The best restaurants in the First District
Author: 1000things
Out and about in Vienna's city center? Between sightseeing and a relaxed stroll, you can hear everything from “Küss die Hand, gnä' Frau” to “Oida ...” - in the restaurants we recommend, for example. You might even come across an original Viennese crocodile here! What is that? You can find out in the article, of course.
You think Vienna's city center only has no-frills restaurants? But no, the first district has a special variety to whet your appetite, as the Viennese say. We have tips for various restaurants and recommend that you try them all and enjoy an absolute treat!
Another tip: go on a tour with your Vienna Welcome Card and enjoy discounts at the restaurants and sights in the area.
For gourmets and better eaters: Spelunke
Vienna's city center is at its most beautiful when you can admire it in all its glory - from the other bank of the Danube Canal: our first tip is not actually in the first district, but opposite in the hip second. Here you can enjoy unusual creations with the most beautiful views. The Spelunke menu includes delicious burgers, freshly caught fish and grilled meat specialties, crispy salads and probably the best steaks in town - including Simmental beef. You'll rarely find classic Viennese cuisine here, but there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Afterwards, you can sweeten your evening with one of the fantastic desserts. Our recommendation: the clover slice “Klee am Hanslteich”. And at the bar, the glass is always half full - filled with the best cocktail and long drink creations.
And another tip: with the Vienna Welcome Card, you get a 20% discount on consumption for two people.
Mediterranean street food to go: Miznon
Experience the street food feeling of Tel Aviv in the heart of Vienna's city center at Miznon, which celebrity chef Eyal Shani is passionately turning into a hotspot in Vienna's city center. Not far from St. Stephen's Cathedral, this small but exquisite restaurant is the perfect place to take a short break from sightseeing and (window) shopping or to enjoy one of the delicious pitas. A tip from us: this is a real treat, especially for vegetarians and vegans, because at Miznon you can enjoy lots of delicious vegetables such as hearty cauliflower braised in the oven. But fans of lamb will also be delighted by the exceptional taste - and by exceptional, we mean exceptionally good. Here, too, you won't be served anything you'd find on a classic Viennese menu. But: wait for it, that's yet to come! For now, let's feast our way through Bangkok.
Not just rice: all rice
Just around the corner from Miznon, you'll find All Reis, a paradise for lovers of Thai cuisine. There are so many delicious dishes with and without meat on the menu that it's impossible to recommend just one. As the name suggests, there's lots and lots of rice here. However, it is served with street food specialties that you would normally find at a busy market in Bangkok: always quite spicy and extremely good. No wonder the small restaurant is always full. Without a reservation, you'll have to wait! But I promise, it's worth it. And now it's straight from Bangkok street food to original Viennese street food. Ready to meet the promised crocodile?
The sausage stand of the stars: Bitzinger in front of the Albertina
In front of the world-famous museum, some VIPs have already discovered the art of enjoyment for themselves: for example Mick Jagger, who stopped by for a sausage at Bitzinger before the Stones concert. The fascinating thing about the Viennese sausage stand is that you can meet anyone here: There is hardly a Viennese who would pass up the fried or boiled sausages such as Käsekrainer and Waldviertler - sliced or as a hot dog. Optionally with the aforementioned “crocodile”, as they call the pickled gherkin that is often served with it. Our tip: A sliced Käsekrainer with mustard, ketchup, pearl onion, horseradish or pickled gherkin is the ideal snack after a long night out in Vienna - for example, if you've been dancing around the corner in the famous Sass club.
Schnitzellove to the fullest: Meissl and damage
Kiss your hand, ma'am - one of the most traditional Viennese greetings: You might hear it at Meissl & Schaden. The restaurant on the Ring is considered one of the schnitzel hotspots. And honestly, what would a trip to Vienna be without the breaded delicacy? At Meissl und Schadn it is served - of course! - served from veal. And, as the Viennese say: it tastes ur good. Ur is a way of intensifying and the Viennese version of “very”. The side dishes such as potato salad and wild cranberries are also very good. But other classics such as the boiled beef, the paprika chicken or the creamed lentils are also really “leiwand”, which means great. And for dessert, you should treat yourself to a Salzburg specialty: The Salzburger Nockerln here are - wait for it, something Viennese - to die for!
Always a good tip: The Fork
Still not sure where to go? Vienna's city center offers restaurants for every budget - you can get your fill at a sausage stand for relatively cheap, but you can also spend a lot of money in many restaurants. But you don't have to! With the Vienna Welcome Card, you can also save money on The Fork platform, where you can discover restaurants to suit every taste. In addition to Viennese cuisine, you will not only find Thai hot spots or street food from Tel Aviv, but specialties from all over the world. In twenty partner restaurants, you get a 20 euro discount on your booking on The Fork - and it's worth it: because in Vienna's city center there are also wonderful traditional coffee houses, cocktail bars and clubs - perfect after dinner - and with The Fork you have more for your budget. Very nice, isn't it?
You can save even more with this tip: you can discover the city completely free of charge.