I absolutely love Vienna. It’s an architectural wonder-city, home to philosophers, Mozart, Franz Josef and some seriously good chocolate cake. Sorry, ‘torte’. Aside from falling in love with the Natural History Museum, the Schonburg Palace and its historical zoo, eating my way around Vienna was a highlight of the weekend getaway. This post on What A Girl Eats covers where to eat in Vienna for each meal of the day!
Breakfast
Cafe Gloriette
Begin your day at Cafe Gloriette, a breathtakingly beautiful Italian baroque style building, set atop a hill. You’re going to have to work a bit for your morning meal, the walk is a steep slog across winding trails. At the top, the cafe overlooks Schönbrunn Palace, a former imperial summer residence. Remember, you’re really here for the prosecco which is included in the breakfast, the beautiful smoked salmon that comes in thick slithers and a view so beautiful that it hurts to look at (I really did say that to my boyfriend and he was disgusted at my sentimentality). You can pretty much skip everything else on offer. The service is no frills but polite and they leave you with a token gift of the cafe’s version of a Sacher torte. This one is a marbled chocolate cake glazed with marmalade and topped with chocolate ganache. I told my boyfriend that I didn’t like cake and I wouldn’t be having any but I ended up gobbling three quarters of it for breakfast the next morning. Whoops.
€33 per person
Cafe Gloriette
Schlosspark Schönbrunn 1130
To book online, click here
Brunch
Clementine
Beef filet, romanesco, shallots
Duck liver, passion fruit, mushrooms and brioche
I first came across this restaurant whilst trying to book a table at the illustrious two Michelin starred Silvio Nickol restaurant. Only being open four hours a night, five days a week and factor in my last minute attempt to secure a table – I think you can guess that I was unsuccessful in getting one. During my endeavour, I fell in love with Palais Coburg, the hotel in which Silvio Nickol and Clementine are housed in so I was determined to spend some portion of my first day in Vienna there.
Clementine is stunning, a little gem of a glasshouse with palm trees, a magnificent chandelier and chairs with embroidered backs, Chinoise style. It was particularly enchanting as it’s spring time and its contemporary menu consisting of dishes like duck liver with passionfruit, salmon trout presented amidst bubbles of foam and champagne sorbets for dessert reflect the fresh, dainty atmosphere of the restaurant. It’s far from pretentious or precious; the waiters are so polite, contrary to what you read about Viennese service staff. It’s definitely a ‘girl’ restaurant, everything about this is pretty, from the view outside, to the plating in front of you and surprisingly, the price at the end of the meal.
Approx. €120 for two with drinks
Clementine
Coburgbastei 4, 1010
For the menu and to book online, click here
Lunch
Lugek
You probably don’t even need Google to tell you that the wiener schnitzel (breaded veal escalope) is a must try dish in Vienna. Apparently, the way to spot a ‘genuine’ schnitzel is to note if the coating is puffy and separates from the meat, which works for me because I am personally not a fan of anything crumbed or battered (easier for me to pick it off- I know, I’m awful). But if I was going to immerse my tastebuds in some local cuisine, I might as well do it in a comfortable setting with lots of light and good service. If you hadn’t gathered already, I am not a tavern kind of girl. This restaurant was recommended by a local and although it’s often busy with tourists particularly around dinner time, you may be able to get away with acquiring a table without a reservation if you go for lunch.
Approx. €60 for two with drinks
Lugeck
Lugeck 4, 1010
For the menu and to book online, click here.
Afternoon tea
Cafe Gerstner
Raspberry cake and Gerstner torte
Of all the cafes in the capital, from the quaint bohemian to the famous and sprawling space of Cafe Sacher, there’s a sweet spot. Gerstner is located in the centre of the shopping district, nearby the State Opera House and walking distance to the Museum Quarter. The service staff are clearly accustomed to tourists but the ambience is far from the idea of ‘if a forex market could talk’. It’s not the easiest place to get a table but with patience comes reward in the form of reasonable prices for cake, coffee, tea and if you’re feeling particularly European, an afternoon aperitif. Gerstner also plays host to a bar serving the Schlumberger brand of sparkling wine. Think of this as the Viennese answer to Paris’s Laduree and Angelina. It’s just as commercial but yes, you really should just try it.
Approx. €25 for two (items in the image above)
Cafe Gerstner
Kärntner Str. 11-15, 1010
Dinner
Restaurant Danieli
Walking through Vienna, it’s quite easy to pick out which restaurants you should try even without the help of your phone’s data plan. Or maybe it’s just my Asian sixth sense for finding good food. Either way, Restaurant Danieli ticks all the boxes for a hearty and deeply satisfying meal after hours of sight seeing and attempting to be far more cultural than you really are, which is just as mentally taxing as it is physically. Think generous portions of antipasti, hot pasta dishes with rich sauces that make you want to wipe the bowl clean with Danieli’s little rolls of garlic bread, and more-ish meat dishes with heaping side portions. You can skip the night cap because this is enough to induce a blissful food coma.
Approx. €120 for two with drinks.
Restaurant Danieli,
Himmelpfortgasse 3, 1010
For the menu and to book online, click here
