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Maschu Maschu
Speedy service, a relaxed atmosphere, and the freshest falafels, hummus and salads are the keys to Maschu Maschu's success. This branch on Rabensteig, with its meagre number of tables, is better used as a takeaway joint - grab the best pita falafel in Vienna and stroll the old Jewish quarter. The Neubaugasse branch (Neubaugasse 20, 7th District) is a full-fledged restaurant with sunny streetside seating and a menu loaded with lamb cutlet dishes.
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Meinl am Graben
Among the top five restaurants in the country, Meinl am Graben combines masterful cuisine with an unrivalled wine list and views of the Graben. Head chef Joachim Gradwohl creates a daily menu of inviting dishes with delicate Mediterranean sauces and sweet aromas; the ingredients come directly from the city's best gourmet supermarket just downstairs. Waiters are professional to a fault, but the atmosphere is surprisingly relaxed and easy-going.
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Motto
A fusion of Asian, Austrian and Italian cuisine drives Motto's popularity. The likes of garlic chicken with mango, papaya, and tomato salsa, and grilled prawns on Asian spinach salad entice, but it's the fillet steaks (with chocolate-chilli sauce and mashed potatoes, no less) that win the day. Motto has been 'in' ( particularly with the gay crowd) for years; reservations are recommended. Enter through the forbidding chrome door on Rüdigergasse.
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Mr Lee
If the smells wafting from the door of this small Asian diner don't pull you inside, there's a good chance the smiling, friendly staff greeting passers-by will. The menu wanders across much of Asia, absorbing Japanese sushi, Thai green curries and Chinese noodle dishes. Take a pew inside and watch the cooks prepare your meal before your eyes, or a table outside and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Naschmarkt.
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Naschmarkt Deli
One of Vienna's many eateries with a bar, Naschmarkt Deli has cornered the Naschmarkt snack market. There's sandwiches, falafel wraps, big baguettes and quick soups (lentil soup is a good bet) but the most space is given to a heady array of breakfasts. Come Saturday morning this glass box overflows with punters craving the Continental or English breakfast. Connoisseurs will note the latter is lacking tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans. Shame.
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Neu Wien
A plush new restaurant on the edge of the Innere Stadt's medieval quarter, Neu Wien has the look and feel of a lounge bar (low leather seats, well-stocked bar). The cuisine harks back to the days of the Habsburg empire, with roasted fillet of zander, fillet of Alp ox, and proper veal Wiener schnitzel; there are also unusual dishes like mushroom Gulasch (goulash). Afterwards, head downstairs to KIK (Kultur im Keller) for cabaret and live music.
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On
With the look and feel of a neo-Beisl and creative, gluten-free Chinese cuisine, On is a winner. The menu changes constantly with the whims of the head chef, but a few vegetarian options invariably sneak on and meat lovers should expect to make a choice between the likes of trout with ginger and garlic and gan-bien (fried) beef strips. The small, private garden is lovely in summer, but reservations are essential.
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Pars
Pars is heavily patronised by Vienna's Persian community, giving it a stamp of authenticity. Persian cuisine, such as Schekampareh (eggplant filled with meat), Lubiapolo (beans, lamb and rice) and a good selection of kebabs ( shish , Adana , Kubideh ), is complimented by over 30 varieties of quality Austrian wine. After the meal, enjoy a puff on a hookah.
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Piccini Piccolo Gourmet
'Gourmet' is a term all too frequently bandied about. But the term suits Piccini Piccolo perfectly. The finest antipasti restaurant in town, it has around 40 different antipasti rolls, fish treats and stuffed vegetables on offer. It also knows its Brunello from its Vino Nobile which, with 60 varieties of wine available, is a good thing. Its shop next door has been selling imported Italian foods since 1856.
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Podium
At this designer restaurant and bar in the fashionable Neubau district, you can sit in the lollipop chairs near the floor-to-ceiling windows or nestle into one of the big, comfy couches in the rear. Podium offers a small but imaginative menu which on some days can range from hamburgers to pumpkin curry with basmati rice. The crowd, which often just drops in for a drink and a chat, is artsy and cultured.
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Quell
Time stands still at Quell. The traditional Beisl's archaic wooden chandeliers and ceramic stoves wouldn't be out of place in the Museum für Volkskunde and some guests look as though they've been dining here since before the war. The menu is thoroughly Viennese, featuring Schweinskotelett (pork cutlets) and schnitzel but there's also a surprising number of fish and vegetarian options. Genial staff and quiet streetside seating add to the ambience.
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Ra'mien
The designers of ra'mien went for a minimalist look but somehow came out with a school cafeteria. Thankfully, the chef's aren't at recess - their Asian fusion is a sheer delight. Choose from noodle soups and rice dishes during the day and a mixture of Asian cusines at night. Seating fills quickly at night so it's best to book, but you can wait for a table in the lounge bar downstairs; it has regular DJs and stays open until at least .
