8 of Vienna’s best restaurants to travel with your tastebuds to exotic and faraway places

Kitchen: Japanese

Like most well-kept secrets in Vienna, the noodle bar Kuishimbo is a subtle, small place that is easy to walk past, unaware of its worth. But those that are oodles for Japanese noodles should seek it out, and experience the big tastes being slurped up here.
There’s a wall full of noodle dishes listed (in Japanese and German) on your right-hand side as you walk in to this shoebox-sized place, and the decision can be intimidating if you don’t know your way around the Japanese kitchen. While we’d recommend you give one of the Udon noodle hotpots a go – which the place is famous for (to give you a few examples: the Nabeyaki Udon (a hot pot with chicken), kamaboko (fish cake), mushrooms, and vegetables such as spinach, rice cake, carrot, and a shrimp or egg on top, or the Curry Udon (a similar mix of ingredients to the Nabeyaki, but drowned in a tasty curry soup)) – don’t be shy to ask the staff to recommend you a dish. Or be brave and select randomly to set out on a culinary adventure. It’s a family-run place, which means it comes with the warmth and hospitality of a family. Read our full review, here.

We recommend… arriving here outside of main dining hours – aka. beat the crowds at around 6pm, or come late at around 8pm. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to find a seat in this small and popular noodle spot.

Kitchen: traditional Nepalese

This place is all the calm you would expect from anything connotated with the meditatively calm country of Nepal. Yak und Yeti is one of those places that resonates the pride the owner has for their culture. Everything here is an expression of Nepalese culture, especially the set menus made up of the countries traditional cuisine. With Tibetan prayer flags and stringed lights above, the garden in this little hidden courtyard is truly a pleasant place on a summer’s evening.
Every night has a different set menu for a fixed price. We particularly love Thursday ‘Momo Abend’ nights in which you can eat as much as you want of the Nepalese version of dumplings. If the set menu isn’t to your liking, you can choose from the vast menu that is made up of specialties out of several different Nepalese regions, with many of them being curry dishes involving lamb, prawns, chicken, or lentils. There’s also the Napelese national dish, Dal Bhat Tarkari (a spicy lentil and vegetable dish). And you can top whatever spicy and flavoursome dish you have off with a cup of the variety of Himalayan teas on offer.

Kitchen: Pinoy (Filipino)

Hiding in the retro setting of the Hotel am Brillantengrund lies some of the best Pinoy (Filipino) vegan food being cooked up this side of the equator. Weird, you think? Its true; in between the canary yellow walls and super sweet looking flowers of the Hotel am Brillantengrund’s courtyard, the food and beautiful setting has locals going for a holiday during a lunch break, or for dinner at this hipster hotel.

Yes, in the kitchen of a hotel that looks very traditionally Austrian is one of the few Pinoy cooks in Vienna – one already gets a kick out of the stark contrast and quirkiness of it all. It all makes sense when you’re told that a Filipino family is running the place.

Good things are certainly happening in the kitchen hidden behind the retro bar of the restaurant by the manager, Marvin’s mum, whose cooking career began in a town not far from the Philippine capital city Manila at the age of 17. “Mum was cooking in a canteen owned by her dad and made quite the name for herself as a cook,” Marvin explains. And now, she’s making a name for the Brillantengrund as the place to go for vegan, gluten-free, Pinoy food.

The marinated Bistek (Filipino steak which can also be made with Seitan) is a hit, while the noodle dishes, Pancit, are full of flavour. Read our full review, here.

Kitchen: Australian

You’ll often get ‘Aussies’ (that’s Australian for short for those wondering) walking into this place stating there’s nothing Australian about it. And they’ll definitely cry ‘WTF?!!’ when they find kangaroo meat and grasshoppers on the menu (even though grasshoppers were part of some indigenous tribes diet). However, whether this outback pub behind the Vienna Staatsoper, Crossfield, resembles an Australian pub or not, it certainly is an exotic experience for Vienna. If you’ve never eaten grasshoppers, you’ll have to overcome some serious psychological tests to put one of these crunchy fried things in your mouth. All those skinny insect legs, and the beady eyes on the head with feelers. But once you close your eyes and conquer the gross factor,. grasshoppers taste rather plain, almost nutty and a little bit like popcorn. Served on a bed of smashed potatoes with a small side salad, the grilled grasshoppers have become a well integrated dish in the kitchen (don’t forget that all kinds of creepy crawly insects are part of many culture’s cuisines around the world).
Meanwhile, the crocodile steak served with garlic butter is probably something you’ve never tried before, and if so, probably only for the novelty of eating a prehistoric creature. And as for the kangaroo steak – well, if you can bear to eat these cute mammals, kangaroo has increasingly become the meat of choice in recent years for Australians as it is seen as a more eco-friendly and healthy alternative to beef. With very little fat on it, kangaroo has a intense taste with some comparing it to venison.
The pub is actually based on an Australian outback pub (of course, an exaggerated version of it) that the owners encountered on their travels. And the atmosphere is genuinely Australian – casual, laid-back and friendly. If you’re looking for a new experience in the drinks menu, try the Australian invention called the Snakebite, a popular drink amongst those with a sweet tooth which involves beer, cider and red syrup being mixed together.

Kitchen: Moroccan

This very special, and colourful spot just off of Mariahilferstraße is so many things in one place. A restaurant, a traditional Hammam, and a shisha bar and club by night. How do they pull this off? Well, it’s a huge place…a huge stunning space. Best enjoyed at night time, Aux Gazelles has been put together by somebody with fine taste, and the interior comes together with all the calm and style of a Moroccan Riad. If you’re looking for a place to romance a date, this is a great option.

