Drinking & Nightlife
Vaulted wine cellars in situ since Mozart’s day and boisterous beer gardens, boho student dives and dressy cocktail bars, retro and rooftop bars – there’s nightlife to suit every mood and moment in Vienna. And in this city where history often waltzes with the cutting edge, you’ll find many centuries-old bars have been given an avant-garde makeover without losing an ounce of character.
Vienna’s Nightlife Hotspots
Reincarnated venues are very now, with their own distinctive flair and story to tell, such as former pet-grooming parlours, electrical shops and ruby-gold brothels that have been born again as bars. Also on the up are rooftop bars where you can swoon over skyline views while sipping a mojito. Retro bars with junk-shop charm are returning to vogue, too, in a city that loves to time travel to a different era over a drink or two.
Your options are limitless, but particularly lively stretches if you’re devising a bar crawl include Gumpendorferstrasse in Mariahilf, between Naschmarkt and Mariahilferstrasse, Schleifmühlgasse in the Freihausviertel south of Naschmarkt (Wieden district) and the more touristy Bermudadreieck (Bermuda Triangle) in the Innere Stadt’s old Jewish quarter. The Gürtel ring road is great for DJs and live music in bar-club hybrids under the railway arches.
Summer in the City
With the advent of summer, many revellers descend on outdoor venues. The bars and shady courtyards at Altes AKH university attract plenty, as does the market square Yppenplatz in Ottakring and the Freihausviertel in Wieden. The reinvention of the Danube Canal as a bar strip has been a huge success; Flex (Click here) is a long-established location, but the likes of Strandbar Herrmann (Click here) and Badeschiff (Click here), pool by day, bar by night, have added an entirely new dimension to the waterway.
As spring ushers in summer, Schanigärten (courtyard gardens and pavement terraces) begin to pop up like wildflowers, luring the Viennese outdoors. There were 1800 at the last count.
Intimate Clubbing
While Vienna won’t be stealing Berlin’s clubbing crown anytime soon, the capital’s relatively small scene still traverses the entire stylistic and musical spectrum, from chandelier-lit glamour to industrial-style grunge, with playlists skipping from indie through to house, electro, techno, R&B, reggae, metal and ’80s pop. Clubs invariably feature excellent DJs, with both home-grown and international talent working the decks.
Bombastic venues are rare creatures here and the vibe is kept intimate and friendly in small clubs, where dress codes and bouncers are often refreshingly relaxed. The borders between bars and clubs are often blurred, with DJs amping up the atmosphere as the night wears on. Indeed, what the clubs here often lack in size, they make up for with alternative flair or unique locations, whether you’re partying poolside in a former sauna-turned-club in the Prater, under the arches on the Gürtel or in a 1950s-style pavilion in the Volksgarten.
Microbreweries
Venues where the beer is always fresh, the atmosphere jovial and families are welcome, Vienna’s microbreweries make for a great night out. Most offer a healthy selection of beers brewed on the premises (and proudly display the shining, brass brewing equipment), complemented by filling Austrian staples. Punters spill out into their courtyard gardens in summer.
Grape & Grain
While wine is the chosen drink of the Viennese, beer features heavily in the city’s cultural make-up. Here’s what you might order:
Blauburgunder Complex, fruity Pinot noir red.
Grüner Veltliner Strong, fresh white with hints of citrus and pear.
Riesling Fruity white with strong acidity.
Zweigelt Full-bodied red with intense cherry fruit aromas.
Dunkel Thick dark beer with a very rich flavour.
Helles Lager with a bite – clear and lightly hoppy.
Pils Crisp, strong and often bitter Pilsner beer.
Märzen Red-coloured beer with a strong malt taste.
Zwickel Unfiltered beer with a cloudy complexion.
NEED TO KNOW
Opening Hours
Opening hours vary greatly and depend on season, with places often staying open later in summer. See individual listings for specific times.
» Bars & Pubs Generally open around 4pm or 5pm and close anywhere between midnight and 4am.
» Clubs Generally open between 6pm and 10pm and close roughly around 4am; many are only open Wednesday or Thursday through to Saturday.
Online Resources
» Falter (www.falter.at) Event and party listings.
» Vienna Online (http://party.vienna.at) Keep track of club nights with this event calendar.
» Tourist Info Wien (www.wien.info) Nightlife listings arranged by theme.
Drink Prices
Standard beer prices range from €2 to €5, depending on the location and venue (central Vienna tends to be more expensive). Local wine is quite reasonable – you can easily get a decent glass of Austrian wine for around €3, though prices rise at fancier wine bars. Expect to pay at least €7 for a simple mixed drink and around €9 and up for a cocktail.
Club Entry
Entry prices can and do vary wildly – from nothing to €15 – and depend on who’s on the decks. Many small, intimate clubs offer free entry at least once a week.
Tipping
Tipping is standard: for smaller bills (under €10) it is customary to round up and add another euro if need be; for larger tabs, 5% to 10% is customary.
Drinking & Nightlife by Neighbourhood
»The Hofburg & Around Old-world wine taverns, intimate cocktail bars and drinks with Hofburg views in the Burggarten and Volksgarten.
»Stephansdom & the Historic Centre Narrow lanes hide a mix of cellar bars, wine bars, pubs and serious cocktail bars.
»Karlsplatz & Around Naschmarkt Boho hood crammed with clubs, retro and alternative bars, especially along Gumpendorferstrasse.
»The Museum District & Neubau Arty bars with a spritz of culture and alfresco seating – hit Spittelberg for Schanigärten .
»Alsergrund & the University District Student pubs and all-night parties under the Gürtel viaduct.
»Schloss Belvedere to the Canal Bars by the Danube Canal and the odd microbrewery.
»Prater & East of the Danube Clubbing live-wire around Praterstern, rooftop haunts and relaxed cafe-bars around Karmelitermarkt.
»Schloss Schönbrunn & Around A smattering of cafe-bars and clubs.
