7 Austrian Foods You Must Try in Vienna
Are you looking for must-try foods in Vienna?
In our Vienna food guide, you will get all the information to help you plan what to eat while visiting the Austrian capital.
Check out our Vienna food guide for all of Vienna’s must-eat foods. We cover our seven must-try foods and restaurants for sampling the best dishes in the capital city. In addition, we include other information for visiting Salzburg, Austria.
In Vienna, excellent Viennese food is plentiful, so get ready to indulge in mouth-watering Austrian cuisine.
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy something using the links, we will receive a commission. Using the link is at NO extra cost to you. We appreciate it when you buy through one of our affiliate links. It is a great way to show your support for us. It will allow us to continue to bring you valuable, free content.
Check out our Vienna Food Vlog, where we visit the places mentioned in this post: 7 Austrian Foods You Must Try in Vienna.
Where is Vienna?
Vienna is the capital of Austria. It is near Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary in the northeastern part of Austria. Being Austria’s largest city, it is also its most populous city. Vienna is famous for its classical music culture, coffeehouses, and architecture.
What should you eat in Vienna?
These are the 7 Austrian Foods You Must Try in Vienna.
Viennese Melange (Viennese coffee)
Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese cutlet)
Erdäpfelsalat (Austrian potato salad)
Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian pancakes)
Sacher Torte (chocolate cake)
Käsekrainer (a cheese-filled sausage)
Manner Original Neapolitan Wafer (hazelnut cream wafer)
1. Viennese Melange
Cafe Central
Viennese melange is a type of Viennese coffee similar to a cappuccino. It is espresso with steamed milk and topped with milk froth. The coffees at Cafe Central come with a piece of chocolate and a glass of tap water.
You can find the melange at coffeehouses all over Vienna. Coffee culture in Vienna played a significant role in shaping the Viennese culture. It is such an aspect of society that it is named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
Typical coffee houses in Vienna serve different types of coffee, have newspapers to read and offer a large selection of pastries.
One of the best places to experience this coffee house culture is at Cafe Central. The cafe has been in operation since 1876, making it one of the older coffee establishments in the city.
Immediately after walking in, you will feel its charm. The cafe has newspapers on display, a piano, and a decadent pastry case. Cafe Central serves more than just coffee and pastries. They also have a full menu with traditional Viennese dishes.
Make sure to walk around and explore the cafe. Also, be sure to visit the courtyard
A Viennese Melange is on the pricey side, but the atmosphere of the cafe makes it worth it for the experience.
One cup of Viennese coffee is €5.80 ($6.10).
2. Wiener Schnitzel
Figlmüller
For lunch, we made our way to the home of the schnitzel, Figlmüller. The world-famous Figlmüller has been open since 1905. It is THE place to try one of Austria's national dishes, the Wiener Schnitzel.
The word Wiener Schnitzel means Viennese cutlet in German, and for the dish to be called Wiener Schnitzel, it has to be veal.
Figlmüller has several types of schnitzel, so if veal is not your thing, they also have chicken and pork.
The thin veal cutlet is breaded and then pan-fried until golden brown. Every Wiener Schnitzel comes with a lemon wedge.
The schnitzel at Figlmüller was by far the best we have ever tried. It was perfectly fried and not too oily.
The portion of the schnitzel is almost the same size as the plate, so make sure you are hungry.
The cost of the Wiener Schnitzel is €22.50 ($23.67).
3. Erdäpfelsalat
Figlmüller
Also, at Figlmüller, we recommend getting their Erdäpfelsalat, an Austrian potato field salad, as a side dish. It pairs perfectly with Wiener Schnitzel.
The main ingredients in this delicious side dish are potatoes and pumpkin seed oil.
We fell in love with Austrian potato salad in Salzburg, and this one was almost as good.
The cost of the potato salad is €5.50 ($5.78).
