The amazing cuisine of Austria: three of the best fine-dining restaurants in Vienna
Austria is known for a mix of cultures and culinary styles, its incredible produce and its highly trained chefs. We visit three of the best restaurants in Vienna – classic, contemporary and vegetarian – and are blown away by the experience
Austria probably isn’t the first country that springs to mind when one thinks about European culinary destinations, but a recent visit proved why a combination of exceptional local produce and exacting standards make Vienna a compelling spot for travelling gastronomes.
Somewhat surprisingly, the federal capital is the EU’s sixth largest capital city with a metropolitan population of 2.6 million, about a quarter of the country’s total. The quality of life is such that Vienna continues to win awards as the world’s most liveable city, based on criteria including the political, social and economic climate, education, infrastructure – but also its restaurants.
Well-known Austrian food critic Florian Holzer explains. “It’s a touch of the Alps, a healthy portion of Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, Northern Italy, a dash of Croatia and Galicia, a bit of Yiddish, a little Bavarian, all rounded off with inspiration from Styria and Slovenia.”
If that risks sounding and tasting confusing, it works. The city’s most famous dish is of course Wiener schnitzel, the breaded escalope of veal. At the city’s elegant Hotel Imperial, 61-year-old executive chef Rupert Schnait has been serving the definitive version for decades.
