Vienna Recommendations

October 14, 2013

Attractions

Schloss Schnbrunn - palace, zoo, gardens, greenhouses - Though Im not usually a fan of palaces
and ostentatious displays of wealth, this place was more impressive than I expected. I recall that
the palace audio tour was pretty interesting. The zoo claims to be the oldest in the world and is, for
example, one of the few places with giant pandas (my Chinese friend sat there cooing for approximately
three hours). There is also this wonderful little bakery/cafe at the back of the zoo near a forest. You
really have to go inside there. Its this cozy little building that looks medieval but has so many awesome
things inside.
Heurigen - vineyards north of the city which serve their own wine in comfy bar/restaurants - Mayer
am Pfarplatz and Heuriger Hirt were my favorite that I went to. The areas around the vineries (i.e.
Grinzig, Nussdorf) are beautiful and great for walks too. A very nice walk in particular is to take a
bus up to Kahlenberg, and then walk down through the vineyards, stopping for drinks/food as desired.
Haus der Musik (House of Music) - music museum - There is a great interactive science of sound
exhibit on the second floor, but the rest consists of celebrity worship and unimaginative, noneducational
exhibits that let kids make loud sounds.
Vindobona Roman ruins - historical site in the middle of a plaza - the ruins arent necessarily
spectacular, but the fact that they are right in the middle of a plaza is pretty cool. And at night this
area of town is especially pretty.
Vienna is also of course known for concerts, ballet, and opera, though I didnt partake so I cant
make recommendations.

Restaurants

Maschu Maschu - falafel - Very tasty and reasonably priced platters, though not a ton of seating.
Colombo Hoppers - Sri Lankan - Tasty and reasonably priced lunch buffet, and very friendly staff
(especially the owner).
Xus Cooking - vegetarian Chinese - Delicious Chinese vegetarian food and at 8 euros the lunch
buffet is a steal.
Yamm - high-end vegetarian salad bar (not an oxymoron!) - Phenomenal spread of (self-serve)
vegetable-centric dishes, but be warned that it can get pricey; I went quite hungry, loaded up a full
plate, and shelled out about 20 euros. Nice ambience, friendly staff, and free gluwein (at least in
winter; maybe they do something else in summer).
Naschmarkt - a ton of nice places to eat, great place to poke around if youre not quite sure what
you want
Caf Franais - reasonably-priced French in a very nice setting - great quiche and interesting drinks,
e.g. mint and anise apertifs, creme violet, and kir royals.
Trzesniewski - tiny open-faced Polish sandwiches - popular and all over the city, but not my thing.
Restaurant Kuchldragoner - traditional Austrian - a nice friendly place to get your traditional
Austrian meal

Hansen - Austrian farm-to-table - pricy but delicous and fresh food, good scrambled eggs with
chanterelles and the best butter Ive ever had.

Cafes

Cafe Central - Perhaps the most grand cafe I went to, it has nice ceilings and pillars but is anything
but quiet or cozy. Great desserts.
Cafe Hawelka - This is a great cafe for reading and conversation. Its cozy; expect to share a table
and maybe make friends.
Cafe Savoy - This one is also very beautiful. But just a heads up, Im pretty sure its also a (male)
gay bar.
Cafe Diglas - Live piano music and good desserts.
Cafe Landtmann - Another one with live piano music. Very popular. Best to book ahead. Also
nice desserts.
Cafe Dunkelbunt at the Kunst Haus Wien - Cool decor.
Cafe Brunerhof - Cafeteriaesque but rumored to have the best coffee in town.
Pickwicks - My favorite place to work. The coffee is barely passable, but the walls are lined with
bookshelves, the seating comfy, the wifi free, and outlets abundant.
Das Mobel - The name means furniture in German, and thats because this place features a ton
of great-looking furniture. Unfortunately I never got the wifi working on my laptop, but I still liked
working/sitting there when I didnt need wifi.
A few I *do not* recommend (for being...): Cafe Pruckel (. . . smoky and ugly), Cafe Mozart
(. . . expensive and touristy), Cafe Tirolerhof (. . . ditto)

Bars

Santo Spirito - church-themed bar - cozy little hangout with a good selection of schnapps. Usually
pretty quiet but good for conversations with friends.
Bar Weinorgel - wine bar - great place for sampling Austrian (and non-Austria) wines. Can get
very crowded though in the evening so you might have to aim for earlier or later or just get lucky to
get a spot.

Bakeries and desserts

Oberlaa - cake shop - Among the best cakes Ive ever had (tied with two places in Budapest). There
are several locations throughout the city.
Conditorei Sluka - bakery - Makes many delicious things, but most notable are the things they do
with chestnut (which is a speciality in general in Vienna).
Eissalon am Schwedenplatz - ice cream - best gelato in town in my opinion.
Zanoni a Zanoni - ice cream - the most popular ice cream in town, and quite good.