been, but probably!), it's a gorgeous place for a luxe meal. They offer a plentiful menu, with sushi, gyoza, satay skewers and noodle options, as well as a vegan menu to choose from.
We tried a range of dishes including duck ura maki, dumplings, and mixed meat satay skewers. The dumplings were done perfectly, and the meat skewers were juicy and tender. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the shrimp balls, but that was just me! If you're a dim sum and sushi fan, it's a must.
ShanghaiTan
Gumpendorfer Str. 9
1060 Wien
Cafe Amacord
My favourite spot for classic Viennese dishes and international options was Cafe Amacord, a cosy neighbourhood spot, with a simple menu of hearty dishes. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the food is worth trying. Annoyingly I can't remember exactly what we had (I know, I know, what restaurant reviewer doesn't make notes!) and the menu online is only in German. We shared a fried chicken dish, which was crispy and well seasoned, lacking the grease of the usual 3am drunken chicken shop stop. The other dish we tried was the pumpkin gnocchi, presented artfully with fresh ingredients. It's a local place with a modern menu and food that tastes and looks like it could be served somewhere far fancier, and for twice the price. We were told about Amacord by a bartender - his top tip was to opt for the room on the right as you walk in to dine, as there's more atmosphere!
Cafe Amacord
Rechte Wienzeile 15
1040 Wien
Cafe Tachles
One night we popped across the river to visit Tachles, a cosy cafe bar which serves steaming plates of pierogi with sour cream. Like many of Vienna's cafe the ambience and offering adapts to time of day - what is no doubt a lovely cafe during the day was buzzing with young professionals drinking beer in the evening. It's a cool, creative self-proclaimed 'cultural' spot, with movie posters on the wall and live music nights.
Cafe Tachles
Karmeliterpl. 1
1020 Wien
The Brickmakers Pub
The Brickmakers feels like it would be right at home amongst the many craft beer spots in Shoreditch. It's part bar, part restaurant with a meat-heavy barbecue menu alongside a varied selection of beers (I'm not a beer drinker so I can't comment on quality I'm afraid!). If you're looking for an authentic Viennese experience, skip it. But if you're in the Neubau district and looking for a fun, buzzy place for a pint and some BBQ, it's a prime spot.
I ordered the 13 hour smoked Texas style beef brisket, honestly not expecting much from a pub that seemed to serve more as a social meeting place than a foodie go-to. However I was pleasantly surprised by what was some of the best brisket I've eaten. Served with peppers and coleslaw, it was richly flavoursome, almost melting in my mouth, and such a plentiful portion that I couldn't actually finish it.
Brickmakers Pub
Zieglergasse 42
1070 Wien
Cocktails in the City
Bar Onyx
In a prime spot opposite St Stephen's Cathedral you'll find the chic Bar Onyx, the rooftop bar of Do&Co hotel. It's main draw is the views, straight across to the Cathedral and down onto a main square. However the interior decor is worth a look too, with plush pink and mustard chairs, and tropical plants dotted around the room. Oh, and the drinks are good too - but judging from the amount of selfies being taken, no one's really here for that. It's a heels and a nice dress kind of place, but we turned up in trainers and jeans and had no problems.
Bar Onyx - Do&Co Hotel
Stephansplatz 12
1010 Wien
If Dogs Run Free
Another cool spot on Gumpfendorfe Strasse, If Dogs Run Free is a dimly lit, *vibey* cocktail bar, and a good place to start the night with a few drinks before heading out to enjoy the Vienna nightlife. It's worth visiting for the innovative and eclectic drinks menu - don't expect Pina Colada and Sex On The Beach's here! They do a few riffs on classics, with an Old Fashioned and Bloody Mary making the menu, as well as a focus on gin cocktails, including a 'Most Unusual Gin & Tonic' (I didn't try it, but was intrigued!). I went for the Cherry Smash, which was perfectly balanced sweet and sour, with a kick. Warning: the drinks are strong!
If Dogs Run Free
Gumpendorfer Str. 10
1060 Wien
If you've been to Vienna, I'd love to know where you'd recommend, as well as any future city guides you'd like to see! Oh, and make sure to drop me a comment if you visit any of these places, I wanna know what you think!
