167 Best Restaurants in Austria

Practically a shrine, the Hawelka was the hangout of most of Vienna's modern artists, and the café has acquired an admirable art collection over the years. The Hawelka is most famous for its buchteln, a baked bun with a sweet filling, served fresh from the oven. While cakes, sausages and other hearty fare are on offer, this is a place where many come for just a cup of coffee or a casual drink. Ask to look at the guest book, itself a work of art, with entries including some illustrious names (including Elias Canetti, Andy Warhol, and Tony Blair). Back in the 1960s, the young John Irving enjoyed the atmosphere here, too, as you can see when reading The Hotel New Hampshire.

The café, named after the monument to Mozart (now in the Burggarten) that once stood outside, is overrun with sightseers, but the waiters manage to remain calm even when customers run them ragged. Crystal chandeliers, a brass-and-oak interior, comfortable seating, and delicious food—the tafelspitz is excellent—add to its popularity. With the Opera just behind the café, this is a fine place for an after-performance snack; be on the lookout for opera divas here for the same reason.

Red-velvet banquettes, sparkling chandeliers, and lots of gilt mark this famous gathering place, a favorite of well-heeled Salzburgers and an outpost of the celebrated Vienna landmark. It's a perfect choice for a leisurely afternoon pastry or irresistible cake. The most popular choice is the famous house-made chocolate sachertorte, though it's a little drier than you might expect. Don't pass up the coffee, which is second to none. Full meals are also served, and the restaurant offers a no-smoking room.

A tiny old house turned coffee shop in the center of the city, Cafe Schwalbennest serves traditional Austrian cakes such as homemade sweet poppy seed and cheese-curd tort. It's also a great breakfast spot with regionally sourced cheese and meat. Green shutters on a red facade make Cafe Schwalbennest easy to spot, and there is an upstairs patio overlooking the River Mur, which runs through Graz. But beware, with only three tables upstairs, it can be difficult to snag a spot.

Located near the Hotel Imperial, this is an ideal spot for a coffee and cake or a meal after a performance at the Musikverein or Konzerthaus, both just a couple of minutes away. Open until midnight, it has a good choice of food and pastries. Wall-to-wall mirrors reflect the elegant clientele perched on dark-green leather seats. Even though the waiters can be a little snobby, the overall atmosphere is still nice enough to encourage longer stays. Piano music can be heard until late on Wednesday and Friday, and from 5 until 7 pm on weekends. Sit outside when the weather allows and appreciate the lights on Schwarzenbergplatz.

One of Austria's grand old coffeehouses, this is the only one of its kind in Upper Austria. It's the perfect place to savor a cup of coffee, read the newspapers, and enjoy a light meal. Ask for the specialty, Linzertorte (almond cake with jam) with your coffee, or try the homemade apfelstrudel.

Enjoy breakfast every day until noon in the elegant yet cozy Café Wallner. They are famed for their gingerbread which they make by hand in the traditional way. In the summer, the line is out the door for their homemade ice cream or enjoy one of their luxurious cakes, like the Schneewittchentorte, a cream cheese base with a poppy seed crust.

If you really want to enjoy food with a view, drive 3 km (2 miles) north along the B1 Linzer Bundesstrasse to Mayrwies and turn right up through the woods. Here you can take in a view of Salzburg from the mountainside perch of this former Rupertialm (St. Rupert's Pasture), a famous scenic lookout even in Mozart's time. Owned by St. Peter's Monastery, this restaurant allures with the romantic charm of an Alpine chalet. Seasonal specialties of the region top the bill: not only venison and fried trout but heavenly garnishes—cress, elder blossoms, herbs from the meadows, raspberries, blueberries, Schwammerl (mushrooms) fresh out of the forest, and cheese from goat and sheep. For breakfast, you need to make reservations at least the day before; lunch and dinner reservations are recommended but not compulsory. You can also stay the night in one of the small but smart apartments.

Pay what you like for vegetarian Pakistani comfort food (think curries, dahl, and rice) at this casual little gem.

This weissbierbrauerei combines the original charm of one of Salzburg's most historic breweries and adds a high-ceilinged, wood-paneled modern bar to satisfy the many locals who consider it to be the ultimate private retreat (so much so that from Wednesday through Saturday it's best to make a reservation). The beer garden really hits the spot on a hot summer day, but all year long you can savor traditional Bavarian style weisswurst (veal sausages with sweet mustard) as well as the usual array of tempting Salzburg delights.

