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Best Brunch Vienna - the bougie hipster edition

You guys know I love brunch - heck you can see my entire ode to brunch and coffee spots here on the blog and almost daily on Instagram stories.

Picking the best brunch in Vienna isn't easy, with so many favourites like Landkind, GOTA and Jausen Station Meierei available (and those are just the ones in walking distance from my place!).

So for this edition of Best Brunch in Vienna, I thought I'd focus on the beautifully bougie, slightly hipster, or, in Viennese slang 'bobo' places to enjoy.

Because let's face it, I'm a middle class bougie bohemian myself 80% of the time. With absolutely no shame in my basic-bitch cravings for typical millenial things - avo on toast, instagrammable decor and a decent oat milk flat white thank you. You can be a smart, educated, successful feminist and still enjoy the lighter things in life.

Despite Stefan's best attempts to avoid the 7th district and clipboard menus, every now and then I love embracing my bobo instincts and heading to the most intagrammable, über- cool brunch spots in the city.

So these lovely brunch spots are for those days when you want to go somewhere cute with your girlfriends, be delighted by the decor and enjoy the most millenial of brunch dates - complete with avo on toast of course.

Best Brunch Vienna - Bougie hipster edition!

#1 Hildebrandt Cafe

This gorgeous spot in the 8th district has dominated Instagram feeds for months now since their opening last year. Gorgeous jewel toned walls inside, gold hued cutlery, perfectly placed rustic looking seats and tables. It ticks all the boxes.

But Hildebrandt has more than just the looks - their brunch options are plentiful and their waffle stack cannot be ignored. I love their large open-air garden and the fact that the coolest brunch spot in Vienna is hidden in a museum. Because of course it is.

I like Hildebrandt for the location, the design elements and the crowd you see there will 100% not judge you for 'gramming your food!

What to order: The waffletower

Average cost of a brunch dish: €8

Be wary: Service can sometimes be a little slower as they get so busy!

#2 Stilbruch

With a primo location along Gumpendorferstrasse, Stilbruch has creative dishes and colourful design absolutely nailed. This is a more brash, playful brunch option that fills up way too quickly - would definitely recommend their online booking option if you want a table during peak brunching hours!

The menu has such a fantastic spread of options, you'll be hard pressed to pick a favourite.

Multiple eggy combinations, sloppy joe's, a wealth of croissants and some really quite affordable menus combining breads, spreads, cheeses and some meats makes it really easy for everyone in a large group to find what they want. 

Stilbruch is quite hipster in their design, but its not too pretentious - more like an authentic cool that can't be replicated. The waiters are friendly and the team clearly cares about quality, creative food.

There's international influences all across the menu - from Shakshuka to Dutch pancakes and a smattering of Austrian-style semmels and spreads amongst the options.

They also list all their local suppliers and are committed to seasonal menus so, it may be hipster, but it's damn good food too.

What to order: 'Suden' menu for savoury, Banana Walnut French toast for sweet

Average cost of a brunch dish: €7

Be wary: It's super popular, so reserve a table if you can!

#3 Das Augustin

I've lurrrrved this place for years, primarily because its delicious, but in large part because its one of the best brunch spots in walking distance from our place that is OPEN on public holidays.

My hungover soul salutes you Das Augustin.

We've been coming here for years, and I think even celebrated a birthday brunch here once, because their outdoor courtyard is absolutely lovely.

The interior is a remodelled old pub, with cosy cushions, flowers on tables and lots of kitschy cute touches. The hidden outdoor courtyard is a delight on hot summer days to while away the morning beneath the dripping vine leaves and nibble on fresh bread or veggie sticks with hummus. 

Das Augustin is undeniably hipster, so much so an enterprising graffiti artist let it be known on the walls beside the restaurant entrance 'we hate hipster', which deters absolutely no one from enjoying the 15th district hotspot.

Exterior of Das Augustin cafe with graffiti saying 'fuck off hipsters'

The options for brunch on weekends is expansive, with 9 menu combinations to choose from, I'm a fan of the 'Istanbul' with goats cheese and cucumber sticks on a healthy day, or on my less impressive mornings a 'Fjord' menu with prosecco alongside spinach and salmon does the trick. 

Our only issue with this gorgeous spot is the fact that there are (adorable!) cats left free to roam all around the restaurant.

Stefan is allergic so we normally have to either sit outside and hope the cats haven't been nestling on our chairs, or we have a maximum window of about an hour to sit inside before his eyeballs start streaming and the swelling in his hands means he can't operate the cutlery anymore.

Unfortunately, that means we don't get to Das Augustin as often as we'd like - but it has definitely earned itself a slot for bougie brunch spots in town, and I'd heartily reccommend it for birthday celebrations. you'll very often see people arriving with homemade cakes in hand to celebrate!

What to order: 'Fjord' brunch menu with prosecco!

Average cost of a brunch dish: €8.50

Be wary: The cat hair and often large group or family bookings.

#4 Cafe Drechsler

The latest update of Cafe Drechsler has transformed it from a smoky bolthole for end of night drinks, into a sun dappled blend of art nouveau design and cronut cake trays.

