The fact that most culinary stars and award-winning restaurants are concentrated in the city center is no different in Vienna than in other metropolises. The only difference is the many ancient, traditional institutions, their imperial splendor attracting long queues. Here, Viennese cuisine is served with a portion of cultural history on the side.

Regulars at the famed Café Landtmann are among the lucky ones who don't need to reserve a timeslot for their coffee and the obligatory brioche croissant. There is plenty of space, not just for guests, but for authentic coffee house culture. "Standing still is going backwards" is the motto of Berndt Querfeldt, who is steering the family-run institution into the future without compromising the grandeur of the Ringstrasse café. If you ask for oat milk, you won't offend the head waiter here. Keeping coffee house culture alive is a point of pride.

Would you prefer "to go"? We'd like to recommend a less prominent place to go in the "city" (which is how natives refer to their first district). At the third-wave coffee shop Kaffein, only the Lobmeyr  chandelier reminds us that we are in the historic heart of Vienna. The espresso is as rich in aroma as the interior is sparse. Specialty coffee from an Aeropress, dripper or portafilter fulfills all your needs. And on we go!

When tourists block the entrances to their favorite establishments, the Viennese turn the tables and hang out in their hotels. It sounds strange, but Vienna's hotel bars and restaurants are better than ever, tempting guests with top cuisine and cocktail menus far removed from traditional local fare.

At The Ritz Carlton, Vienna, for example, things get particularly busy at lunchtime, which is when the Pastamara Bar con Cucina serves a surprisingly reasonable business lunch. It's not just young professionals who enjoy the menus of celebrity chef Ciccio Sultano – after all, his Sicilian pasta specialties taste even better when you don't have to talk about work. For more protein, you can stay where you are: The Dstrikt Steakhouse in The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna offers similarly good value for money and even better meat from their Josper Grill. Our tip: Their utterly divine brunch affair on Sundays.

And then there is the outstanding restaurant Glasswing at The Amauris Vienna, where the young Executive Chef Alexandru Simon and his team create haute cuisine from regional ingredients, bringing international flair with some local color to Kärntner Ring.

The Hotel Sacher is one of those icons whose charm even the most cynical locals cannot – and should not – resist. Only a few houses have a radiance that extends far beyond the country's borders. The long queues that form in front of the traditional hotel, waiting to taste the original Sacher Torte, bear witness to this. But there is also a less touristy option: if you don't want to stand in line, make an evening reservation at the Sacher's restaurant and immerse yourself in a dream of lapis lazuli and gold decor. Even apart from the mesmerizing interior, the Blue Bar lives up to its international reputation. We recommend the Sacher Martini and the Wiener Madl. And for a cultural aperitif beforehand, visit the neighboring Heidi Horten Collection.

International cuisine

However, if you are looking for something more cosmopolitan in the heart of Vienna, you don't have to travel far. In Vienna's city center, various national cuisines have worthy representatives who do their respective culinary traditions proud. Exactly a decade ago, star conductor Joji Hattori opened the Japanese fine dining temple Shiki, where Alois Traint and Gerhard Bernhauer reign supreme. With a Shiki store opening soon, the restaurant and brasserie continue to celebrate Japanese-European fusion at the highest level.

On ritzy Tuchlauben, high society meets up on Fabios terrace. Since the millennium, this trendy Italian has been a subtle trendsetter for the rest of the city's high-end Italian restaurants. Fabio Giacobello's "it" restaurant serves as a stage for Vienna's beautiful people, but despite the glamor, gossip is at best a minor distraction in view of their unbeatable vitello tonnato and stracciatella pugliese. Casual alternatives that require less planning (and less dressing up): the easy-going Unkai in the Grand Hotel and the Osteria Mangia e Ridi. If you just want a quick-and-easy, yet classy, snack, try  the apericafè "La Stella" opposite the opera or o-m-k on Hoher Markt.

And if you'd really like to see and be seen, head for the Goldenes Quartier and become part of the hustle and bustle in front of the Schwarzes Kameel. Here, the latest rumors swarm out as quickly as the plates of ham sandwiches leave the patio doors of Bognergasse 5. Since last year, however, there is more intimate option: Werner Pichlmaier now serves seasonal cuisine and Viennese classics at the newly extended mezzanine floor, called the Restaurant Beletage – a place where guests can eat (and chat) in wood-paneled niches with more privacy.

In the many winding sidestreets of Vienna's city center, niche establishments are sprouting up that are otherwise only found in younger, hipper districts. Even daring concepts –such as vegan fine dining in the city's most expensive location – can also succeed here. In 2022, Jonathan Wittenbrink and his partner Larissa Andres opened Jola on Salzgries. Just around the corner, on Passauer Platz, a second experimental workshop for purely plant-based cuisine is soon to follow. Wittenbrink learned his trade at the Vienna's premier vegetarian restaurant, Tian.

Paul Ivić has succeeded in elevating vegetarian cuisine and has maintained his high standards for years. In figures: 96 Falstfaff points, four forks, one Michelin star and one green Michelin star. The first district may have the silhouette of a schnitzel, but the culinary heart of the city dances to a different beat.