Vienna – Always a culinary pleasure.

As much as I love living in Malta, always when I come home to Austria I just can’t wait to dive into all the culinary options Vienna is offering you…

It all starts with a…  No, this time it doesn’t start with a kiss.. a perfect day in Vienna starts with a lovely, lavish and luxurious breakfast 🙂 I can’t tell you how much I miss this ritual on going for breakfast on a lazy weekend day. The choice in Vienna is really hard, there’s an uncountable number of cool places, some stylish, some old fashioned, some which are open the whole night and welcome late party people as well as early birds.. but something they have all in common: a great choice of breakfasts. This time we were lucky to have a friend for Malta with us, so the weekend ended up in a tour of going to our favourite places as well some typical Viennese stop ins. Here the highlights…

Sacher Torte @ Café Demel

Who hasn’t heard of the world famous chocolate cake which originally comes from Vienna? People all over the world love the simple but delicious cake which is one of the most popular presents you can bring somebody from Vienna airport.

Austrians say different things about the Sacher Torte. The original version comes from the Patisserie Sacher, yes – but people say the version of Demel is even better, a bit moister and not as sweet as the same looking competitor. However, if you stroll around the Vienna city center there’s nothing better than fighting throught the masses of tourists to reach one big goal: a fresh Sacher Torte with cream and a lovely cup of coffee. Original Viennese you would order a melange which is a cappuccino with a tiny bit of fresh whipped cream on top.A glass of fresh tab water comes complimentary for sure 😉

What’s really beautiful is stopping by at the see through kitchen where the patissiers make the fresh cakes and other lovely sweets just in front of you. This is really when food becomes art…

Dachboden Lounge @ 25hours Hotel
Read about this new, little  boutique hotel in some magazines and was really looking forward to check it out on my next visit to Vienna. They not only offer some really cool, individually designed suites in the heart of the city centre, but also a lovely roof top lounge with a gorgous view over the city and a cosy, retro looking inside lounge with comfy sofas and chairs…

I was a bit afraid it could be one of this wanna be cool places but ended up to feel extremely relaxed and “at-home” there. Not too crowded, pleasant atmosphere and very reasonable prices! We had a lovely bottle of Austrian red wine (Zweigelt Unplugged, recommended!) for an unbelievable price of 17,- Euro! Stunning for such a cool, trendy place in the middle of the city. Definitely a place to come back, especially in summer and on Wednesday when they have a live session of my favorite radio station FM4.

Funny anecdote: as the place is pretty new, the kitchen hasn’t been opened yet. The easy solution: just order in some take away food, even the menus have been provided. Funny, refreshing way to fill that gap in the meantime!

Neni @ Naschmarkt

…one of my all-time favorites. When we still lived in Vienna this was a must every second week at least. Neni doesn’t only have a lovely design, it’s cosy and cool at the same time, the waiters there are just super nice and always up for a nice chat and some fun.

But this wouldn’t be enough if the food wasn’t great. It’s a mix of oriental flavours, all created by the owner Haya Molcho who originally has Israel from Israeli roots and blends her nation’s classics with influences of all her travels. So how can a Saturday get any better than hanging out there, tasting some lovely Austrian wines, have a yummy platter to share and watch the world pass by at the multicultural lively Naschmarkt (which literally means something like nibble market). Whatever you planned after.. Cancel it and just stay there and enjoy a lovely dinner from the small but fine menu. (Also great for breakfasts by the way.)

What made me really happy this time was to discover the Neni cookbook at the bar which just came out recently. Like this I don’t have to miss it when I’m back in Malta and makes waiting for the next trip easier 🙂 Can’t wait to try out the recipes back home soon!

Breakfast @ Café Kunsthalle

If you wanna experience a blend of arty cool young crowds, this is the place to be. Based in the city center at Karlsplatz (what a tribute to our dear friend and neighbour 😉 it’s easy to reach and offers a huge, sunny terrace in summer.

Café Kunsthalle is buzzing when you enter it. As in Malta you should always book a table in advance to avoid queuing (how likes queuing in the morning????). The breakfast menu is big and different, and everything is served in a lovely way of presenting it. This time I had a Croque Madame with fresh spinach and grilled tomatoes and was whishing once more to bring all those cool breakfast dishes to Malta!

So far so good… stay tuned for the next blog post.. will probably be about Tyrol as I was just sitting in the train heading to the west when I wrote this…. Cu soon & enjoy your life 🙂