What to eat in Vienna (Vienna Food Guide)

Wondering what to eat in Vienna? Consider this your ultimate food guide to the capital of Austria! We describe each food, including the best cakes in Vienna, you’ll want to taste during your trip and give you our recommendation of where to taste it.

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What to eat in Vienna (cakes & other sweets)

Vienna is known for its incredible selection of cakes on offer. The rumors are true; all of the sweets we tried in Vienna were delicious. Below are the absolute best Viennese cakes and other sweets we tried during our trip that we recommend you have during your trip too.

Kaiserschmarnn

A shredded pancake served with stewed plums or jam, kaiserschmarnn should top any “what to eat in Vienna” list! We’ve also seen it served with apple sauce or stewed apples but I believe the traditional way to serve it is with stewed plums.

The best Kaiserschmarnn we tried (and we tried several!) in Vienna was at Demel. The pancakes are cooked on the spot, the stewed plums are sweet but not too sweet and the interiors are absolutely stunning.

You can get the Kaiserschmarnn to go as a street food option, but if you have the time (and the line isn’t too long), consider staying to try it. The inside of Café Demel is absolutely stunning and historic. They’ve been open since 1786!

Banana cake

Make sure you try the legendary banana cake created by Café Landtmann during your time in Vienna.

Reminiscent of a banana split in cake form, this scrumptious cake includes layers of cake, chocolate mousse and fresh banana.

The cake is served at Café Landtmann where it is often sold out, especially if you visit in the evening. However, Café Landtmann delivers its cakes to a few other cafés in Vienna and you can find the banana cake on their menus too.

We tried the famous Café Landtmann banana cake at Café Mozart and absolutely loved it. It’s totally worth the hype!

Chocolate mousse cake

One of the best cakes we tried in Vienna was the chocolate mousse cake : rich chocolate mousse with a scrumptious crunchy base and topped with a decadent dark chocolate glaze.

You will find chocolate mousse cake served in several cafés across the city of Vienna.

We recommend you have it at Oberlaa, one of the best, traditional Viennese konditorei (pastry shops) in the city. Not only did Oberlaa serve the best chocolate mousse cake we tried in Vienna, but their chocolate mousse cake was one of the best things we tasted in Vienna. It was that incredible!

Sacher Torte

You can’t go to Vienna and miss having a slice of Viennese Sacher Torte. This rich, chocolate cake is complemented by a layer of sweet apricot jam and wrapped in a decadent chocolate glaze.

Head to the place where it all started : the Sacher Café inside Hotel Sacher to try an authentic slice of Sacher Torte.

Special mention also goes out to the Blaue Bar, also inside the Hotel Sacher. If you are looking for a fabulous place to go for an after dinner drink and slice of the original Sacher Torte, you can also order it from a table inside the Blaue Bar.

Pair the Sacher Torte with a glass of the Cuvée Sacher sparkling wine. Make sure you reserve both the Sacher Café and the Blaue Bar in advance if you want to visit during your trip as tables fill up quickly and the wait for a table is long if you don’t reserve in advance.

Cheese danish

Although Danishes are not considered especially Austrian, you will see them in several bakeries in Vienna.

I’m actually not a big fan of danishes generally, but the cheese danish at Öfferl stopped me in my tracks and turned into a slight obsession during our Vienna trip. It is exceptional.

Order one and enjoy it at one of the tables inside Öfferl or get it to go and walk over to the beautiful Volksgarten rose garden next to the Hofburg Palace.

They serve classic cheese-filled danishes (pictured below), as well as cheese-filled danishes topped with fruit jam. I liked the classic cheese danishes the best but everything we tried was delicious!

Cheese strudel

Cheese strudel is traditionally Austrian and you will definitely want to try some during your trip!

It is on most café menus but the best we had was at Café Eiles.

You can order a slice of cheese strudel on its own, in which case it will be served cold, most likely with whipped cream and potentially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well. Our favorite cheese strudel from Café Eiles (pictured below) was also topped with shaved almonds.

