11 Best Restaurants in Vienna, Austria

Situated in the courtyard of the Stephansplatz, with a direct view of stunning St. Stephen's Cathedral, this teahouse is a rare find in a city steeped in the tradition of coffeehouses. It is a cozy tea parlor, indeed, with a selection of more than 200 brews and a particularly splendid afternoon tea menu. Presented on the obligatory three-tier tea rack, the traditional finger sandwiches come with all sorts of fillings and are accompanied by scones with strawberry jam, clotted cream, and a selection of petits fours. They also have an extensive breakfast menu with bakery items, egg dishes, waffles, and pancakes, as well as substantial lunch items including salads and plates of pasta.

In a stunningly short time, Filippou has made a remarkable impression on the Vienna dining elite, evident from its Michelin star and its Gault Millau Chef of the Year award. A seat at the prized kitchen table allows a view into the kitchen to watch the chef preparing the meal, including the famous escargot seasoned with horseradish and watercress. The dining room itself is an invitation to stay awhile; crisp, ice-blue walls are a cool complement to warm, blond-wood floors and pine tables. An abundance of natural light further softens the ambience during daylight, which is when many of Filippou's customers come to enjoy a multi-course business lunch that changes weekly. Dine outside in the garden in spring and summer and you won't regret it.

You can retreat to Café Frauenhuber, billed as Vienna's oldest café, to find some peace and quiet away from the busy shoppers on Kärntnerstrasse. Breakfast is a go-for-broke affair, and might include a pot of tea (or coffee), a glass of prosecco, fresh-squeezed orange juice, toast, and fresh salmon with a dash of horseradish. The original turn-of-the-20th-century interior is a visual treat, with the obligatory red-velvet seating and somewhat tired upholstery (if you don't suffer from back problems you'll be fine). Despite the history, you'll generally find fewer tourists here than in other typical cafés, and more of a local feel, which it's had since it opened its doors in 1824.

Located near the Hotel Imperial, this is an ideal spot for a coffee and cake or a meal after a performance at the Musikverein or Konzerthaus, both just a couple of minutes away. Open until midnight, it has a good choice of food and pastries. Wall-to-wall mirrors reflect the elegant clientele perched on dark-green leather seats. Even though the waiters can be a little snobby, the overall atmosphere is still nice enough to encourage longer stays. Piano music can be heard until late on Wednesday and Friday, and from 5 until 7 pm on weekends. Sit outside when the weather allows and appreciate the lights on Schwarzenbergplatz.

Neatly tucked away in a quiet and quaint area of the Old City, this ancient inn goes back half a millennium (Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert all dined here). Yes, it's touristy, yet the food, including all the classic hearty dishes like goulash soup, Wiener schnitzel, and Apfelstrudel, is as good as that in many other beisl. You can hear its age in the creaking floorboards when you walk through some of the small, dark-wood-panel rooms. The Mark Twain room has walls and ceiling covered with signatures of the famed who have been served here.

This landmark café is on one of the most charming squares in Vienna. The "Little Cafe" is open daily for coffee, cocktails, and light snacks, and few places are more delightful to sit in and relax on a warm afternoon or evening. In summer, tables are set up outside on the cobblestone square where the only sounds are the tinkling fountain and the occasional chiming of bells from the ancient Franciscan monastery next door.

Even though night owls flock to the bar at Motto am Fluss until the wee hours, this sleek eatery serves an inspired selection of dishes when the sun is up, too, like tuna steak with creamy avocado sauce. The building overlooks the Danube and resembles an ocean liner, with a retro 1950s interior of checkerboard floors below and gigantic, globe-mirrored lamps above. Chairs and tables are of a heavy, varnished, dark timber. The dining room is sprawling and has huge windows through which you can watch the city's twinkling lights.

In case its name doesn't give it away, the proximity to the opera house should be a clue that among the dinner guests will be many of the city's regular operagoers, sitting for a meal before the show. Located on a side street near Kärntnerstrasse, this restaurant focuses on traditional Austrian dishes. Other favorites on the menu include pork roast with cabbage and dumplings covered in a light caraway sauce, and roasted veal liver with marjoram gravy over buttered rice. The decor is stark white and the interior long and narrow, making it the perfect contrasting canvas for the warm comfort food it serves.

Long known as a reliable haunt for breads and strudels, Ströck has multiple locations throughout the city. Open for evening and weekend meals, the eateries serve only organic, locally grown goods. For a light dessert, try the vegan chocolate-dipped cherries with brown sugar. Breakfast and lunch are served only on weekends.

Down an old cobbled lane between Singerstrasse and Schulerstrasse and a stone's throw from the cathedral, Weibels Wirtshaus is one of the coziest places to have a lazy lunch or a quiet dinner. The dinner menu changes with the season; in summer try the cold cucumber soup with cilantro shrimp, and strawberry-rhubarb mousse for dessert. Try to reserve a table upstairs in the intimate Galerie where there are only a few tables. On sunny days, opt for outside seating in the delightful garden. In winter, Wiener schnitzel with beer is about as cozy as it gets.

Between Rotenturmstrasse and Bäckerstrasse, this place dishes up 25 or more flavors of smooth, Italian-style gelato, including mango, caramel, and chocolate chip, and has frozen yogurt and vegan ice cream, too.