What to Eat in Vienna: 11 Best Local Dishes & Where to Eat Them (2023)

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Are you wondering what to eat in Vienna? With all the food options (seriously, Vienna is a foodie heaven), it can be hard to figure out what’s actually worth trying.

From well-known traditional Austrian food like wiener schnitzel to lesser-known options like knoedel, this article got you covered. I was lucky enough to visit Vienna while studying abroad and spent a few days just eating my way through the city.

Vienna food, known for its rich culinary heritage, offers a diverse range of traditional and modern dishes that cater to different tastes and preferences.

So, what are you waiting for? Below, learn all about what to eat in Vienna, including traditional Austrian cuisine.

At a Glance: Best Food in Vienna

Name of food	What it is
Würstel	Sausage dish
Apfelstrudel	Sweet pie with apple
Wiener schnitzel	Breaded boneless veal
Sachertorte	Chocolate cake wtih apricot jam filling
Schokocroissant	Chocolate croissant
Knoedel	Boiled dumplings
Viennese coffee	Coffee
Marillenknödel	Apricot dumplings
Zwiebelrostbraten	Roast beef with onions and gravy
Käsespätzle	Egg noodles with cheese and fried onions
Tafelspitz	Boiled beef in broth with a side of apples and horseradish

What to Eat in Vienna

Now, let’s get to the good part. Here are all of the best foods that you must eat in Vienna.

Würstel

In Austria, there are Würstel stands absolutely everywhere. You can’t avoid them! Honestly, I still dream about the Würstel I had in Vienna… that’s how good it is! If you’re wondering what to eat in Vienna, you can’t miss this.

Würstel is a sausage made with pork and beef. It’s usually encased in a sheep’s intestine. Würstel is smoked before serving!

There are many places to try this local dish. Bitzinger is the best place to try it, though. It’s super affordable at the many Bitzinger stands throughout the city, costing no more than a few euros for what you see in the photo above.

There are many options for Würstel to try (and I’ve tried many), though Kasekrainer is the best. I had it three times during my 48 hours in Vienna… that’s how great it was.

Kasekrainer is a Würstel that’s filled with cheese! Yes, you heard me right. AMAZING CHEESE. You can’t go wrong with that!

At Bitzinger, they serve your würstel inside a big baguette that is only cut open on one side.

How clever is that? That way, your toppings (they’ll give you ketchup and mustard unless you tell them otherwise) don’t make a huge mess while eating.

You could also get it served without bread. If you choose this option, they’ll chop it up for you and give you little utensils so you can dip them into condiments.

Apfelstrudel

Apfelstrudel is just what it sounds like: apple strudel! We have this amazing dessert in the United States, but it tastes even better in Vienna since it originated in Austria.

Apple strudel tastes like a top-notch apple pie. It’s apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon covered in a thin pastry crust. Sugar is usually put on top to finish it off. Sometimes, the dessert is also served with whipped cream or ice cream.

There are so many places in Vienna to try apple strudel, one of the best Austrian foods in Vienna, but Kaffee Alt Wien is the absolute best. This restaurant is an old-fashioned cafe that also serves other traditional Austrian dishes like goulash.

Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener schnitzel is made from boneless veal that is breaded and is usually served with a lemon and potato salad. This differs from German schnitzel, which is made with pork chops.

There are many places all across the city where you can try wiener schnitzel. Just try any local restaurant!

If you’re interested in trying it at the place where I had it, then check out Zum Englischen Reiter in Prater Amusement Park.

It was the best schnitzel that I had in my time traveling Europe, and I tried it quite a few times! It was super affordable, too. When it comes to what to eat in Vienna, you can’t miss out on this.

Sachertorte

Easily one of the most traditional must-try foods when visiting Vienna is sachertorte.

Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and an apricot jam filling. It is sometimes served with whipped cream as well, though not always.

If you’re visiting Austria with kids, this is one food not to miss – even they’ll love it!

It is absolutely divine but can be very filling. I recommend splitting it with a friend! I’m not sure I could’ve sat and had the whole thing on my own because it was quite dense, but I think that makes it so tasty.

If you are interested in getting sachertorte where it was created, then check out Hotel Sacher’s Cafe Sacher, which is said to be the best sachertorte in Vienna. The line is often long but worth it.

Many people come to Vienna far and wide to get sachertorte. When it comes to what to eat in Vienna, don’t miss out on this.

Schokocroissant

A schockocroissant is essentially a chocolate-filled croissant. Little do most people know, the croissant was actually invented in Austria – not France! I can’t recommend enough that you try one of these while you’re in Austria.

There are so many different places where you can get one of these. Just check out any local bakery!

The one that I recommend most is Anker, which has multiple locations across the city of Vienna. I visited the one that was near the Prater Amusement Park.

The croissant at Anker is filled with chocolate that tastes like brownie batter. Yes, you read that right. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried before in my life. I wish I had these in Boston, because gosh, I miss the taste of them!

Knoedel

A traditional dish in many Central European countries, Knoedel is basically boiled dumplings. They are traditionally made of flour or potatoes and served as a side dish to other traditional dishes, such as the Saint Martin Goose in November.

In Austria, Knoedels can also be served as meatballs in a soup, but the true art of Viennese craftsmanship comes when it comes to turning them into deserts.

Filled with soft cheese, jam, apricots, or plums, these are on the menu of almost every Viennese coffee house. If you’re wondering what to eat in Vienna, be sure to try Knoedel.