4. Kaiserschmarrn
Heindls Schmarren & Palatschinkenkuchl
If you want to try the traditional Austrian dessert, Kaiserschmarrn, head to Heindls Schmarren & Palatschinkenkuchl. Heindls is the restaurant in Vienna that specializes in pancakes and Kaiserschmarrn; shredded pancakes.
It has indoor seating and an outdoor terrace.
The shredded pancakes were a favorite of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The name Kaiserschmarrn translates to Emperor’s mess.
The dish consists of fluffy pancakes, powdered sugar, and rum raisins. With each order, you get to choose a stewed fruit and sauce.
We opted for the taster, a smaller version of the famous dish. For our stewed fruit, we choose plum.
The shredded pancakes come out piping hot in a cast-iron pan.
These pancakes reminded us of French toast.
The price for the Kaiserschmarrn is €5.80 ($6.10).
5. Sacher Torte
Cafe Sacher Wien
Another popular Austrian dessert we had to try was the Sachertorte from the Cafe Sacher Wien in Hotel Sacher, a Viennese luxury hotel.
Invented by Franz Sacher, the Original Sacher Torte has been around since 1832. Cafe Sacher Wien still uses Franz Sacher's recipe for the famous dessert.
Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with apricot jam and dark chocolate icing. It comes with a dollop of whipped cream.
It is one of the most famous Viennese specialties.
We enjoyed the cake, but we thought it was a little dry. The dark chocolate icing was the best part.
One slice of Sacher Torte is €8.50 ($8.94).
6. Käsekrainer
Bitzinger Würstelstand
Würstelstand means sausage stand, and Bitzinger Würstelstand is the place to try Austrian street food.
The legendary sausage stand sells hot dogs, sausages, and side dishes.
Here we got a Käsekrainer, a Brühwurst with cheese.
The Austrian street food comes with hollowed-out bread. Ketchup and mustard go into the bread, and then the grilled sausage.
The crispiness of the sausage from the grill was delicious. Plus, the cheese was a fantastic addition.
The cheese-filled sausage is €6 ($6.31).
7. Manner Original Neapolitan Wafer
Manner shop at Vienna’s Stephansplatz
The last food of our must-try foods in Vienna is the Manner Original Neapolitan Wafer.
This wafer is Manner’s best-selling product and a wonderful souvenir to bring back from Vienna.
The Original Neapolitaner has five layers of wafers and four layers of hazelnut cream.
You can find the Manner wafers in most grocery stores, but try to visit the Manner shop in Stephansplatz. It sells a wide variety of Manner products.
A 75g package of Manner wafers is €1.19 ($1.25).
Need help planning your vacation?
Enter your email below, and we will send you our FREE travel checklist to make planning your trip a breeze.
What is another city to visit in Austria?
Salzburg is about three hours away from the capital of Vienna.
In our Salzburg vlog, we go on a walking tour to see Salzburg’s most popular attractions.
24-hours in Salzburg is plenty of time to see most of the main attractions. Salzburg is known for Mozart, Red Bull, and salt mining.
Check out the things we did while spending one day in Salzburg.
Want to know how we captured our photos and videos?
Check out our Vlogging Gear Blog or Vlog to find out what cameras and equipment we use.
*The links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy something using the links, we will receive a commission. Using the link is at NO extra cost to you. We appreciate it when you buy through one of our affiliate links. It is a great way to show your support for us. It will allow us to continue to bring you valuable, free content.
Who is One Way Ticket?
Hi everyone! We're Ali and Holly.
We are teachers that love to travel and experience new cultures.
Currently, we are exploring Europe one country at a time.
We post new travel vlogs to our YouTube channel on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Please SUBSCRIBE to our channel to follow our adventures!
We're excited to see where this journey takes us. We hope you’ll come along with us on a One Way Ticket!
If you’d like to sign up for our Newsletter to get updates from us, please fill in your email below.
Have you been to Vienna? What was your favorite restaurant or must-try food in Vienna? We’d love to hear about your experience. Let us know in the comments.