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The Austrian capital of Vienna is undoubtedly one of the best cities in Europe With beautiful baroque architecture, grand royal palaces, world famous galleries, and countless classical music venues, Vienna is a dream destination for art and culture. It's often touted as the European Capital of Culture in fact, though Paris and indeed our very own (pre-Brexit) London might have something to say about that. It's also a city that has always had food and drink at its heart, with a deeply ingrained coffee culture, winemaking history, and traditional dining halls still proving an irresistible draw. As we found on a recent trip, however, Vienna's dining scene is also enjoying a modern makeover, with smart new wine bars, bakeries and restaurants popping up all over the city. Vienna is also one of the only capital cities in the world to have several vineyards within its city limits – see the Drink section below for more, it's one of our top tips for Vienna. EAT MAST Weinbistro This smart little wine bar and restaurant wouldn't look out of place in London or Paris, with its whitewashed walls and modern furniture. There's plenty of substance with the style however – MAST are serving some of the best food in the city, and they have a Michelin Bib Gourmand to prove it. You can get a couple of small dishes and a few glasses of wine, or go for the full Chef's Choice 6 course tasting menu for €65, which we'd definitely recommend. We loved the creative dishes such as sprouts with lardo and fried shallots, and black pudding dumplings with cabbage, as well as the paired Austrian wines to go with each course. Porzellangasse 53, 1090mast.wine Cafe Kandl Natural wines, cocktails and small plates made with local ingredients are the order of the day at the low-key, yet quite smart, Cafe Kandl. There's a nice cosy atmosphere and some great wines and dishes to try, including locally-made hams and bread, VFA (that's Viennese fried oyster mushroom) with fermented wild garlic; and a beautiful burnt honey creme caramel with fresh bay leaf and mead vinegar. Kandlgasse 12/2, 1070 Wiencafekandl.at Halmi Halmi is a new spot serving up natural wines and Korean fried chicken and other seasonal Korean dishes – the chef previously lived in London and had a pop-up called Anju at The Gun on Well St, which east Londoners may remember. As well as the fried chicken, which is excellent, check out the beef tartare with soy cured egg yolk, the kimchi, the pajeon pancake, and the seasonal banchan (little drinking snacks). Piaristengasse 15/2, 1080halmi.at Bouvier This epic NY-style modern French bistro is at the newly opened Hoxton hotel in Vienna and is a partnership with the duo behind New York's much-loved Wild Air and Contra. The breezy all-day menu features the XL Hash Cake – shredded potato, fried in a cake and topped with garlic & herb cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon zest & dill – leeks vinaigrette; comte sausage; steak tartare; and a line up of different schnitzels (this is still Vienna after all). Rudolf-Sallinger-Platz 1, 1030bouvier-restaurant.com Kikko Ba The mini Mochi empire comprises the Mochi Ramen Bar, the O.M.K deli, the original Mochi, Cucina Itameshi and, our favourite, Kikko Ba. It's one of Vienna's best restaurants and it's definitely one we'd recommend if you're looking for a fun dinner in a buzzy venue. It's a small plates set up, with a short sharp menu that includes lamb gyoza, 'patatas bravas' with Japanese curry sauce, and an epic chicken katsu sando. The service can be a little slow, but it's as much about the drink as it is the food, so settle in with some cocktails, sake, or some local wines and you'll be in for a good night. Schleifmühlgasse 8, 1040kikko.at Sipsong Bar Technically this is a cocktail bar, and sister to Mamamon Thai Eatery just around the corner, but we really recommend coming here for the food. There are some absolutely banging Thai dishes on offer, including crispy rice salad bites; Thai-style beef tartare; fermented pork sausage; papaya salad and much more. And to drink, there's excellent natural wines and cocktails to live up to the fire of the food. Lerchenfelder Str. 104, 1080@sipsong_bar Cafe Caché One of Vienna's newest openings, this Parisian-style wine bar and bistro is worth the extra effort to get to, located