Vienna Eats
After a wonderful week of exploring Vienna, I have three takeaways about the food scene: coffee houses, schnitzel, and pastries and cakes.
It’s a great city for coffee lovers. I was intrigued to learn that the Viennese coffee house culture is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the coffee house being a place “where time and space are consumed, but only coffee is found on the bill.” And a glass of water is always served with the coffee, a tradition going back to when fresh spring water was a hallmark of quality. I can say this: I never had a bad coffee in Vienna. Moreover, oat milk was available everywhere. My cappuccinos were made with perfectly steamed oat milk foam. I loved having coffee in Vienna!
Wiener schnitzel was on the menu just about everywhere. For those who don’t already know, schnitzel is a veal (or pork) cutlet, pounded very thin, and then breaded and fried. In Vienna, it is traditionally served with lemon wedges and lingonberry jam, with a side of potato salad (made with sliced potatoes and vinegar, not mayonnaise). We had some great schnitzel in Vienna: tender, crispy, and light.
Pastries and cake were abundant and irresistible. I’m trying to limit my sugar intake, but I may have indulged in apple strudel with vanilla cream more than once. And of course I had to try sacher-torte, because I love dark chocolate. And guess what? Pastries and cake pair very well with coffee.
Here's a roundup of our favorite restaurants in Vienna:
Breakfast: The Joseph Brot Bakery bistro at Albertinaplatz had wonderful French toast. Made with fresh sourdough bread, it was perfectly crispy and caramelized and served with blueberry jam and crème fraîche.
Lunch: Parémi served delicious sandwiches, quiches, and cheese and charcuterie. The decadent pastries were a bonus.
Dinner: die Finkosterei was in a beautiful building right on the Kartnerstrasse. It had an elegant-casual vibe and specialized in Austrian dishes served tapas-style. We sampled five different classic dishes in one meal, and all were well-executed and very tasty.
And here a few traditional restaurants that we enjoyed for their sense of history and/or community:
Griechenbiesl, the oldest restaurant in Vienna, has been in business since the 15th century. They say that Beethoven, Mozart, Mark Twain, Luciano Pavarotti and Johnny Cash dined at there. It certainly had plenty of character. And the schnitzel was probably the best we had.
Cafe Hawelka opened in 1836, and through the years their regular customers included Andy Warhol, Arthur Miller, and many other artists, writers, and performers. We lingered over specialty coffees (Irish for Steve, Pear Schnapps for me) and a slice of sacher-torte.
Bier & Bierli was Vienna’s version of a really great brewpub. We always felt welcome and comfortable there. They had good (huge!) schnitzel and great beer. Their winter lager was awesome - a beautiful amber, with hints of fruit and caramel.
