Best of Vienna 2019 - where to eat & drink, plus our discoveries of the year
It has been a big year for new discoveries in Vienna - and it might just be me but the city seems to be accelerating its explosion of cute coffee shops, indie stores and funky hipster bars. Maybe I'm just getting out more these days!
Either way, it's been a banner year for places to eat, drink and relax in the city.
Gathered below for you are my top picks of 2019 to enjoy, based entirely on our experiences this year.
Long time readers and Instagram fans will recognise some familiar names that I just can't stay away from! These are the places and experiences I'd reccommend to all my friends visiting the city to really get under the skin of Vienna and experience more than the tourist trail.
- Landkind Bauernladen & Marktcafe
- GOTA Coffee
- Krypt Bar
- Johanna Bauer Schmuck & Katie G Jewellery
- Ammutson Craft Beer Bar
- Magdas Hotel
- Velobis
- Meine Insel boat island hire
- Miznon
- Josephbrot Cafe & Bakery
#1 Landkind Bauernladen & Marktcafe
It should come as no surprise that Landkind is the #1 pick of the year. We are officially addicted to the fresh butter, farm made milk, the irresistible bio honey and the locally made wines and gins on offer here.
That's not to mention the inviting, chatty, relaxed and cosy atmosphere that encourages local community events and lazy weekend mornings spent chatting and snacking on the streetside terrace.
You can see my full brunch review and writeup from earlier this year right here.
On top of the fresh, locally sourced products for sale, Landkind also has a freakin' delicious brunch menu on weekends, that allows you to taste test a wide variety of spreads, eggs, breads and combinations of ingredients that I would never know could taste so good.
In fact, I have to issue a note of caution to anyone visiting - the food here is so damn good, it might kind of ruin you for other meals.
Stefan and I both legitimately have a 'problem' that Landkind quality meals and food is becoming our norm, and seen as there is nowehere else quite like it in Vienna, other restaurants and cafe's pale in comparison.
In short, Landkind was the find of the year, and I love this place. 100% reccommend you get down there before it gets any more crazy crowded!
#2 GOTA coffee
Another no-brainer here, for anyone who knows me and my coffee addiction, or follows on Instagram stories, you'll see my (almost) daily visits to this funky, friendly and damn fine coffee shop.
GOTA is another level of coffee shop in a city filled with coffee shops. The high quality blends, Junior's expertise behind the coffee machine (still Austria's reigning barista champion!) and the excellent opening hours make it one of the best spots in the city for a third-wave brew.
See the full review of GOTA brunch and coffee here.
This year GOTA encouraged my love of flat whites to a new level and introduced me to the surprisingly delicious Espresso + Tonic summer drink. They are always friendly, nearly always open and constantly trying new combinations of coffee for regulars.
Basically, my one stop shop for morning coffee that cannot be beaten!
#3 Krypt Bar
Though its been recognised with multiple architectural awards and is nestled in the cool 9th district, it still seems like Krypt bar is managing to stay an underground secret.
The cocktail bar is so smooth, so beautifully designed and so interesting - built behind a hidden staircase and former speakeasy - you have to see it to believe it.
Smooth marble bar and even smoother service with a glam-but-accessible-vibe, Krypt was definitely our bar find of the year, and one you need to put on your list.
Definitely a better option in the winter, with no reservations possible, your best bet is to get in early-ish and enjoy the build up of the young and fun crowd.
See the full rundown of Krypt bar here and then get your butt to the bar!
#4 Johanna Bauer & Katie G Jewllery
I'm pairing these two together as both create gorgeous local jewellery, but each have their own particular flair.
Johanna Bauer is a beautiful handmade jewellery store located on the most beautiful street in all of Vienna - Servitengasse in the 9th district. She creates hand made rings, necklaces, earrings and a stunning collection of longer draped jewels.
We had our wedding rings made by Johanna and honestly were so pleased we decided to forgo the clunky diamonds and glitz of major jewellery brands. Johanna sat and chatted with us, got to know what we were after and was so patient in finding our perfect combination.
The end result speaks for itself.
I adore her simple, timeless style, and am so glad we discovered her this year - the jewellery she made for us was so unique and special.
Katie G jewellery is also a completely different kind of unique. Kind of punky, rock 'n roll inspired but high quality and customisable. For my sisters 30th birthday I was looking for something unique, but cool enough for everyday wear.
My sister is a ridiculous, fire twirling, drum playing punk-style, super organised operations manager living in Edinburgh, so finding something for her is always a challenge, but Katie G jewellery was a perfect match in the end.
What I love about this store was the personalised, patient service. Although some pieces get up to the steep end of the price range, the sales guy speaking with me was completely fine when I mentioned the price limitations and still helped find the perfect option.
I was stoked to find a genuine locally made jewellery to share for my sisters birthday and would definitely reccommend Katie G Jewellery for a unique souvenir (I've got my eye on those stacking rings too!)
#5 Ammutson Craft Beer Bar
Like most of the good things in life, I tripped across this newly opened craft beer bar in the depths of winter unexpectedly, and was so excited to finally find a friendly hangout beer bar to chill in.
What makes Ammutson different from the many other beer bars in Vienna (and there are plenty of excellent ones!) is the friendly, welcoming service, led by bar owner Misho. Chatty and open to all questions, you can really feel comfortable here, even as a complete no-nothing about beer!
Ammutson also proudly supports only locally sourced and independent breweries - you won't find any big name brand brews on tap at all, and once the tap is out, it's really out! They have a handy app and displays on the walls of all available beers, making your choices easier.