Our recommendation is to either enjoy them at the atmospheric Landtmann Cafe on the Ringstrasse or to find a branch of the pastry maker Konditorei Oberlaa and enjoy freshly made Knoedel with either plum or apricot. 

If you have more than three days in Vienna, take a trip to Vienna’s 10th district where, at Reumanplatz, the salon Tichy serves Eismarillenknoedel – bread dumplings wrapping and ice-cream core that wraps an actual apricot! Enjoy!

Recommended by Anca from Dream, Book, and Travel

Coffee

Coffee. Liquid gold. A gift from the culinary gods. No matter how you describe it, coffee, cake, and Vienna go hand in hand. There’s a particular twist, a certain regal feeling to having a coffee in Vienna.

The traditional Vienna coffee is a little different from your average latte and should always be served with a side of torte or a tray of petit fours.

Accompanied by a small glass of sparkling water and air-light steamed milk. If you’re more of a long-black fan, never fear; that’s always an option, too.

While coffee itself might not be considered a food to try, having coffee in a Viennese coffee house is just one of those odd things you must try at least once in your Vienna visit.

The lines are long, you can’t book, and the ordering system can be a bit odd, but it really is an experience on its own.

The perks of having a coffee at a traditional Vienna coffee house are that no one cares if you’re dining solo, if you want to stay for hours and debate all the world’s problems, or if you want a quick coffee & cake fix.

This is a reflection of how Vienna is the perfect European city for solo travellers. If you’re going to just visit one coffee house in Vienna, then you better make it Cafe Central!

Recommended by Jean from Travelling Honeybird.

Marillenknödel

Marillenknödel (apricot dumplings) is a sweet Austrian dish made of dough, apricots, and breadcrumbs. The dough is usually made of potatoes or quarks.

Dumplings are formed from the dough, and the apricots are wrapped in the dough and then boiled in water. Breadcrumbs and sugar are roasted in a pan with butter.

The cooked dumplings are then rolled into the breadcrumbs and topped with powdered sugar.

Often, Marillenknödel is served with sugared breadcrumbs and apricot compote on the side. 

The restaurant Woracziczky in the 5^th district of Vienna serves delicious Marillenknödel – but only during the apricot season until August. A further great tip for Marillenknödel is the Knödelmanufaktur. That’s a restaurant specializing in all kinds of dumplings.

Recommended by Maria from A World of Destinations.

Zwiebelrostbraten 

Zwiebelrostbraten is roast beef with onions in gravy; yes, the Viennese love their beef! 

In the case of this dish inspired by Swabian culture, the meat is fried in a pan and topped with caramelized onion rings. What gives the sirloin its particular flavor is the sauce made from drippings. 

Most traditional Viennese restaurants will serve Zwiebelrostbraten, but for a fully authentic experience, we recommend taking a stroll from the Opera down on Wiedner Hauptstrasse.

Keep walking until you reach Cafe Wortner, a neighborhood restaurant that we believe serves some of the best dishes in town.

And if you have not yet decided where to stay in Vienna, this neighborhood is our best tip! We have lived here for ten years now! 

Recommended by Anca from Dream, Book, and Travel.

Käsespätzle

Käsespätzle is a traditional dish from the Allgäu region of Bavaria. You can find it in many cities across Austria and Switzerland as well, although in Germany it is rarely found further north than in Frankfurt or Mainz.

It is one of my favourite foods, but it is a very filling dish!

Käsespätzle is the German version of mac and cheese but is made with hard-cooked egg noodles and then fried with onions on top. Once you’ve tried it, I guarantee you will be going back for more!

While this dish is not unique to Vienna, there are many places in Vienna where you can find Käsespätzle. If you are looking for it on a menu, please note that it can also be written as Kässpatzen (Bavarian slang) or Spätzli (in Switzerland).

Coming from someone who studied abroad in Vienna, one of my favourite places to find it is in Prater.

Many of the park’s little restaurants or traditional German/Austrian-style restaurants have it on the menu.

If you are looking for it in the city, check out the brewery or pub-style restaurants that feature other traditional Austrian dishes, as many offer Käsespätzle as well!

Recommended by Kelly from The Weekend Wanderluster.

Tafelspitz

In Vienna, this is known as the Emperor’s favorite dish. Viennese and visitors alike will immediately infer we are talking about Emperor Franz Joseph, who, according to a cookery textbook from 1912, always had a fine piece of boiled beef served at his table.

Tafelspitz is boiled beef served in broth, with a side of purred apples and horseradish, and seasoned with potatoes and other vegetables.

But hold on to your hat! Restaurants that respect the tradition will wait for you to drink the broth first before serving you the meat seasoned accordingly. 

Traditionally, visitors eat Tafelspitz in Vienna at Plachutta, which has several locations around town, but the most famous one is at Wollzeile 38, very close to the city’s main park, the Stadtpark.

For a less touristic experience, we recommend the Gmoa Keller at Am Heumarkt 25, a mere 5-minute walk across the park. 

To fully enjoy your Tafelspitz, the best time to visit Vienna is during spring or autumn, when you can actually sit outside at the restaurant’s amazing Schanigarten to savor it. 

Recommended by Anca from Dream, Book, and Travel.

🌟 Try some of Vienna’s best food on this food tour of the city! 🌟

Frequently Asked Questions: What Food to Eat in Vienna

Final Thoughts: Austrian Food in Vienna

This post was all about what to eat in Vienna. This is truly a foodie city, and no matter what you eat, you’ll have an incredible time! I hope you enjoyed this Vienna food guide.

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