We recently went to Vienna, a city of grandeur that’s known for its culture of conversation. We were kindly invited to stay at The Hoxton, Vienna, a brand spanking new hotel in a stunning 20th century building. The hotel was super conveniently located and was a very comfortable place to be, so that obviously made exploring the city a lot more enjoyable.

As talking is such a favoured pastime of the Viennese, it’s no wonder we came across some amazing cafe’s and hangouts to do so. We asked our most well informed friends, and some local people in the know where we should go. Since we toured around Vienna and had such a fantastic time we thought it would be rude not to share our cherry-picked list with our dear sippers. Our list naturally swings in the direction of places where we could eat and drink great things, or buy some beautiful finery from the local artisans. We’re not out here trying to uncover some of Vienna's best-kept secrets, but we have put together a great list of places that we think you might like.

Shops

Ukiyo

Nestled in the heart of Vienna, Ukiyo is a haven for lovers of contemporary Japanese design, fitness and beauty. Ukiyo is a new and unique concept that combines a careful mélange of fashion, products and treatments.

APA-TO

APA-TO is a boutique dedicated to beautiful objects at the intersection of daily use. Beautifully designed interiors and conceptual items. The space is well designed and has a nice approach to its curation of objects.

photo credit: graetzl freunde

House of Auster

A stunning store where vintage fashion meets contemporary design. Not light on the purse strings but this place has one-of-a-kind pieces and really unique accessories.

image credit: haus of auster

Cafés

Café Prückel

This is a must in Vienna - a stunning classic coffeehouse with all kinds of local people reading newspapers, Viennese cuisine & a homemade cake vitrine that will make your eyes pop out of your head.

Hofladen Meinklang

A really lovely farm shop and brunch cafe with everything produced by the farm of Meinklang, a known and loved Austrian natural winemaker.
Ausgabe Wien: A kiosk serving well-kept Achterl, cold beer and all sorts of delicacies, primarily regional, over the counter. Partly traditional, partly unconventional and experimental.

Bars

Loos Bar

Opulent and legendary, this establishment is steeped in history and impressive architecture. Great classic cocktails for an iconic Viennese institution.

Rosebar Centrala

Once a London pop-up concept and now a beloved bar and restaurant - they serve good wine and uncomplicated food with a lot of style.

photo credit:  Gerhard Wasserbauer

Salon Paradise

an ode to the basement jazz clubs of New York, this bar on the underground level of the Hoxton hotel was a highlight of our weekend. Great atmosphere with the live jazz and the lighting was perfect for an evening drink!

Restaurants

Glacis Beisl

It’s rare to find a traditional joint that expresses a country's rich gastronomic heritage that has an amazing natural wine list. You can stop here after museum hopping and sit in the charming courtyard surrounded by lush greenery.

Mraz & Sohn

We didn’t manage to go this time around, but expect a high-end mind blowing culinary adventure at Mraz & Sohn, with Lucas Mraz at the helm, you can expect playful artistry and intelligent simplicity.

Collection of Produce

We ate so well here. Everything is cooked in a large wood oven, and the focus is on the produce in the kitchen here. We were hit by a wall of caramelized butterscotch as we walked in and later won over by the bone marrow with pickled walnuts and parsley salad.

Gasthaus Pöschl

This place was heart warming-ly perfect and low key. The food was just really good and affordable with no-nonsense Viennese career servers. I would eat here once a week if I lived in Vienna.

Concluding thoughts
You may have had no immediate plans to visit Vienna in the next couple of months, but if you made it through this list - I’m sure your interest is piqued. And so it should be! It’s an amazing city with incredible museums, cafe’s and an amazing culinary scene. We’re raising a glass to Vienna's vibrant spirit whilst writing this and the unforgettable experiences we had a few weeks back. Prost!