When you're ready to collapse after taking in all the art at the fabulous Albertina, take a break at the museum's on-site eatery where you will find a variety of options including sushi, Mediterranean, and Italian. In summer you can sit outside on one of the city's nicest terraces and enjoy the view of the Burggarten.

This bustling restaurant in a stall along the Naschmarkt is a prime place to stop for a bite and watch the crowds go by. The menu is as diverse as the customers, and includes various Turkish mainstays, such as tzatziki and falafel, and a variety of international choices. Some options can include chicken and avocado salad, pumpkin curry with vegetables and cashew nuts over rice, and Moroccan lemon chicken with couscous. The prices are easy on the wallet, and the customers tend toward the young and hip.

Chef Stephan Vadnjal offers up fresh local fish and seafood with a Mediterranean flair and a hand-picked wine selection to match. The interior is clean and smart; the service welcoming. Entrance is around the corner from the square.

This lively café-restaurant, conveniently located next to the Naschmarkt, is best known for its breakfast and for its classic coffeehouse feel with contemporary decor. Brunch favorites include avocado toast with poached eggs and salmon and blueberry pancakes and their “Breakfast Bubbles” sparkling wine cocktails. It's a popular stop for a late-afternoon cocktail. 

Named after the former Italian owner of this historic house (note the beautiful small archway passage), this is a top spot for tasting Marzemino, the red wine Don Giovanni drinks in Mozart's opera. But there are plenty of other goodies here: some of the best Italian coffees in the city (as well as local favourite melange); outstanding Austrian apfel oder topfenstrudel (apple or cheese pie, served with vanilla sauce); and one of the the best Salzburger nockerl.

This spot opened in 1683 as one of the city's official stadtheuriger (wine taverns), to provide Turk-fighting soldiers with wine before going off to battle. Below the Esterházy palace, the atmosphere is like that of a cozy cave, with the maze of rooms offering some of the best wines of any cellar in town, plus a typical Viennese menu noontime and evenings. Ordering seems back to front: food orders are taken at the counter, while a waiter comes to the table to take your order for drinks. The best choice for meat lovers is roast pork with dumplings and cabbage. The wine tavern is closed July and August, but the restaurant and garden are open all summer long.

This Wiener schnitzel institution might be touristy, but it's known for breaded veal and pork cutlets so large they overflow the plate, and it still attracts locals, too. The cutlet is hammered—you can hear the mallets pounding from a block away—so that the schnitzel winds up wafer-thin. It's delicious because the quality (as well as the size: half a pound each) is unrivaled; don't forget to add lemon juice. The potato salad made with Styrian pumpkin seed oil (the oil is an Austrian specialty) is the best in town, and if you want to try the recipe at home, you can even buy its cookbook. If this location is full, try the one just around the corner, at Bäckerstrasse 6.

In the heart of the medieval Altstadt is this storybook stone cottage run by Ulli Amon-Jell (pronounced yell), who serves the tried-and-true recipes of her grandmother and great-grandmother, with a bit of her own modern flair added to the mix. Snails au gratin in garlic herb butter, roast kidneys with bacon and onion, and gazpacho with buttery Parmesan dumplings are popular items on the menu. There are always lighter fish and vegetarian dishes, too, but the chef's motto is "no one goes home hungry from my tavern." Leave room for dessert if you possibly can, as the homemade marillenknödel (warm, apricot-filled dumplings) are a delight.  Book ahead in summer for a table under the grape arbor in the small, secluded outdoor dining area.

This gorgeous Baroque town house, built in 1720 beside the iconic Nepomuk-Kapelle, is today a restaurant serving hearty Austrian dishes at very reasonable prices. Try the Wiener schnitzel, the tafelspitz, or the zander fish. Not ready for a full meal? Kornmesser also offers traditional beer snacks, like Bavarian veal sausages, as well as tasty sweet treats like apple strudel.

When nothing but a hearty goulash will do, the Gasthaus Pumpe is the top Klagenfurt choice. Fresh Puntingammer beer on tap is just one of the highlights of this humble spot which is popular with locals looking to hang out with friends; enjoy a few beers; and savor large plates of sausage, schnitzel, and other Austrian delights. Typical pub atmosphere and service means occasional shared tables and casual staff. The inner courtyard is lovely when the weather is nice.

