Vienna food: Delicious dishes to try in Austria’s capital

Planning a visit to Vienna? You are in for a delicious experience. This vibrant, cosmopolitan city is famed for the diversity of its food offering and rich culinary history.  

There are traditional dishes like Wiener Schnitzel and Original Sacher-Torte to tick off your hitlist – recipes so beloved that they come with an origin story. There are coffeehouses that have been places to meet, exchange ideas and caffeinate for centuries. And then there are the food markets, the street stalls, a surprising amount of locally produced wine and a thriving, innovative fine dining scene.  

So if you are trying to figure out what to eat in Vienna, make sure you taste every flavour this delicious foodie city has to offer. Here is a taste of what awaits you.

Food markets are a perfect first port of call when you are getting your bearings in a new city, allowing you to snack on the go without committing hours to one restaurant booking. 

Vienna’s best-known food market is Naschmarkt – a riot of fresh ingredients, bustling delis and casual restaurants dishing out everything from traditional Austrian food to global cuisine.  

As you walk round you can graze on samples – a bite of cheese here, an olive there – as you shop for foodie souvenirs and stop for the occasional cold beer. Or, if you prefer to make a meal of it, there are plenty of tempting restaurants interspersed with market stalls to draw you in for more. 

For a crunchy, satisfying slice of fried decadence, make it your mission to seek out Vienna’s specialty: the Wiener Schnitzel. This authentic Austrian national dish usually consists of a thin veal cutlet that has been breaded and cooked to a palate-dazzling crunch.  

Do not settle for anything less than excellence when selecting your schnitzel. You cannot go wrong with the generous portions served at Wiener Wiaz Haus or Figlmüller, which claims to be ‘home of the Wiener schnitzel.’ 

Or, if you prefer to surround yourself with the stately beauty of a traditional Viennese restaurant, Schnitzel in style at the Restaurant Rote Bar or Café Bel Étage. Along with many other authentic Austrian specialities, the Wiener Schnitzel on our menu is prepared to the authentic, beloved local recipe served with potatoes and salad.  

Wherever you choose to try this national dish, we would recommend you reserve a table well in advance so you can relax in the knowledge that a Viennese menu must-do is officially done.  

Once you have the gist of the traditional dishes, mix it up with an exploration of Vienna’s more modern, conceptual eateries. With a total of 22 Michelin stars across 14 restaurants, the city has a thriving fine dining scene to explore.  

Austrian food is elevated to an artform at Steirereck, where traditional Vienna food is reimagined with fresh techniques and dishes are focused on vibrant, in-season ingredients. Or at the Restaurant Grüne Bar, where you can experience innovative international haute cuisine with regional influences, either as a set menu or à la carte, all in the elegant historical ambiance of the 19th century.

If you prefer to take your palate on a tour of global cuisine, Vienna has a dining experience for every appetite. As well as Austrian favourites, you will find French flavours at Le Salzgries Paris, delicate Japanese dishes at SHIKI or Italian at Marcodi. There is also a fresh and exquisite selection of dishes at the Michelin-starred TIAN for vegetarians. Truly, you have the world on a plate.  

From warm, comforting apple strudel to fluffy Kaiserschmarrn dusted with icing sugar and the mighty, Original Sacher-Torte, Vienna knows how to do an after-dinner treat.  

The best place to sample one of the city’s many delectable desserts (or maybe just order all of them at once!) is the iconic Café Sacher in Vienna’s historic heart. This is the birthplace of the Original Sacher-Torte, where, in 1832, a young chef’s apprentice first mastered the confection of finest chocolate and apricot jam to serve to a visiting Prince Metternich. It has been in demand ever since. 

To secure a space in the elegant Café Sacher, make sure you book in advance, so you do not have to wait at the door for your coffee and cake. Or, if you are in a rush, stop by the Hotel Sacher Confiserie, where you can have your Original Sacher-Torte gift-wrapped with other signature Viennese delicacies to take home and share.  

And if you have yet to visit our delicious city, you do not have to catch a flight to recreate the Viennese coffee house experience. You can order our Original Sacher-Torte and the Original Sacher ground coffee to sip with it, directly from the Sacher Online Shop.

Although it might not be the first place that comes to mind when someone says ‘wine’, Vienna does not just produce its own wine – it has vineyards within the city limits.  

And where there is a vineyard, there is usually a Heuriger, a typical wine tavern in Vienna. Traditionally, these casual places would be where the vineyard owner would open their doors to the public to serve visitors their young wine and light bites.  

This warm, welcoming vibe endures today – think wide, inviting outdoor benches, long tables with lots of room for accommodating snacks, plenty of fresh air and tasty young wine. 

Most Heurigers are dotted about the periphery of the city, a short bus or train ride out of town, but well worth the short trek for their enduring connection to Viennese history and wonderfully relaxed feel. Why not pair one with one of the many wine hiking trails around Vienna to make a day of it? 

The tradition of the coffeehouse in Vienna dates to the siege of the city in 1683. Back then (so the story goes) the Ottoman army left behind a significant amount of coffee beans after bidding a hasty retreat from the Polish Habsburg army – and the rest is history.  

Over 350 years later, the tradition of the coffee house continues to be part of the Vienna’s identity – so much so that it’ has been recognised by UNESCO as part of the city’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.  

There are over 800 coffee houses in Vienna. To experience true Viennese coffee culture, visit somewhere like Café Landtmann, Balthasar Kaffee Bar, the historic Sacher Café or the Café Bel Ètage at Hotel Sacher.  

Yes! As a global capital you will find a wide array of dining options in Vienna. As well as all the rich culinary heritage of the city, if you peer beyond the culinary clichés, you will find Vienna is anything but rooted in the past.  

In fact, this is a place that is constantly expanding on its repertoire, whether you are in search of an unconventional hangout in which to sample trendy natural wines (Vini per Tutti), a Mediterranean menu served in a botanical glasshouse (The Palmenhaus) or even a modern Japanese izakaya.

Würstel (sausage) stands are the ultimate Viennese street snack. These traditional little kiosks serve piping hot pork sausages with a choice of sweet or spicy mustard or special sausages with cheese when you are in a hurry.  

The best part? They are almost ubiquitous in Vienna and a huge part of the city’s food culture, so you are reassuringly never too far away from a delicious snack.  

When it comes to Austrian cuisine, strudel, schnitzel and sausages are just the beginning. Culinary influences from other Central European countries like Hungary, Northern Italy, Bohemia and Bavaria have found their way onto Austrian tables too, bringing a diverse array of techniques and styles.  

If you are craving comfort food you will find it in abundance. Warming stews and soups are the order of the day, like traditional Tafelspitz (boiled beef in broth) or goulash – just perfect when you are feeling extra hungry after a day of sightseeing.  

When it comes to sweet treats, choices are similarly hearty, featuring delicious Kaiserschmarrn – fluffy shredded pancakes, indulgent Original Sacher-Torte and Buchteln, yeast buns filled with jam and dusted with sugar or slathered in vanilla sauce. Delicious!