Food & drink in Vienna

The best restaurants, cafés, street food spots, wine tastings & beer tastings in Vienna

Vienna is many things: imperial, coffee house obsessed, slightly melancholic and yet somehow always in a good mood, at least when it comes to food and drink. And that's where the city really starts to blossom. Whether you're strolling through the Naschmarkt in the morning, tucking into a freshly grilled corn on the cob at the Brunnenmarkt in Ottakring at lunchtime or standing on a rooftop bar in the evening with a glass of Wiener Gemischter Satz in your hand: this city knows exactly how to celebrate pleasure without appearing aloof. It's no wonder that culinary events are in high season here, all year round and across all districts. Weekly markets in Vienna are not just a place to shop, but a real social hub. The Naschmarkt between Karlsplatz and Kettenbrückengasse has long been a legend: around 170 stalls, spices from all over the world, fresh fish, exotic fruit and, in the middle of it all, bars where you can easily spend half the afternoon. If you prefer something a little more relaxed, head out to the Karmelitermarkt in Leopoldstadt, which turns into a farmers' market on Fridays and Saturdays and charmingly oscillates between the idyllic Grätzel district and an urban cultural program. Or let yourself be carried away by the Brunnenmarkt and the adjacent Yppenplatz, where the culinary variety comes with a Mediterranean flair that will make you forget for a moment that you actually wanted to go shopping. For all those who not only want to eat, but also want to understand what ends up on their plate, it's worth taking a look at the calendar of events for cooking courses and workshops in the city. The Vienna Cooking Tours start directly at the Naschmarkt with a tasting tour and then end up in the kitchen, where a classic Viennese menu is cooked together - schnitzel knocking included, if necessary. The Figlmüller Wiener Schnitzel Academy also offers regular cooking workshops where you can learn what makes a really good schnitzel. Spoiler: It has a lot to do with patience and good fat. And then, of course, there's the thing that many people prefer to wait for: the end of the day. The after-work drinks scene in Vienna is surprisingly lively and surprisingly diverse. For years, people who want to enjoy the view as much as the drinks after a long day have been meeting up in the attic of the 25hours Hotel. Every first Wednesday of the month, the Ottakringer brewery hosts an after-work happening with good beer, music and the feeling that the week could still be something. Food festivals and culinary events complete the picture: the Genuss-Festival in Stadtpark is an institution where Austrian specialties from all corners of the country come together and the desire to discover is just as great as the hunger. Vienna doesn't just have one cuisine, Vienna has many, and inviting them all to outdo each other is actually the city's greatest culinary achievement. In our calendar of events for food & drink in Vienna, you will regularly find the best events, cooking courses, wine tastings, street food markets and after-work locations, curated by people who would rather go out once too often than once too little. So bring your hunger and curiosity, and Vienna will take care of the rest.