Dining

Dining is an ethnic affair in Vienna where local food is available in most restaurants and on the streets. However, if you are in the mood for a casual, inexpensive dinner look elsewhere since Vienna has few such options. You may be disappointed if you are looking for a fine dining experience as it is lacking in Vienna. It seems the city's finesse is exhausted with the concertos and theatre.

The main meal of the day is lunch and most restaurants serve a set menu referred to as Tagesteller, Tagesmenu or Mittagsmenu. The timing for this meal is fixed and so visitors need to be punctual or risk going hungry. Good places to lounge around and have some food and drink are the various cafes, wine taverns and bakeries. These are referred to as Kaffeehaus, Heurigen and Konditorei respectively and most offer economical meals with drinks. Mensas or University food courts are the best places to get a cheap meal. Although they were originally opened for students they let everyone in and offer quite a great spread.

The best places to catch a meal on the run are the Würstelstände or sausage stands. All Austrian specialties such as Burenwurst, Käsekrainer and Waldviertler are neatly cooked and served with bread and potato fritters. To offset the high fat content of the frankfurter, try taking a beer or cola along with it.

A. Top Restaurants

Hansy

A great selection of Viennese favorites such as Schnitzel, Salat and Sachertorte are available at very reasonable prices.

Location: 2, Praterstrasse 67

Reinthaler

Nothing extravagant, this place serves basic, wholesome German cooking at modest prices.

Location: 1, Gluckgasse 5

Steirereck

This is one of the most plush and luxurious restaurants in Austria that has a number of sections offering different ambiences and menus. A very formal and expensive place, bookings need to be made at least three days in advance.

Location: 03, Rasumofskygasse 2

Phone: 713 31 68

Salonica

This is a place for families and it serves a great selection of Greek and Mediterranean dishes at moderate prices.

Location: 7, Zieglergasse 29

Vegetarian Options -

Regenbogen

This is the place to go to if you happen to be on a diet since it serves strictly vegetarian health food. The crowd is very young though and you might end up making a few friends if you try it out.

Location: 9, Schwarzspanierstrasse 18

Vegetasia

This is a place that is unique for its dishes that are named after poultry, fish and meats. They even look like them, at times even taste the same but are exclusively vegetarian.

Location: 7, Kaiserstrasse 45