Top 10 Austrian Foods to Try in Vienna

Top 10 Austrian Foods To Try In Vienna

On your next venture across the pond to Austria, chances are you’ll spend at least a few days in the busy capital city of Vienna. Ranked one of the most livable places in the world for multiple years running, Vienna has plenty of expats and locals who call this city their home.

If you’re worried about a shortage of things to do in Vienna, you’ll be happy to hear there are cultural events, tourist attractions, and traditional eateries. For those who have not yet visited Austria, be prepared to imbibe on plenty of drink, like German beers, and heaps of tasty, hot, and time-tested Austrian food.

Let’s see the top 10 Austrian foods to try during your next excursion and holiday in Vienna.

1. Apfelstrudel

Apfelstrudel – By By che – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=428026

If you speak English, chances are you can guess what is in this mouth-watering dessert. A classic and one of the best pastries in the country, the Apfelstrudel is filled with cooked apples, complete with the choice of raisins, cinnamon, and breadcrumbs. 

The result? A mixture of flaky and crunchy pastry shell filled with sweet and hot fresh apples – something you can find in almost any Viennese cafe. 

Walk to Cafe Eiles, Kaffee Alt Wien, Cafe Mozart, or Gmoakeller for a slice of top-notch Apfelstrudel. 

2. Sachertorte

Sachertorte – By CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4570315

The sachertorte is an iconic cake invented in the mid-19th century, complete with a layer of apricot jam in between two halves, with a dark chocolate icing coating the top of the cake. Served with whipped cream, this chocolate cake is the perfect mid-afternoon snack for a little pick-me-up during long tourist days.

Head to Cafe Sacher, Cafe Demel, Cafe Diglas, or Aida Cafe Konditorei for the best sachertorte in the city! 

3. Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel – By By Kobako – photo taken by Kobako, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1315226

Wiener schnitzel is a type of schnitzel, a thin slice of meat fried in fat, typically served with a lemon slice on top and a side salad – just for a little bit of healthiness on the plate.

This dish is typically prepared from veal slices, pounded flat, salted, and rolled in milk, flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. Served with Butterhead lettuce and vinaigrette dressing, the garnish on the schnitzel sometimes includes capers, anchovies, lemon slices, or parsley.

If you’re looking for the best places to get some schnitzel in Vienna, check out Schnitzelwirt on Neubaugasse, Figlmuller in Innere Stadt, or Skopik & Lohn on Leopoldgasse.

4. Goulash

Fiakergulasch – By CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65068

Need to warm up on a wintry and blustery day in Vienna? Goulash is the perfect dish to raise your temperature a bit. A soup made with meat, vegetables, and various spices, this meal is very common in Eastern and Central Europe. 

In Vienna, there is a special kind of goulash when compared to other country’s versions of this traditional soup. When in a Viennese restaurant, look for ‘Wiener Saftgulasch’ or ‘Fiakergulasch’ on the menu to enjoy a stew made with onions and served with dark bread. 

There is another special version of goulash served in Vienna, called Fiakergulasch. This Austrian-centric soup is made with fried egg, fried sausage, and Semmelknodel, a type of boiled dumpling often found in Eastern European cuisine. 

5. Topfenstrudel

Apple Wrap – By By RudolfSimon – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30391815

Topfenstrudel is similar to our first dessert choice, apfelstrudel, but uses sweet soft quark – wait, what? Quark is a type cheese that can be made by curdling milk, straining the substance, and adding rennet to get the correct texture. Sometimes referred to as ‘curd cheese’, this is the inner filling of the two flaky pastry layers, being the perfect choice for a snack, sweet breakfast, or ending to dinner. 

6. Palatschinke

Gundel Palacsinta – By By dpotera – Gundel Étterem, Budapest, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35303840

Palatschinke is a thin crepe that is common in Slavic countries, called different names in vairous places, like palacinka, nalesnik, clatite, or palacsinta. Similar to a French crepe, these thin pancakes have an immediately-ready batter that is comprised of eggs, flour, milk, and salt.

Served with various types of fillings and traditionally eaten for lunch or dinner, Palatschinke is rolled with different fruits like apricot, plum jam, or strawberry, or stuffed with sweet fillings like Nutella, lemon juice and sugar, chocolate sauce, or sweet cottage cheese.

7. Germknodel

Germknodel Buttersosse – By By Takeaway – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42341721

A fluffy dumpling filled with plum jam, melted butter, and poppy seeds, this knodel is typically bun-shaped and served as a sweet dessert. Filled with Powidl, a sweet plum jam, the dumpling is steamed and served with melted butter or vanilla sauce.

8. Marillenknodel

Marillenknodl – By By de:Freedom_Wizard – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7428280

Marillenknodel is a pastry found in Austria and Czechia, created by forming small dumplings with dough, filled with apricots or plums, and coated in bread crumbs and powdered sugar. For a special treat in Vienna, head to Kurt Tichy ice cream parlor and have one of the “dough” dumplings made with ice cream.

9. Tafelspitz

Tafelspitz – By By RobertK – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1069045

Tafelspitz is a dish comprised of boiled veal or beef in broth, served with apples and horseradish. A traditional Viennese meal, this typical dinner is commonly found in Austria and Bavaria. 

10. Liptauer

Liptauer – By Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3503768

Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread made with quark, cottage cheese, goat cheese, or sheep milk cheese, served with bread or crackers for dipping into this special dip. The three main ingredients of the Austrian version of liptauer is quark, chives, and paprika, with the other usual spices being ground paprika, fresh parsley, and caraway seeds. 

Maybe skip airplane food on your flight to Vienna – as you can see, there’s tons of traditional items you can enjoy for breakfast, snacks, dinners, or desserts in this capital city!