In between all those stops for cake at Vienna’s traditional coffee houses, the foodie trail also led my friends and I to explore the more contemporary side of the city’s thriving culinary scene during our recent visit.

Two days proved woefully inadequate for covering my wish list… But I was beyond gratified to find that each restaurant we tried was absolutely spot on – there was none of that #FOMO, which all travel bloggers have come to know and dread!

From lunching in the central park, to dinner at one of the hottest restaurants in town – here’s a quick round-up of the best of our #ViennaEats…

---

Meierei

Our first port of call was at Meierei – a spin-off of one of Vienna’s best restaurants, the twice Michelin-starred Steirereck.

The informal bistro has the loveliest of locations, nestled within central Stadpark in an airy glass extension leading off from the main pavilion in which you’ll find Steirereck. The beauty of the lush surroundings is cheerfully reflected indoors as well, with big and bright splashes of emerald across the floor!

After lusting over the pictures tagged at Meierei on Instagram (the handiest travel app there is), I’d really had my heart set on the breakfast/ brunch here.

However with the restaurant closed for most of our stay, lunch was our only option. It was quite convenient then, that we were staying just a hop, skip and a jump across from Stadtpark at the Intercontinental… and so were were able to race over to the restaurant just in time!

We started with cheese, as this is something of a specialty at Meierei which boasts close to 150 varieties, sourced from all over.

Although the choice was initially a bit daunting, the restaurant’s incredibly friendly and approachable cheese sommelier was on hand to guide us through it, helping us to make a well-balanced selection featuring a 24-month Austrian mountain cheese; a 48-month Gruyère and 54-month Cirone, with both of the latter from Switzerland.

Our choice provided quite an education – we found that as the age increased, the cheese developed a much crisper and a touch saltier dimension…

Similar to its big sister restaurant, Meierei also serves up classic Austrian cuisine with a quirky twist – think dishes such as veal with chive dumplings!

Although at first glance it’s not exactly the most vegetarian-friendly fare, the kitchen was quite flexible and played around with the menu to accommodate us, such as with a simple but beautifully executed avocado tartare that we scooped out on to wonderfully fresh and crusty bread.

It was an afternoon remarkably well spent and one that spelled an idyllic start to our trip!

Meierei, Am Heumarkt 2A / im Stadtpark A-1030 Wien

---

Parlor

Much later that evening, exhausted from the day’s activities, we decided to dine in our hotel at Parlor – a modern restaurant designed to resemble a living room with striking black and white interiors and Vitra accessories!

Seeing as we were all in the mood to celebrate our holiday, a bottle of the restaurant’s finest Austrian wine was in order…

Dinner began with an amuse bouche involving burrata cream cheese (a brilliant combination if there ever was one), followed by a rather lush sorbet as an interlude to cleanse our palate before the main event.

Spoilt for choice with the dedicated vegetarian menu (available on request), we proceeded with a major Italian carb-fest that included a hearty pasta and beautifully-flavoured saffron risotto.

The wholesome and substantial meal was exactly what we needed after our long day… And the best part? We hit our beds within minutes of leaving the restaurant, effortlessly falling into a deep slumber in our well-fed, satiated state.

Intercontinental, Johannesgasse 28, 1030 Wien, Austria

---

Fabios

Suitably rested and recharged, the next night we had a girl’s night out on the town at Fabios.

The über-trendy, contemporary Italian eatery was packed to the rafters with a hopelessly good-looking crowd – especially by the lively lounge bar at the front!

Unfortunately the moody, dimly-lit interiors weren’t all that conducive to taking pictures. And, I’d also promised the girls that I’d put my phone away and actually be present in the moment (#BloggerProblems101)… So I’m afraid this is the only decent image I can muster from the night:

But I can tell you this.

From the animated ambience and our charming server, to the artful presentation and sharp flavours of the dishes, it was a fabulously fun evening! Oh and the Bellinis were simply the best I’ve had too.

Fabios, Tuchlauben 4-6, 1010 Wien, Austria

---

NASCHA’s

And just like that, it came down to my last few hours in Vienna.

Following a light breakfast at the hotel, a spot of shopping and a stroll around the city centre, we landed at NASCHA’s – a stylish European restaurant with monochrome-chic interiors and an outdoors seating area looking out onto the cobbled streets of Petersplatz.

Lunch was a summer-appropriate affair comprising soft, melt-in-your-mouth burrata and cool, refreshing salads packed with crisp yet punchy flavours.

Afterwards, we walked around the picturesque square, marvelling at the awe-inspiring baroque interiors of St Peter’s – one of the most beautiful churches that I’ve come across yet…

I really couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful note on which to end the holiday.

NASCHA’s Peterspl. 11, 1010 Wien, Austria

---

I’m sure you’ve gathered by now that this was an-all vegetarian culinary tour of Vienna… So if it’s the best schnitzel in town and other, more classic Austrian fare that you’re after, then I’d suggest a scan through the recent adventures of a fellow explorer and foodie – Emma Creese!

---