To be honest though, we always start with the tasting tray to figure out what we like and the night continues from there...
Ammutson is a fantastic option to feel like a local and get informed on some lesser known beer brands and delicious brews. The atmosphere is fantastic and being right off Mariahilferstrasse means its a good option to duck into after a long day.
#6 Magdas Hotel
In the summertime we were able to arrange an overnight stay at Magdas Hotel, the social enterprise hotel in the heart of Prater Park.
The hotel is known for being committed to employing former refugees and integrating community initiatives into their hotel business - as part of some of my freelance work for Lonely Planet and Forbes Travel I was thrilled to have the chance to experience the hotel for myself.
Stefan dutifully joined on a sweltering Friday night to stay in a quirky reformed retirement home hotel, where we enjoyed the roomy terrace views across to Prater Park, the unique design touches and upcycled furniture and a really relaxing green outdoor terrace.
What surprised me about Magdas was how seamlessly they blended their hotel-level standards and service, with a more friendly and welcoming hostel-style community vibe.
They use artworks from the nearby art school and the food supplies on the expansive brunch buffet are as locally sourced as possible - including their own honey from the rooftop hives.
Magdas is for sure the best hotel I would reccommend for anyone wanting a more local experience in Vienna. You can check out my full review here.
#7 Velobis
Sometimes the greatest finds are literally right under your nose. Velobis bike store and cafe is at the end corner of our street, it is geographically the closest possible cafe to our home, and yet, we hadn't spent much time there prior to this year.
That all changed this summer, when we finally decided to upgrade our bikes into proper touring bikes, so Stefan and I can do more exploring in the regions surrounding Vienna.
Velobis makes gorgeous custom bikes with very tailored friendly service (are you guys sensing a theme on all these recommendations? It's the friendly chatty people making the difference!)
We were thrilled with our bikes, the service and even popped in for brunch a few times afterwards to enjoy the relaxing lovely terrace out the back of the store cafe area.
If I'm honest, the brunch didn't blow my mind, but the spot itself is very very cool, and of all the bike stores we checked out in Vienna, Velobis was the best for competitive pricing and super friendly customised service.
Even though I'm basically clueless when it comes to bikes and cycling, I never felt like an idiot asking questions and finding the perfect bike for me while we were searching.
When the weather warms and you start thinking you want to cycle the city (you definitely should! Vienna is ideal for it!) then head to Velobis to find your perfect bike, and get a coffee while you're there.
#8 Meine Insel Island Boat Hire
Ok this is just straight up cool. I very much want to make it a summer tradition to hire one of the floating island boats from Meine Insel and lap up the summery cool vibes of the Alte Donau with our very own picnic and wine selection.
You hire these mini-boat-islands between a group of friends and then luxuriously float around sipping drinks and watching the sunset.
It is heavenly, summery, unique perfection and lets you see the alternate side of Vienna that most tourists and even locals miss.
Meine Insel was definitely my top discovery of the year, and I'll be back next summer to enjoy it again.
#9 Miznon
For cool kids in the know in Vienna, Miznon has been on the radar for a while - but if you haven't heard of it yet you're in for a treat!
Since our office relocated to the first district this year, it gave me the perfect excuse to sneak in trips here on my lunch break and enjoy the rowdy, raucous atmosphere and delicious Israeli street food.
What's fun about Miznon is the fact that it sits smack in the heart of Vienna, where restaurants are so traditionally Austrian and fancy, but is completely its own place, filled with noise, communal tables and not a schnitzel in sight!
You need to make the time to explore Miznon's many different menu options and pop by in the evenings where you can perch on the bar stools overlooking the open kitchen and chat with the lovely staff. It honestly feels like a slice of life outside of Vienna - and is so much fun.
#10 Josephbrot Cafe & Bakery
Longtime readers and friends will know that I am completely addicted to Josephbrot.
The bakery changed my relationship to bread - which sounds melodramatic and yet somehow boring at the same time, but it's true. Before I lived in Austria and had tried Josephbrot bread, I never thought twice about bread and toast - I thought it was simple, white and flavourless, always.
Moving to Vienna and trying Josephbrot changed everything for me.
I cop a lot of flak for buying bread here from my mates, because most people think spending €4 on a loaf of bread is insane.
But when the bread lasts a week, is made from hearty grains and natural ingredients, and baked in the traditional way (not reheated in an oven from a readymix like most chain bakeries) the price is justified.
You guys know I am all about supporting local businesses and sustainable products - from food, to clothes, to travel habits. (Check out some of the ways our household try to be more sustainable this year)
So in that vein, Josephbrot is the best option for our household. We buy one loaf every one or two weeks and it lasts us through weekend brunches, evening Jause platters and for dipping into soup. It is heavenly when paired with Landkind butter and honey, it is the bread we treat all our guests to when they visit and they genuinely notice the quality difference.
So Josephbrot makes the Top 10 this year, not only for the bread, but now, with their ever-expanding cafes and restaurants throughout Vienna, you can enjoy a quick snack lunch or sweet treat when you pop in for your weekly bread. I'm a huge fan of their Florentine Quiche and Stefan died and went to heaven over their Lebkuchken biscuits over Christmas.
Am I a Josephbrot fangirl? Yes. Do I regret it even once when buying their superior quality bread? Never.
Go and try it for yourself, just once, the difference between regular supermarket bread and theirs, and you might just be won over too.
That's my top 10 finds for the year - what did you discover in Vienna this year? What is on your list to experience in 2019?
Let me know in the comments so we can all discover new, delicious, fun and beautiful places in the year ahead!
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