Alternatively, for a few more euros, you can order it hot and it will come swimming in a decadent vanilla cream sauce.

If you have the time, try it both ways. The taste is quite different but both are delicious.

Apple strudel

Apple strudel is a very typically Austrian dessert as well and you will see it on most dessert menus in Vienna.

Similar to the cheese strudel, you can order apple strudel cold served with whipped cream, and often a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or order it hot served covered with a gorgeous, vanilla cream sauce.

Our favorite apple strudel of the trip was at Café Landtmann.

Sisi Cake

The Sisi cake is exquisite and not to be missed during your trip to Vienna!

Chocolate cake, red currant jam, blueberry marzipan, and Massa Ticino liquor come together to make this elegant cake.

Try the Sisi Cake at Café Gerstner. Make sure you visit the Palais Todesco location for the most beautiful interiors and best experience.

Mozart Balls

You will see these delightful little chocolate balls in tourist shops all over Vienna.

You can also find a variety of them in different packaging at most grocery stores in Vienna.

Make sure you taste them and consider bringing some home as gifts too!

Esterhazy torte

Esterhazy torte is a traditional Hungarian walnut cake that is a staple cake in Viennese coffee house culture. You will find it in cafés across Vienna.

It consists of buttercream filling, generous layers of dacquoise and toasted hazelnuts and the top is always a signature feathered glazed design.

You will see Esterhazy tortes on many menus, but the best one we tried was at L. Heiner.

Vienna food guide (savory)

Although Viennese cuisine is more famous for its cakes than savory options, there are several savory treats to enjoy during your time in Vienna as well.

Austrian Käsespätzle (mac and cheese) 

Creamy, decadent, rich and delicious; that’s Austrian käsespätzle (mac and cheese) in a nutshell!

This was by far our favorite dish we tried during our time in Austria. We ordered it for lunch several times and never got sick of it. It is so good!

We tried this dish in several traditional Viennese cafés across the city and the absolute best käsespätzle we tried in Vienna was at Café Savoy, no contest!

They serve a generous portion of käsespätzle and it is the perfect balance of cheesiness and creaminess.

Schnitzel

Like Sacher Torte, schnitzel and Vienna are inseparable! You can’t think of one without thinking of the other.

Schnitzel is deep fried meat, typically served with a wedge of lemon, a creamy tartar sauce and traditional Lingonberry jam. The acidity of the lemon juice, creaminess of the tartar sauce and tartness of the lingonberry jam balance the oil of the fried meat beautifully.

This dish is rich and delicious.

The best schnitzel in Vienna is at Figlmüller, hands down. We recommend reserving a table at the Wollzeile location which is the original location for the most authentic experience. (There are two locations, both centrally located and very close to one another.)

I chose to have schnitzel at lunch for my birthday at Figlmüller and it was the perfect meal. The restaurant is traditional and fun and the food was delicious.

Kartoffelsalat (potato salad)

We realized Austrians love potatoes as potato salad is on pretty much every menu in Vienna!

Kartoffelsalat is often paired with schnitzel. We highly recommend ordering some when you order your schnitzel because the two are really lovely together.

The best kartoffelsalat we tasted in Vienna was also at Figlmüller.

Lingonberry jam

Often used in Central and Northern Europe, lingonberry jam balances just the right amount of tartness with just the right amount of sweetness perfectly.

It is lovely served with meat or fish and also pairs beautiful with the traditional Austrian creamy potato salad. You can also serve it on a cheese board, as it pairs beautifully with Austrian (and other) cheeses, particularly firm, sharp cheeses.

The lingonberry jam at Figlmüller was excellent. We also got some lingonberry jam from local Viennese brand, Staud’s, at the grocery store to bring home.

Beef Goulash

Beef goulash is another traditional dish that you absolutely must try in Vienna! It’s made with stewed beef, paprika and other spices. In Vienna, it’s often served with a large bread dumpling.

Our favorite beef goulash in Vienna was at Café Savoy.