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Restaurant World
Restaurant World's menu is an inviting mix of Caribbean and Sri Lankan cuisine that includes spicy curries and filling noodle dishes. Vegetarian choices abound and vegans can dine here quite happily. The coconut bread will have you asking for the recipe, as will the mango lassi and mango cake. The restaurant owners are some of the most affable in the city, and children are more than welcome.
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Rosenberger Markt Restaurant
Rosenberger offers a huge array of ready-made pasta meals, cooked meats, salads, freshly squeezed juices and desserts. While the food is good and filling, the main reason for visiting is the low cost; watch out for extras like bread and butter which can push up the price. The seating area is enormous and the layouts, which range from a traditional Viennese coffee house to a Heuriger cellar, are kitsch but fun.
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Saigon
One of the original Asian restaurants in Vienna, not only has Saigon weathered the influx of Asian places in the city, it has actually grown to a second location in Ottakring. Both emphasise Vietnamese art and attentive service and offer a nearly unending selection of rice- and noodle-based dishes. The duck is crispy and tender, the vegetables crunchy and fresh, and you'll find more authentic Pho Tai Bo (beef noodle soup) only in the motherland.
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Samrat
The inviting aromas wafting from Samrat's open doors are a testament to the heady spices used in its Indian cuisine. The clay-oven baked curries are certainly tempered for the Viennese palate but all in all they're very good. The Indian music and trappings from the subcontinent are suitably evocative.
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Schaukasten
A new concept on Brunnenmarkt, Schaukasten is a tiny container with excellent Italian coffee and a fresh menu daily. It's a delight to watch the market's comings and goings from one of the three small tables occupying the roof space but if they're full, a pew at the ground-level bar is almost as good.
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Schloss Concordia (Kleine Oper Wien)
A gigantic stone Jesus greets prospective diners, appropriate given the Zentralfriedhof's presence directly opposite and the scene indoors: bare wooden floors, gargantuan mirrors and stained-glass roof are suitably dated and eerie when viewed in the evening by candlelight.The menu is crowded with schnitzels ; meat lovers might try Degustationsmenü , a hefty plate of different kinds of schnitzel. There's a smattering of vegetarian options, too.
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Schon Schön
Dining is a social experience at this new Neubau eatery. With only one table (seating 24), it's hard to avoid your fellow diners and this helps the conversation flow freely. The imaginative cuisine changes daily but invariably includes a handful of vegetarian and meat or fish dishes (grilled bass with zucchini risotto, and Palatschinke with vegetables on the day we visited) presented with a designer's touch.
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Schöne Perle
Schöne Perle (beautiful pearl) has the look and feel of a well-designed school cafeteria but the food is by no means as basic or as bland. Classic Austrian dishes such as Tafelspitz and Zwiebelrostbraten are mixed in with vegetarian and fish mains, and all are created using organic produce. Wines are from Austria, as are the large array of juices. Unusually for a Viennese restaurant, dogs are forbidden and kids welcome.
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Schweizerhaus
The Schweizerhaus is famous among the Viennese for two things: it's massive, tree-shaded garden and its Hintere Schweinsstelze (roasted pork hocks). These gargantuan chunks of meat on the bone (around €15.30 per kg, 750g minimum), best served with mustard and freshly grated horseradish, taste supremely better than they sound and are best shared. There are other meat dishes, but vegetarians will have to stick to starters and salads.
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Shalimar
Shalimar is an Indian restaurant of some standing amongst the many in Mariahilfer. The food on offer crosses the subcontinent but the house speciality is Balti , an Indian/Pakistani equivalent of wok cuisine cooked with generous portions of curry spice, onions, coriander and basil. In summer, Shalimar's hidden garden - shaded by mature trees and guarded by pictures of Vishnu, Hanuman and Shiva - is a perfect antidote to Vienna's hot streets.
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Shanghai Tan
Tie Yang, owner of ra'mien, has created a slick, stylish Chinese restaurant in Shanghai Tan. There's a long list of dimsum but a sprinkling of Udong (thick noodles served in a soup) is also available. The devilishly dark and intimate interior is perfect for private liaisons but sometimes makes it hard to see what you're eating. Downstairs is an opium den minus the opium - a chilled-out area with hidden corners and pillows for reclining.
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Side Step
Forty tapas (both hot and cold) and 20 open wines make this slice of Spain in the heart of Josefstadt a real treat. The wine is attraction enough but only the most stalwart dieter will be able to refuse the likes of balls of lamb in tomato sauce, shrimp with garlic sauce or goat's cheese with homemade olive marmalade. The brick surroundings, easy-going air and excellent grappa are but icing on the cake.
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Soho
Soho is the Hofburg's canteen, with excellent food at canteen prices. Daily menus - one vegetarian, one meat - are almost invariably European based, with an Asian dish sneaking in now and then. The simple wooden tables, splashes of colour and smattering of paintings create an appealing look, and the service is welcoming and friendly. It's a little hard to find, however: follow your nose past the Schmetterlinghaus and it's directly west.
