There are more than enough restaurant guides for various cuisines in Vienna. But this little blog post is different. Here are a few secret tips where local university students like to it. As the student part may have suggested, they’re also on the cheaper side and usually good value for money. The places mentioned also usually include vegetarian or even vegan options.
Breakfast at the Votiv Café
This café is popular with university students as well for it’s meal deals during the rest of the day, but it’s well worth mentioning the breakfast. You’ll get a full Viennese breakfast spread in many places but what we like about Votiv Café is that it offers breakfasts inspired by many different countries. For around €6-7 you get a hearty breakfast, including a hot beverage. Located right behind the main university building you also get a lovely of view of that historic architecture, Votiv church and if you crane your neck a bit, the Rathaus, Vienna’s City Hall.
Lunch at the Weltcafé
Located closer to a new part of the University of Vienna’s campus but not far from Votivcafé, you can find the Weltcafé. It lives up to it’s international name of world café with a range of dishes from all around the world. If you’re not that hungry you can also opt for more international breakfasts which are served all day. You can finish off that meal with some homemade lemonade, shakes or mango lassi.
Dessert at Eis-Greissler
It’s a well-known secret that Eis-Greissler is one Vienna’s most popular ice cream shops. With several locations, most importantly on the central shopping street Mariahilferstraße and right in the centre on Rotenturmstraße, just past Schwedenplatz, you almost always will have to queue. But the ice cream is well worth it. It’s freshly produced from local milk cows and regional ingredients. Nowhere else have I tasted strawberry ice cream which tasted this much like real strawberries. Eis-Greissler is also popular for it’s big selection of vegan ice creams and for it’s range of nontraditional flavours. Depending on the time of year, you’ll find such flavours like
-) Ziegenkäse – goats cheese which is Julia’s favourite
-) Sturm – wine when it’s in its first stage of fermenting and still sweeter
-) Kürbiskernöl – pumkin seed oil which is a famous product of Styria and to our surprise it didn’t taste bad at all
Our recommendation: If you want ice cream but nothing sweet, go for Ziegenkäse and Kürbiskernöl. If you have a sweet tooth, try one of the fruit flavours.
Dinner at Ramien
For a change this is closer to the buildings of the University of Technology. It’s also in a very central location, making it easy to walk to from the city centre. If you enjoy Asian cuisines this is the place for you. Until 5pm you can get big rice or noodle bowls at good value for money. The evening menu is more high end and pricey but they continue to server pho and other types of soups at affordable prices. Since it’s a very popular place however, you should book ahead of time if you’re a bigger group to avoid having to wait.
If you want to go for a pricier meal, you can save on the drinks. In Austria restaurants usually serve tap water, which especially in Vienna is perhaps better than bottled water, for free or at a small service charge.
Looking for more things to do in Vienna? How about some secret spots for a Chill Day in Vienna.
