How do Vienna’s best restaurants put themselves on the map to new guests? Every spring and autumn, it’s Restaurant Week in Vienna. During seven days, chefs of more than 90 participating restaurants create special menus at good prices. To explore where local foodies dine Wiener Restaurantwoche is worth a try.
Upcoming Restaurant Weeks:
17th to 23rd March 2025
If your trip is outside of these dates and you’d still like to explore food places off path consider joining an insider food tour.
How Restaurant Week Works
During Restaurant Week, some of the top restaurants in Vienna and beyond offer special menus at reduced prices. A two-course lunch typically costs €19.50, while a three-course dinner is priced at €39.50. For restaurants with two or three toques (awarded by Gault&Millau), there is a €5 or €10 extra at lunch, and €10 per toque in the evening. The menus are often surprise selections, meaning diners won’t know exactly what they’ll be served until they arrive. For both chefs and guests this is a great way to share new dishes and flavors.
I first attended Restaurant Week a few years ago, partly out of curiosity and partly because I wanted to explore Vienna’s food scene beyond the usual classics like Schnitzel and Sachertorte. What stood out to me was not just the quality of the food but also the atmosphere. The restaurants were filled with a mix of locals and visitors, all there to enjoy the initiative.And it was a great way to taste dishes I might not have ordered otherwise.
Participating Restaurants
The list of participating restaurants changes each year, but it typically includes a wide range of options, rom traditional Austrian cuisine to international flavors, For example:
Vestibül at Burgtheater: how about crispy mushroom roll with herb mayonnaise, or upper water salmon trout with two kinds of cauliflower, curry shallots and fennel velouté in the historic marble clad rooms of Vienna’s top theater?
Wildling: a great opportunity to venture out to the eighth district Josefstadt for a mindblowing selection of Austrian tapas made from ingredients from small local farmers.
Nagano: Imagine Japan’s taste philosophy executed using French craftsmanship. Vienna’s top Japanese excels at the art of Okonomiyaki, and tempuras of black tiger prawns.
Each season the number and selection of participating restaurants changes. Make sure you book well in advance.
Why It’s Worth Considering
Restaurant Week is an opportunity to step outside your usual dining habits and venture beyond tourist magnets from the guide books. For those who might find Vienna’s food scene a bit predictable, this event introduces variety and creativity. It’s also a chance to experience higher-end restaurants at value for money
Practical Tips for Visitors
Reservations: Restaurants can fill up quickly, so it’s advisable to book as early as possible. The official booking period begins two weeks before the start of the Restaurantwoche with early booking available two weeks earlier. If you can’t make it to Vienna during Restaurantwoche, there are other tasteful ways to explore local food and neighbourhoods.
Menu Details: Fixed-price menus usually don’t include drinks, so factor that into your budget.
Flexibility: Never thought it possible to like cauliflower? Since the menus are often surprise selections, it’s helpful to be open to trying new dishes.
Group Dining: Going with friends or family will enable you to share and compare dishes.
The Social Aspect
Restaurant Week is more than just a series of meals—it’s a way to engage with Vienna’s culinary scene off the beaten tourist tracks and discover new ways of cooking as well as amazing neighbourhoods you would otherwise have missed. . Whether you’re a longtime resident or a visitor, it’s an event that offers both familiarity and novelty. If you’re curious about Vienna’s restaurants but unsure where to start, Restaurant Week provides a structured and accessible way to explore.
