While it’s a regular haunt for world cinema lovers, you don’t even need to know there’s a cinema out back to appreciate this place. The living-room atmosphere, with its comfy sofa bench seats and chairs surrounding the stretch-limo-length bar, will have you feeling at home while sipping on your beer or cocktail. And the tempting smells coming from the kitchen may also have you scrambling for the menu, packed with freshly prepared, organic food.
On warm evenings, you can sit in one of Vienna’s loooveliest (said with a British accent – think something between the Queen mum and Amy Winehouse) outdoor patios, on an idyllic cobblestone street. The outdoor garden seems to just spill out from the inside of the bar, which also opens up in summer with its ceiling to floor windows. It’s all a very chilled and causal affair at Top Kino.
What kind of night will you have?
The Top Kino bar is the perfect place for after-work drinks, or to meet friends to warm-up before moving onto the many surrounding, more loud and boistorous, clubs and bars. And of course, it’s also a great spot to catch a film, followed by a meal and drinks after – to go with the heated discussion which the film inspires.
Music: ambient electronic music, gentle enough so you don’t have to scream across the table during neat conversations, catchy enough to hum along to during that akward moment alone when your conversation partner goes to the toilet … and doesn’t come back for an extended period of time … so long that you wonder whether they’ve left, or if you should call the police, or if they have a magazine with them that is much more interesting than you are.
What the drinks menu looks like
Beer 0,5l = 3.50€–3.70€
Weißer Spritzer = 2.60€
Hugo = 3.40€
Cuba Libre/Mojito = 6.40€/6.80€
Gin Tonic/Pimm’s Mule = 6.40€
Vodka shot = 2.80€
Food
Top Kino has an adequate selection of food freshly prepared in their kitchen for moderate prices. The menu ranges from soups, burgers and wraps (also veggie), salads or toasts, to a daily changing lunch menu. It’s the perfect kind of food to fill a hole before, or after a film. And one of the coolest things is that if you arrive late after the kitchen’s closed, they’ll happily serve you a toast or pita bread sandwich, as late as 11:30pm – a rare occurence in Vienna.
Tip: If you just need something to go with your vodka shots, order a pack of popcorn or chips.
Smoking: Allowed inside, and outside. A non-smokers section is also available.
Free WIFI
How much money should you bring?
Three vodka shots = 9€ (incl. tip)
Three beers and two weißer Spritzer = 16€ (incl. tip)
Two Pimm’s Mule and a round of Schnaps for 5 = 30€ (incl. tip)
One Top Burger and a Makava = 12€ (incl. tip)
Nearest bank: A 2 minute walk up towards Mariahilferstraße Volksbank Mariahilferstraße 27 (corner Theobaldgasse) BAWAG Mariahilferstraße (opposite Volksbank)
Where to go next
Clubs: Club-U, Donau, Café Leopold
Other bars: Mon Ami, If dogs run free, Marea Alta, Aux Gazelles, Café Europa, Liebling
Food: Ramien, Shanghai Tan, Mama Liu and sons
How to get home
U3 Neubaugasse is just around the corner, U2 Museumsquartier is close. Also 13A, 14A and 57A are right there on Gumpendorferstraße, taxis won’t be hard to find around this area either; and if all else fails you can still walk off all the drinks you had!