as it is on the outside of town, passing through a slightly sketch area. We went during its first week of opening and although it was still finding its feet, we ate some excellent snacks including speck beignets and ouef mayo. Meiselstraße 2, 1150 Wiencafecache.at C.O.P. C.O.P. – or Collection of Produce – was the restaurant on everyone's lips on our last trip to Vienna. A side project from the team behind Neni (which started in Vienna and now has restaurants around the world) the menu at COP is centred around fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from local suppliers, and is written up from scratch every day just before guests arrive. Small plates might include the likes of sea bream ceviche with sour cherries; Heirloom tomato salad with ricotta salata and caper leaves; and whole roasted Markelle, bacon sauce and finger limes. Biberstraße 8, 1010 Wiencopvienna.at O Boufés Konstantin Filippou is one of Vienna's best chefs, with two Michelin stars to his name. If you're not in the mood (or don't have the budget) for fine dining however, then head to his relaxed wine bar O Boufés, which is located right next door to his main restaurant. This lively spot has an exceptional list of Austrian wines and schnapps to try, as well as modern variations on classic bistro dishes. We absolutely loved the ox tartare with egg, dashi, hazelnut and cauliflower, and the schnitzel made with Mangalitza pork, and served with cucumber, anchovies and sour cream. Dominikanerbastei 17, 1010konstantinfilippou.com Joseph Brot If you're into sweet stuff, then Vienna is an absolute dream. Sure there are the famous places like DEMEL, which are very traditional, and quite touristy, but there are also a crop of modern Viennese bakers bringing something new to the party. Top of your list should be Joseph Brot, which has a few locations around the city – if your hotel doesn't include breakfast, at least make sure it's near a Joseph Brot! There are incredible cakes, pastries, and breads available throughout the day, and some locations have more of a sit down vibe with a small bistro menu too. Various locations (you'll never be too far from one)joseph.co.at Gasthaus Pöschl You should go for at least one super traditional meal while in Vienna, and Gasthaus Pöschl ticks all the boxes. This is the ideal place to get your schnitzel and beer fix! Weihburggasse 17, 1010GasthausPöschl.com Bitzinger Würstelstand Another must-eat traditional food item in Vienna is the humble hot dog. We can highly recommend the currywurst from the little takeaway stand Bitzinger Würstelstand, which is right outside the Albertina museum. Albertinaplatz 1, 1010bitzinger-wien.at Vienna's Coffee Culture Vienna's coffee house culture has been a huge part of daily life here since the 19th century, offering a relaxed meeting place and a healthy dose of coffee and cake. Many of the best, such as 160 year old Café Schwarzenberg and the elegant Café Sperl, also have regular live music. Our favourite, however, has to be Café Prückel – it's like a time warp and the perfect place to have a break from sightseeing. DRINK Vienna's Vineyards One of the absolute best things you can do in Vienna is head to the vineyards on the outskirts of the city – it's one of the only capitals in the world to have wineries within the city limits. In the summer, all the vineyards open up al fresco bars amongst the vines, offering wines fresh from the fields, snacks, and incredible views looking back to the city. You can take an Uber or tram to the Mozart museum and walk or you can even get a little train that runs between the vineyards. So unique and so much fun. If you are there in winter, you can still walk around the vineyards but none of the pop-up bars will be open – but you can still head to the excellent Bio Weinbau Martin Obermann, a traditional restaurant and winery (Heurigen) to try their wines and a traditional Austrian buffet. austria.info Caya Coco There are two new bars at The Hoxton Vienna, the rooftop Caya Coco and the subterranean Salon Paradise (see below, pun intended). There are some epic views to be had at Caya Coco, a rooftop bar that sits between a glorious pool deck (hotel guests only mind) an outdoor dining area perfect for day-to-night dining. With Cuban classic cocktails, wine, crispy cold beers and Caribbean vibes, Cayo Coco adds a nice dose of