Like all big cities, there are plenty of restaurants options in Vienna. With so many choices, how does one choose? Prior to any trip, I like to plan ahead and prepare a short list of restaurants that I think will suit our tastes. I base this on relatively basic criteria, first look for the most popular restaurants and narrow down the list by cross referencing against reviews on various sites and blogs. With so many reviews, I prioritize by reading reviews of people from big food cities like NYC or LA and who has a track record of reviewing restaurants.
Having a short list makes me feel more prepared and usually results in a good dining experience. This really helps eliminates wasted time deliberating where to go and makes me feel a bit more confident about the experience ahead.
Anyway, here’s were our short list of stops that we really enjoyed!
In Prater park, there is a cafe/bar/restaurant called Schweizerhaus where we stopped by for a late snack. Their specialty is pork knuckle which was huge - bigger than both my balled up fists combined. It was fun to eat and yummy at that. Paired with a couple of Budweisers (not the US brand), it made for a nice way to end our fun night at Prater.
Aida's is a reliable ice cream/coffee shop chain that seemed quite popular according to the local reviews I read and from the many reviews found on TripAdvisor. They are known for their ice cream and we really liked the vanilla ice cream that came with our apple pie. While the pie was good, the ice cream was the star. Aida claims to have the best ice cream in Vienna and it's too bad we weren't there long enough to try to more flavors. Best? I don't know about that. But was it good? Yes!
Having a short list makes me feel more prepared and usually results in a good dining experience. This really helps eliminates wasted time deliberating where to go and makes me feel a bit more confident about the experience ahead.
Anyway, here’s were our short list of stops that we really enjoyed!
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| Figmueller's was by far the most reviewed restaurant I found online. Many people recommended making reservations so we did for 8PM on the day of our arrival, but so we tried our luck for a late lunch. I think it was around 3PM and the place was packed. They turned away two bigger parties in front of us, but we lucked out and got a 2 person table within a few minutes. This was our first meal and it was really tasty. The schnitzel was crispy on the outside & tender on the inside, and it was served with a lovely potato salad that came with a side of greens. This salad was vinegary and delicious, pairing so nicely with the schnitzel. Though we had schnitzel a few times during our time in Vienna, this was by far the best. We also ordered the goulash with butter dumplings and that was pretty good as well. Very hearty meal! |
| Bitzinger's is another highly rated place online and so we stood on a very line to try it. It was good, but we tried another sausage stall in the area (see blow) and actually liked it more. Bitzinger is clearly very popular and during the lunch time rush, there were at least 20 people in front waiting in line. We got to to the ordering window within 15 minutes and were met with curt, unfriendly staff. That is fine and completely understandable as the constant rush must be tiring. The deal breaker for me though is general clean practice, especially when dealing with food. They handle money and food with the same hands which is just unhygienic. I get its busy, but it just isn't something any food establishment should skimp on. It didn't turn me away from trying it once (after all, we waited in line and were hungry!), but it did prevent me from going back. While we really liked the sausage there, we tried a different stall a few days later. First I took the time to observe how they handled the food, and once I confirmed proper food handling practices (despite the rush), we stood in line. It was just as good as Bitzinger, if not better for two reasons. 1) they offered onions as an option for your sausage sandwich (I heart grilled onions) and 2) it felt cleaner and I didn't fear walking away with a stomach bug after eating their food. Maybe not as famous as Bitzinger, but definitely more satisfying!   |
The most famous dessert in Vienna for sure is the Sacher Torte. We waited in line for roughly 30 minutes to be seated and ordered their most famous pastries - the chocolate Sacher Torte and apple pie. Though we are glad we tried it, it was pretty good. Generally, are not dessert kind of people and so while we weren't in love with it, we did enjoy the experience. We relaxed, rested our feet, after hours of walking, and took advantage of their free wifi while refueling on coffee and cake. No complaints here!
In Prater park, there is a cafe/bar/restaurant called Schweizerhaus where we stopped by for a late snack. Their specialty is pork knuckle which was huge - bigger than both my balled up fists combined. It was fun to eat and yummy at that. Paired with a couple of Budweisers (not the US brand), it made for a nice way to end our fun night at Prater.
Aida's is a reliable ice cream/coffee shop chain that seemed quite popular according to the local reviews I read and from the many reviews found on TripAdvisor. They are known for their ice cream and we really liked the vanilla ice cream that came with our apple pie. While the pie was good, the ice cream was the star. Aida claims to have the best ice cream in Vienna and it's too bad we weren't there long enough to try to more flavors. Best? I don't know about that. But was it good? Yes!