The best place for a bite of traditional food near the Kunsthaus Wien and the Hundertwasser House is Gasthaus Wild. Formerly a wine tavern, it's now a down-to-earth beisl (the equivalent of a pub, also called a gasthaus), where the menu changes regularly but almost always features local dishes. Chef Robert Titz sources most products locally and they also make their noodles and sourdough bread in-house. Check out the selection of wild game when in season. The restaurant also offers fine wines (mainly Austrian) and an extensive dessert menu.

Warm wooden parlors, romantic corners, and authentic Austrian cuisine define this rustic spot. Products are mainly local and seasonal, in keeping with the restaurant's slow-food philosophy. Pumpkin and dark-green pumpkinseed oil are prominent ingredients. Try the schnitzel in a coat of pumpkinseeds with potatoes and field salad or homemade pasta with pumpkinseed pesto. Leave space for desserts such as parfait with plum jam. The daily lunch menus are popular with locals, and the restaurant can get packed quickly.

Allegedly the oldest tavern in Bregenz, this rustic restaurant offers delicious traditional food in lively surroundings. Many say it's the most authentic Austrian eatery in town, great for tafelspitz (slow-cooked beef with horseradish). It also has tasty pasta dishes, including spicy spaghetti in a tomato, onion, bacon, and red pepper sauce. In spring, local asparagus is featured and later in the year the menu focuses on game. You won't go wrong with the apricot dumplings for dessert.

Guests started eating here more than 500 years ago, and they've been coming back ever since. The old dining room has wood-paneled walls and is the perfect setting in which to enjoy a zwiebelrostbraten (steak with onions) and a good red wine. Ernest Hemingway certainly enjoyed his stays in "the old inn with the antlers in Tschagguns." There's also folk music performed here regularly. You can ask the staff if one of the five guest rooms is available. The reception is in the Montafoner Hof, just across the street, which belongs to the same family.

This vegan restaurant prepares a beautiful and fresh buffet full of greens, soups, hot dishes, and more. You choose what you’d like and are billed by weight. The Nordic-inspired interiors add to the clean eating ethos that drives the Gilma family, whose roots in vegetarian restaurants date back to the 1970s. There’s a second, smaller location, Ginko Greenhouse, in the Altstadtpassage near the main square—it specializes in superfood bowls and cold-pressed juices.

One of the friendliest places in Vienna, this wonderful wood-paneled old cellar—just across the street from the Konzert Haus—offers some of the heartiest home cooking in town. Come here to enjoy dishes that hail from Carinthia, like the tafelspitzsulz mit kernöl und zwiebeln (cold cut of beef in aspic served with onions). You'll want to use the semmel (white bread roll) to sop up that last drop of dark-green pumpkinseed-oil dressing. In suitable weather, the outdoor area has an appealing beer garden atmosphere.

This restaurant is as popular with locals as it is with visitors. The kitchen takes a modern approach to traditional dishes, with pork medallions topped with ham and Gorgonzola, and veal steaks ladled with a creamy herb sauce that's as steeped in flavor as the restaurant is steeped in history. The traditional dining rooms on the arcaded ground floor and the summer-only terrace are popular places to sit: the former both romantic and private, and the latter good for people-watching. Start with a glass of Sekt (an Austrian sparkling wine) flavored with a dash of cassis—a kir royale—as you peruse the menu. The restaurant is also the breakfast room of the Goldener Adler hotel.

There’s a clutch of delicious spots on this cozy end of Praterstrasse, but for delicious coffee in a restful spot, the Golden Parrot can’t be beat. Friendly smiles, a soothing atmosphere blooming with plants, plus a large shady garden is the ideal place to enjoy coffee in the morning and an aperitivo or glass of natural wine in the afternoon.

Dating back four centuries, this engaging old-world house sits in the heart of Old Vienna. It is one of the country's top addresses for beer connoisseurs and serves brews, both draft and bottled, dunkeles (dark) and helles (light), from the Gösser brewery in Styria. Of the four eating areas, many diners opt for the covered courtyard, where beer seems to taste better no matter the weather. Beyond the obligatory (but first-class) Wiener schnitzel with potato salad, another good choice is the Kas'nocken (pasta dumplings topped with melted Tyrolean mountain cheese).

This sprawling tavern is the place to go for a good pint and a hearty meal. Eight types of beer are available and the kitchen cooks up satisfying traditional and international dishes. Try a plate of goulash or the Gösser Bräu schnitzel plate. Operated by the Grossauer family since 2005, the staff is warm and efficient.