tropical sunshine to classical Vienna. Rudolf-Sallinger-Platz 1, 1030thehoxton.com Salon Paradise Down in the basement you'll find Salon Paradise, a sleek hidden cocktail lounge with live music and excellent cocktails inspired by the Beat Generation, such as the 'Sal Paradise' and 'Frisco'. There's also a short sharp selection of snacks, including house made crisps with French onion dip; cheeseburger hash browns; a truffle grilled cheese sandwich; and fried nduja olives. Rudolf-Sallinger-Platz 1, 1030thehoxton.com Bruder One of Vienna's hot new openings in 2019, Bruder is both a restaurant and bar, although we only went by for drinks. It's a fresh concept for the city – with a focus on fermentation, the back bar is lined with colourful jars of Bruder's own house made bitters, vermouths, and liqueurs distilled from the likes of tree bark and fir. Foraged ingredients also play a part in many of the cocktails. It's an interesting spot and definitely worth coming by for a drink or two. Windmühlgasse 20, 1060 Wienbruder.xyz Heunisch & Erben Heunisch & Erben is a bar, restaurant, and wine shop but again, we only stopped by for a couple of glasses of wine. It's a nice space to hang out in and it's only a few minutes walk from the train station (which has a fast airpot connection) so if you have some time to kill before heading to the airport, this is a great choice. There's a big selection of both Austrian and international wines by the glass and although we can't vouch for the food, they do have some killer bread and butter to nibble on. Landstraßer Hauptstraße 17, 1030heunisch.at Kleines Café 'Café' is a bit misleading here – Kleines is a dimly lit, cosy little bar serving fresh Austrian beers and wines. The bohemian atmosphere and cast of local characters reminded us slightly of The French House in London so if that's your vibe, you're going to love Kleines. Franziskanerpl. 3, 1010 DO Albertina As mentioned in the introduction, there's a hell of a lot of things to see and do in Vienna. If you can only fit a couple of galleries in, we'd say that the Albertina should be top of the list. Located in an old Hapsburg royal residence, The Albertina is one of Vienna’s cultural gems, with modern artworks by French impressionists as well as the city’s native son, Gustave Klimt. We also loved the State Rooms, an area of the building that's been restored to show the grand living quarters of the Hapsburgs, complete with chandeliers, murals, wall coverings, and marble statues. Albertinaplatz 1, 1010albertina.at Kunsthistorisches museum (Art History Museum) This is top of the list for most visitors to Vienna and is one of the most famous galleries in the world. It's an incredible ornate building set in the heart of the MuseumsQuartier with a world class collection of renaissance artworks by the likes of Bruegel and Titian. To be honest, it's worth going in just to look around inside the building. Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010khm.at SLEEP The Hoxton, Vienna Another beauty of a hotel from The Hoxton team, their latest combines beautiful design with excellent restaurants and bars that draw a big crowd of locals. It's also got a very central location, so you can walk or cycle near enough everywhere you'd want to go. Look out for events and live music in the old Art Deco auditorium too. Rudolf-Sallinger-Platz 1, 1030thehoxton.com 25 Hours Hotel Set within the MuseumsQuartier, the 25 Hours Hotel is perfectly located for a weekend of sightseeing and eating. Rooms are spacious and modern, with bold design throughout: huge murals, bright colours, and neon lights are crammed on to every surface. It might even be a little too OTT with all the slogans and circus patterns but for the price and the location, we can forgive it. There’s also a fun rooftop bar with outdoor terrace plus an Italian restaurant and a breakfast buffet stocked with pastries and Austrian cheese and charcuterie. Lerchenfelder Str. 1/3, 107025hours-hotels.com And if all this has you itching for a quick getaway, our Vienna guide has you covered… from coffeehouses to culture to a little casino online detour. Words: Joel Porter

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Where to Eat in Vienna

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Two Days in the Cotswolds

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