By Michael Baginski/ Vienna stands out as a culture landmark of Europe, but next year the Austrian capital is sinking its teeth into a new theme – it’s food. In 2026, many of the activities of the Vienna Tourist Board will be dedicated to the theme of culinary delights. At the centre is Viennese cuisine – the only cuisine in the world named after a city.
Under the motto “Vienna Bites, Cuisine, Culture, Character,” the city’s food scene will be explored on multiple levels – from gastronomy and agriculture to table culture and the arts – themes that were presented during a recent Vienna Tourist sales mission to Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
With a culinary identity known for authentic offerings such as the Viennese Beisl (bistro) and the Heuriger (wine tavern), Vienna has also transformed itself from a hidden gem into a hotspot for international foodies, with the vibrancy of the city’s current gastro scene being demonstrated by the opening of numerous new venues, including new restaurants and bars featuring innovative culinary concepts.
“We’ve always been very proud of our cuisine,” the Vienna Tourist Board’s Florian Wiesinger told Travel Industry Today during the mission’s Toronto stop. “We have a very strong tradition, but it has evolved (greatly) in the past 10 to 15 years.”
At the heart of Vienna’s gastronomic excellence is that it is a “food-producing city,” which gives culinary providers access to fresh produce, explains Wiesinger.
Ten Michelin restaurants in the city now illustrate the city’s fine dining reputation, but the casual Vienna cafés and bistros remain a staple “that will always be there,” Wiesinger continued.
Serving famous Viennese pastries, along with schnitzel and goulash among other local dishes, the ubiquitous venues are popular with locals and visitors alike, and an “integral part of the city’s DNA,” as well as simply being “a great place to just hang out.”
But more than just hanging out and eating and drinking, the “Vienna Bites” campaign encourages visitors to make the experience part of a broader activity, such as going to a museum or concert, with many of those venues also having restaurants or coffee bars.
The Kunst Historic Museum, for example, boasts one of the most beautiful coffee houses in the world (photo above), inspiring many guests to pay the museum fee just to visit the Café-Restaurant in the exquisite Cupola Hall, says Markus Kustatscher, Tourism Manager at the museum.
And every Thursday, he adds, the venue serves a gala five-course dinner that generally sells out three months in advance.
As for the museum – it merely houses the Imperial Collection of the Habsburgs and the largest Bruegel Collection in the world, amongst other attributes.
Wine
Meanwhile, Viennese Heuriger wine culture (along with the traditional Viennese coffee house culture and the Viennese sausage stand), is recognized as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Die weine can be enjoyed in the numerous local restaurants in the city or at a Heuriger on the city’s outskirts – a Viennese institution featuring wine from the owners’ own vineyards, hearty local fare, a cozy atmosphere, and a beautiful garden.
Accessible via train from city centre or on many of the city’s hiking trails, which often lead through vineyards to a Heuriger, visitors can “spend a morning in the museum and half an hour later be in a vineyard, (which is a very unique attribute” for a city of Vienna’s size.
Wiesinger says that those interested “the art of dining” can also “connect the dots” through tours of famed manufacturers of table- and silverware, for example, or engage in related workshops.
Getting there
Vienna Airport’s Eszter Almási noted that the city boasts year-round flights from Toronto and Montreal via Air Canada and Austrian Airlines and the facility provides easy and convenient access to the city by train (about 15 minutes).
Vienna is also an ideal hub for to the rest of Europe (especially the Balkan countries), and elsewhere in Austria by connected train routes, bus, or rental car.
If this article was shared with you by a friend or colleague, you may enjoy receiving your own copy of Travel Industry Today with the latest travel news and reviews each weekday morning. It’s absolutely free – just CLICK HERE.