Served up in colourfully painted bowls and dishes you see in Oriental markets, the evening menu (served from Tuesday until Saturday) includes simple and well prepared and spiced seafood (like the fried calamari, sardines and shrimps Casablanca dish), delcious Couscous dishes, and well-spiced chicken and lamb plates. While marinated chicken wings and koftes are considered by some of the highlights. Alternatively, you can leave it to the chef by opting for the a-la-carte 3,4,5 course menus.  As for lunchtime, there’s a spread of Moroccan dishes in a 12€ buffet! We encourage you to seriously invest some time in the cold salads section; it includes the authentic flavour superstars from the Moroccan cuisine. Afterwards, when you are just about ready for a well-deserved big girl or boy nap, do yourself a favour and have a nice cup of Moroccan mint tea with traditional sweet biscuits and pastries!

Plus: the 18€ brunch is also a popular choice amongst those that like to travel with their taste buds before noon.

Kitchen: Ethiopian

When food is this good and authentic, you don’t really need an overly creative name to sell the place. This Ethiopian restaurant has been around since 2011 and it’s a real food adventure! Their flavours are exotic, and the whole experience of dining here is unforgettable and something to tell your friends about. While eating with your hands is encourgaed, this place draws spice fiends with its flavourful but light sauces that are made with stewed vegetables and an original garam masala mix. Adventurous diners can experience spicy and tender meat dishes, or complete menus of vegan stews and sauces, from spiced beets and creamy lentils. We recommend for first-timers the mixed dishes so you can get a taste of everything! Also, for those that know it and miss the experience, you can also experience the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony (called Bunna, appropriately) performed here (Ethiopian’s are not only famous for growing great coffee, but for also having their own unique way of serving it).

Plus: all dishes are served with their homemade fermented bread, and we recommend asking for extra portions, because this bread is sent from heaven!

This magnificient Middle Eastern restaurant comes with a mission: to help refugees who have fled war to integrate in Austria, by hiring them, and helping them get on their feet in their new home country. This has led to the weird combination of Austrian Schmäh and Arabic hospitality coming together, according to the crowd at Habibi & Hawara.

This relatively young first district spot comes with the warm Middle Eastern hospitality; upon entering, you’ll feel like you’ve just been welcomed into somebody´s home. The blue-tinged, funky looking intimate first section of the restaurant will have you mistaking this for a small restaurant, until you find the huge back area. The back room of this restaurant is draped in an exotic decor that is distinctly somebody’s unique take on an Oriental look. Lunchtime here sees a generous buffet served up, packed with oriental fare – grilled vegetables with tahini, hummus, several types of eggplant spreads, fresh salads, börek, cousocus mixes, chickpea salads, falafels, lentil soup, and hot stew-like dishes containing lamb, fish, or veggies. The lunch is an all-you-can-eat extravaganza which is great for those wanting to try new flavour combinations. And it comes complete with a small, but exciting range of sweet, sweeeeeeet cakes.

The dinner here will also have you traveling to the Middle East, as amongst a lively, dimly-lit atmosphere, a set menu of Middle Eastern fare is served in the Middle Eastern way – a bunch of bowls and pots filled with hot and cold oriental dishes are brought to your table to be shared.  It’s a bottomless buffet (yes, you still have to wear pants), which means they refill the dishes ‘til eternity (or you know, ‘til closing time). This makes for a unique group dining experience.

For a-la-carte fans, there is a standard menu, with sides and appetisers and a couple of mains. However, if you want the whole experience, we really recommend you go all in for the lunch, or dinner feast.

Kitchen: Korean

This modest, yet popular small Korean restaurant in Vienna’s 2nd district will have you chowing down on Kimchi and grilling up your own meal on a table-top grill, while loving every minute of it.  Seekers of Korean kitchen know this little family-run restaurant as one of the go-to places in the city for the all-round dining experience of the Korean-style BBQ.
Almost elbowing fellow eaters, we find ourselves staring hungrily at the plain, gray table and desperately waiting for someone to take our order as we watch the delicious and exotic looking array of barbecued dishes, stews and stir-fries served by the smiling, warm staff. The unfamiliar menu may seem rather strange to those uneducated on the Korean kitchen, but the staff here are happy to walk you through it. For us, the choice is simple – the gogigui (Korean BBQ) for two. You’ll most probably start here with a bowl of kimchi (sour and spicy pickled cabbage drowned in chili sauce) and a pickled turnip, just as spicy. These are the garnishes that belong to every Korean meal. Then after a Miso and a few  golden gyozas, a gas cooker and grill is placed in front of us. In between our waitress adjusting the gas to the grill, someone from the kitchen keeps handing her more plates, starting with salad leaves, garlic, chilies, mushrooms, onion rings, and finally, the thin slices of marinated beef. All raw…until we start grilling it all, that is. Korean BBQ is also a great social dining option for a meal with a group of friends. The leftover zing from the spice on our tastebuds that are sizzling remains long after the grill is turned off. Read our full review of Seoul restaurant, here.

We recommend… that you explore when it comes to what to drink here. Besides Korean beer, they also serve specific drinks like the Makgeolli (a slightly sweet, milky alcoholic beverage made of rice) and Ginseng Schnapps. The non-alcoholic list surprises with ginseng and genmaicha tea (a Japanese sort of green tea prepared with roasted brown rice)!