They have prime location right across the road from Naschmarkt, and a big enough space for it to be busy but not elbow to elbow crammed like many popular brunch spots in Vienna.

There's often a live DJ on weekends, but the tunes aren't obtrusive - more like a hangover hug, and the menu offers a broad range of sweet, savoury, egg inspired and healthy dishes until 3pm daily.

The food quality here is what sets it apart - along with the thrill of sitting in a very traditional Viennese cafe, updated for the express purpose of brunching for the younger crowd.

It really is my perfect kind of bougie brunch spot - a little bit historic, endlessly photogenic, surprising menu options and food quality you can truly enjoy.

The vibe here hits the right balance of cool but welcoming, perfect for a group together or coffee catchup for two. Probably not one for your mum or a morning date though!

What to order: I luurrrvvveee their Eggs Florentine with truffle oil

Average cost of a brunch dish: €8-€10. They have mid size and large menu options meaning you can adjust depending on hunger levels and budget.

Be Wary: Weekends will be busy here and they get a lot of foot traffic from Naschmarkt on a Saturday - save this for a weekday chill morning if you can

#5 Erich

The menus, the location, the avocado toast, the terrace, the branding - Erich is built to fufil all your bougie hipster dreams.

It's smack in the heart of the 7th district, and the little brother cafe to Ulrich, this place shines in the summertime when the cobbled terrace flowers and bobo's flock to sun themselves with mimosas in the morning light.

What's great about Erich is, they fully embrace their place in the world to serve the latest and greatest dishes your heart craves. The menu has acai bowls, detox smoothies, vegan huevos ranchos and espresso martinis on the brunch list.

What's really clever though, is their 'brunch menu for individualists' where you can build your own brunch using a basis of either smashed avo on bread or 2 eggs on bread, then add your topping (quinoa, dukkah, fresh herbs & chilli) and sprinkle with your own selection of extras (tomatoes, feta, cottage cheese, mushrooms, chorizo, tofu, halloumi...a huge range!)

This kind of choose-your-own-adventure is perfect for those days when you know exactly what you need and want to customise your own dream brunch.

With so many healthy options and all those ingredients that can be quite tricky to find in more traditional cafes of Vienna, Erich is a winner for variety and modern options beyond a standard Viennese semmel and melange.

What to order: 'Rise and Shine' menu to make your own perfect mix

Average cost of a brunch dish: €9

Be Wary: They don't take reservations so plan ahead or nabbing a seat can be dicey. Brunch is served until 4pm so if you can resist peak brunching hours you'll be in for a treat.

#6 Klyo

This is the brunch spot that just immediately made me feel like I was a) back in Melbourne and b) an old lady wanting to shout 'turn down the damn music' for 89% of the time I was there.

It has a killer location and terrace overlooking the Donaukanal, and some really lovely bright wall murals and overflowing pot plants everywhere. 

I think they are going for a hybrid brunch-cafe-cool bar vibe here, so the tunes are PUMPING everytime I visit and the average age range is about 20-22 years old. It is very Insta-friendly though, so definitely qualifies for the bougie brunch spots in Vienna!

Their menu consists of primarily porridge and pancake varieties, with some combination menus and egg dishes in there if you're hungry.

Brunch is served until they close, so you really could go to town with an evening acai bowl or chocolate pancakes for dinner if you fancy.

Very cool, lots of seating options when the terrace is open but definitely a 'cool' vibe here, I'd be making sure I wasn't in my tracksuit pants and schlumpy t-shirt, and don't expect too much deep and meaningful conversation as the energy is high and the volume loud throughout.

What to order: Vanille Pancakes with nuts and berries

Average cost of a brunch dish: €6-€8

Be Wary: It's loud. Or I'm old. But pretty sure its just loud!

#7 Cafe Telegraph

Cafe Telegraph has a literal avocado section on their menu. Avocado tartar, avocado bowls, avocado pancakes and their infamous avocado burger where the burger bun is avocado. This is peak millenial heaven and one of the best bougie brunches in Vienna because they fully embrace their specialty - avocado.

There are of course, extensive menu options beyond the avo, with Shakusha, acai bowls and a good multicultural mix of Israeli, British and Russian brekkie combinations, but you have to come for the avo first. 

In summertime there is a lovely streetside terrace to perch on, and in winter the inside is cosy and apparently stroller friendly. Because it's located in the black hole of the 9th district that I can never seem to visit often enough, I don't get here as much as I'd like, but its a firm favourite on the Vienna brunch scene and particularly with students of the nearby university.

What to order: Eggs Hemingway. Avo, smoked salmon, poached egg and hollandaise on an English muffin - yes please!

Average cost of a brunch item: €10-€12

Be Wary: Service here has been patchy in my experience. Sometimes its excellent and friendly, other times I've waited over 30 minutes for a simple coffee.

With these top seven bougie brunch spots in Vienna, you can most certainly enjoy a girls weekend brunch-and-bitch, while fufilling your craving for avo on toast or acai bowls.

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So go forth, be proud in your basic-bougie-bobo-ness and enjoy a weekend brunch in Vienna!

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