Food & Drink

Good food isn’t hard to find on a trip to Austria. Austrian cuisine is known for hearty and indulgent dishes, with generous use of meats and root vegetables. A traditional culinary journey can start in the city at the cafes of Vienna or along the narrow streets of Salzberg’s historic taverns. Meanwhile, modern Austrian cuisine has evolved, with farm to table taking the spotlight as chefs prepare ever changing menus crafted with locally sourced seasonal ingredients. The city of Graz has been coined Austria's City of Culinary Delights thanks to its focus on sustainability and hyper local food.

What is Austria's traditional cuisine?

Tafelspitz is considered the country's national dish, and checks all the boxes for a delicious meal. A tender cut of beef is boiled in a spiced vegetable broth, served with roasted potatoes, apples, horseradish, and chive sauce. While the Austrian palate is surprisingly diverse, Viennese cuisine is the star here, famous for its recognizable dishes like wiener schnitzel, a deep-fried breaded escalope of veal, usually accompanied by parsley potatoes or a simple salad. Just don’t plan on asking for any sauce on top. In Austria, it's traditionally served with lingonberry jam. Erdäpfelsalat is a traditional Austrian potato salad, made from potatoes boiled in stock and sliced onions topped in a tangy vinegar, oil, and mustard dressing. 

When you want to find a snack on an Austrian vacation, you’ll find no lack of sausage stands würstelstand. There are literally dozens of varieties that you could try, including frankfurter, bratwurst, and käsekrainer. A famed Viennese tradition is a late-night sausage experience, typically served with bread and mustard.

In 1832 a junior chef was tasked with creating a special dessert for Viennese Prince Metternich, after his boss’ sickness prevented him from working. Chef Sacher came up with the sachertorte, a moist chocolate sponge cake with apricot jam layered in between and a layer of chocolate glaze poured on top. Known as a perfect harmony of simple ingredients, the cake continues to be a Viennese classic. Another sweet treat to try is kaiserschmarrn, prepared as a sweet fluffy pancake that is scrambled while being baked, resulting in small bite sized pieces. It's typically served with a rum raisin compote, or apple sauce. And lastly, you will need to try a famous apfelstrudel or apple strudel, known for its delectable thin pastry surrounding tart, yet also sweet, apple chunk filling. 

What is the dining etiquette in Austria?

Conventional etiquette rules apply in Austria, including placing your napkin on your lap, waiting to start your meal until everyone has been served, and gently resting your hands on the table. Before eating, it is polite to declare guten appetit (bon appetit), or mahlzeit, which translates to mealtime. Mahlzeit is also commonly used as a greeting around midday. Try to finish everything on your plate, but if you are full and have been offered a second helping, just declare nein, danke, or no, thank you.

Austrian meals can last for hours. Don’t expect the service or the company you keep to be in a rush to leave. Whether you’ve been invited to dine at someone’s home or are dining at a tavern, the conversation will likely linger for hours, often over some sweets, a cup of coffee or an aperitif. This lounge time is referred to as gemuetlichkeit and describes a happy mood due to a state of mind or environment. It embraces the cozy feeling of being socially accepted, and having a sense of belonging.

What is drinking etiquette in Austria?

Drinking an alcoholic beverage with friends and family while eating is common in Austria. On your trip to Austria during the warmer months of summer, try tipperl, a mixed wine beverage consisting of a raspberry lemonade known as rotes kracherl, water and white wine. If vacationing during the Christmas market season, you’ll need to try at least a mug of punsch, a mixture of fruit juice, spices, and liquor, or gluhwein, the famous mulled wine. Before taking a sip, take a moment to pause and make eye contact with your fellow tablemates. Clink your glasses together for a toast, announcing prost, or "cheers". After a meal, it's popular to be served a small cup of Schnaps, Austria’s preferred aperitif which can be high in alcohol content. Over indulgence is frowned upon, so be sure to mind your consumption!

Whether coffee, beer, or wine is your drink of choice, you'll have no shortage of options in Austria. Cafe culture runs deep, with conversations rolling over cups of specialty coffee. After dinner, sip on thick hot chocolate between flaky bites of apfelstrudel. In Eastern Austria, flourishing vineyards bring forth wine bottles of Riesling and Veltliner. Breweries with large names like Stiegl or small local brasseries adorn the country.

Does Austria cater to dietary restrictions?

Typically, travellers to Austria will find an abundance of restaurants that are willing to attempt accommodating dietary restrictions. Many menus indicate which potential allergens or restricted ingredients are in a dish by using a list of capital letters below the item's description. Austria uses the European Union’s standardized use of these letters, so be sure to research which letters correspond with your required dietary restrictions or allergies before travelling. Meat is typically the centerpiece for many traditional Austrian dishes, along with cheese and egg noodles frequently used. Travellers will find vegetarian, vegan, and halal menu options commonplace in cities. Do plan to travel with a translation card indicating any restrictions or allergies. If you need a snack on the go, as a part of the EU, products in Austrian grocery stores are required to indicate the top allergens on labelling. 

What do meals typically cost in Austria ?

Meal pricing in Austria varies based on the type of cuisine, and location you are dining. In tourist centric spots such as Vienna, if you are heading out to dinner, plan to spend around USD $60 per person at a mid range spot, meanwhile a lunch multi course meal will likely be about USD $50 per person. Fine dining or Michelin options are plentiful too, with pricing closer to USD $250 per person. There are extensive, reasonably priced quick dining grocery store cafes and street food options, too. A stand in the city with sausage and bread will run between USD $6-9. When out in the Alps hiking, consider that smaller towns have more limited dining options. Prices tend to be higher at restaurants, meanwhile packing a picnic to enjoy amongst the wildflowers is never a bad bet.