Mercure's travel guides

Indulge your taste buds with archetypal Wiener Schnitzel (breaded, fried veal escalope), spicy Fiaker goulash with Knödel (dumplings), or slow-roasted pork infused with caraway and garlic, finished off by apple strudel or the city's quintessential dessert, rich chocolate Sachertorte. Vienna teems with places to eat and drink, from atmospheric coffeehouses offering delicate pastries and excellent coffee, to chic restaurants serving international and fusion foods. Whatever you do, make reservations for a meal in a Heuriger, a privately-owned tavern in which local wine-growers serve their own wines accompanied by a buffet of traditional foods and a large helping of Gemütlichkeit, or cosiness.

Anna Sacher

Philharmonikerstrasse 4, Hotel Sacher, Vienna, 1010
1-514-568-40
http://www.sacher.com

Description:

Create your own 4-, 5- or 6-course menu, or indulge in the full seven courses. Enjoy the vibrant green and black Jugendstil design as you sit among a collection of paintings by the 19th century Salzburg artist Anton Faistauer, hung on wood-panelled walls and lit by Vienna's first electric chandeliers. Menus change regularly but your meal could include glazed saddle of rabbit with tarragon, noodles and morels, or essence of oxtail with goose liver bread. If you're lucky, the original Sachertorte will be on the dessert menu.
Tue-Sun Noon-3pm, 6pm-Midnight
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner's Club, Other

Hollmann Salon

Grashofgasse 3, Heiligenkreuzerhof, Vienna, 1010
1-9611-960-40
http://www.hollmann-salon.at

Description:

There are no deep-fat fryers or microwaves in the kitchen; the cakes, pastries and breads are all made by hand; all the ingredients are organically farmed and the meat comes from selected small local farms. In the dining areas, guests share long tables and the staff do their utmost to create a homely, welcoming atmosphere. The lunch menu changes daily. For dinner you can enjoy dishes like garlic catfish from Neusiedler lake with vinegared radishes and spring-herbs salad.
Mon-Fri Noon-3pm, 6pm-10pm; Sat 10am-3pm, 6pm-10pm
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner's Club

Steirereck

Am Heumarkt 2a, Vienna, 1030
1-713-3168
http://www.steirereck.at

Description:

Recently relocated to the Stadtpark on the banks of the Danube, the name Steirereck has been synonymous with fine dining in Vienna since the 1970s. This new restaurant is in a former milk depot and, as part of the €5 million renovation, a section of the restaurant, the "Meierei," was built in honor of this previous function. Now, as well as serving breakfast and afternoon pastries, it offers patrons 120 different cheeses. In the colorful main dining area, you can eat a la carte or choose between a 5- or 6-course menu. The a la carte menu includes steamed Huchen (a type of salmon native to the Danube) with spinach, red peppers and orange.
Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-11pm
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner's Club