Local cheese & charcuterie

Our favorite spot to try Austrian cheese and charcuterie is in the Naschmarkt food market in Vienna.

Stop by Kaeseland inside the Naschmarkt and order a cheese and charcuterie board and some wine.

They also offer a variety of cheese you can purchase to go, in addition to a nice selection of wine.

You can reserve a table in advance which is probably a good idea, especially if you are planning to visit on a weekend, as the Naschmarkt gets very busy on weekends and Kaeseland is tiny and only has a few tables.

We didn’t reserve a table in advance but just discovered this spot as we were exploring the food market and got lucky because there was a free table.

Sausage & french fries from a sausage stand

One of the quintessentially Viennese food experiences to have in Vienna is to visit a sausage stand.

Order a sausage and fries. You will need to eat them standing up but it’s a fun experience!

The best sausage stand we tried was the Zum Kaiser on Krugerstrasse.

The sausages were served with delicious fries!

Hugo was so happy!

Döner kebab sandwich

Another quick food option that is absolutely delicious in Vienna is the döner kebab. Like in Germany, you will find fantastic döner kebab spots in Austria, especially in Vienna.

The döner kebab at the District Kebab on Marc-Aurel-Strasse was absolutely incredible (and I’m not even a huge fan of döner kebab typically). We actually ended up having dinner there twice! The restaurant itself is simple but the food, as far as döner kebabs go, it is outstanding. The fries are delicious too.

Hugo likes to go for a döner kebab once in a while, so if we are visiting a country known for their kebab, we’ll do some research and try to find the best one and this was definitely it!

Pizza

It may seem funny to recommend having pizza while visiting Austria but I promise this recommendation makes sense!

First of all, Italian food is quite present in Vienna and you can find some delicious spots to enjoy Italian food. Second of all, and most importantly, we had some of the best pizza of our lives in Vienna (and we spent a week pizza tasting in Naples and we travel to Italy several times a year!).

For our first lunch in Vienna we were starving and decided to check out the awesome Naschmarkt food market. There were so many enticing options, but we were absolutely hooked when we walked by Al Bacio and saw the pizzas.

I’m so glad we stopped because the pizza was incredible! We had the Diavola pizza with spicy sausage and absolutely loved it.

Where to stay in Vienna

• Hotel Sacher – a beautiful hotel, home of the famous Sacher Cafe and directly across the street from the World-famous Vienna Opera House
• Hotel Imperial – a stunning, historical hotel located right on the Ringstrasse
• 25 Hours Hotel Vienna – this hotel is more affordably priced and still well-located, close to many interesting museums

Activities to book in Vienna in advance

• Belvedere Palace – book your tickets in advance to see the largest collection of Klimt in the World, including the famous Kiss
• Schönbrunn Palace – no trip to Vienna is complete without experience the majesty that is Schönbrunn Palace!
• Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concert in Karlskirche – don’t miss a classical music concert during your time in Vienna.
• Light of Creation Votive Church Immersive Light Show – we absolutely loved this beautiful light performance inside the gorgeous Votive Church!
• Spanish Riding School Training Practice – another one of our favorite experiences was watching the Lipizzaner horses during their morning training
• Spanish Riding School Performance – if you time, catch a performance as well!
• Kunsthistorisches Museum – one of the best museums in Vienna, see the secret Klimt paintings in the staircase and more
• Schlumberger Sparkling Wine Tasting – learn about, and taste, some fantastic sparkling Schlumberger local Austrian wine!
• Riding Dinner Sacher Experience – read all about our experience tasting Sacher Torte and Sacher Cuvée sparkling wine while enjoying a beautiful horse drawn carriage ride

Read more about Vienna

• See our list of the most romantic things to do in Vienna
• Wondering where to go wine tasting in Vienna?
• Read our Light of Creation Vienna review
• Our experience in the best horse drawn carriage ride Vienna
• Discover the best cakes in Vienna you have to try!

What to eat in Vienna

What are you going to try from this list during your trip to Vienna?

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