Sofie’s Vienna Summer Bar Tour 2015

WIRR, the bar-club hybrid on Burggasse, is an important part of Vienna’s nightlife and always a good choice for starting the night off with the right drinks and company. Sitting in its hand-made wooden box garden out the front, nestled into the benches, it feels a little like a treehouse as it shields you from the rest of the world. One can also sit at the seats inside in by the window, which open right up, giving the feeling like the inside is spilling outside. The music is comfy, the food is tasty and the drinks come fast.
And if you’re in the mood for more, just head downstairs and enjoy a night of dancing at Club Dual.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Rhabarber Spritzer (rhubarb spritzer) = 3.10€
Non-alcoholic: Gurken Rosmarin Limonade (cucumber and rosemary lemonade) = 4.20€

We advise you… to also try their burger is you feel the need to silence a hunger.

Indoor/Outdoor
Free entry (some Friday nights are “Kino am Naschmarkt” after parties, free entry until 11pm)

The former Kunsthallecafé on Karlsplatz changed owner in 2014, had a complete makeover, and grew up into a more stylish and sophisticated restaurant/bar, serving high quality drinks and food with that little touch of uniqueness that was missing before. The place now makes the most out of the huge terrace and garden out front, which is often full on a warm summer evening. The urban garden, Karlsgarten, next door also makes it extra pleasant in this green space on feels like an island in amongst the surrounding traffic. The Music is typically chilled electro, and often mixed with the sound of chatter. It’s a inescapably ‘urban’ feel at HEUER am Karlsplatz.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Pimm’s Cup (Pimm’s No. 1, cucumber, lemon, orange, mint, Thomas Henry ginger ale) = 11.50€
Non-alcoholic: Erdbeer (strawberry) Shrub = 2.40€ (0.25l) / 4.80€ (0.5l)

We love… that they serve 13 different kinds of vodka and 18 different brands of gin
We advise you… to try as many different drinks as you can – one of Europe’s best barkeepers is mixing it up right here

Where: Westbahnstraße 40, 1070 

Opening times
THU: 4pm–10pm (from June to July)

Outdoor
Free entry (1€ per drink goes to Nepal)

The phantom bar of summer, the Westbar, is a pop-up bar which turns up in the blissfully grungy courtayard of the WestLicht (a photography gallery on Westbahnstraße). It’s back for its third season, and is offering an updated menu of creative and unusual cocktail creations (with the cheapest prices so far), regional wine, beer and organic lemonades. It’s all shaken (not stirred) up by some young DJ talent on turntables. There’s also a variety of edible joy (changing each Thursday) to fill your stomach and make sure the night doesn’t end too soon. The courtyard provides intimacy, cuts out the noise from the city outside and offers shelter from the infamous and indecisive Viennese summer weather. The space is also big enough to house all of your crochet club mates. It might just be our favourite Thursday night hangout spot for this summer.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Giaco Meloni (Vodka, Watermelon, Soda) = 6.50€
Non-alcoholic: ChariTea = 3.80€

Price guide
Vodka shot (with passion fruit and lime juice) = 2€ (2.50€)
Gin Tonic = 5.50€
Weißer Spritzer/Aperol Spritz = 3.50€
Beer/Radler = 3.50€

Atmosphere:
Service:
Drinks:
Value for money:
Spark:

We love… the idea that 1 € from every drink is donated to charity projects in Nepal.
We advise you… to join in on one of the evening tours through the gallery (12€ plus one drink)

Website: www.facebook.com/westbar.popupbar

You don’t really have to take your time here because as the name states, toma tu tiempo – time does not exist here. The calmness of Zieglergasse, mixed with the beautifully simple but inspired Spanish interior and exterior decor (picture blue and white tiles, rustic furniture pieces) creates the perfect setting for a laid-back, boozy evening with friends and lots of chatter. Get comfy in a deck chair, pop one or two tapas at random into your mouth, and take a tour through their drinks menu – you might just wake up in Spain the next morning.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Chupitos (shots) = 3.80€, Gin y tonic (Hendrick’s gin, Fentiman’s tonic and cucumber) = 8.80€
Non-alcoholic: Limonada carsera (homemade lemonade with fresh lemon, ginger, organic elderflower syrup and mint) = 3.90€

We love… the genuine Spanish vibe of this place.
We advise you… to come back for breakfast, or some tortillas

This is a tapas restaurant/bar with Spanish, Venezuelan and Czech roots, that’s built into one of the arched spaces underneath the railway viaduct. Situated on the buzzing Radetzkyplatz in the 3rd district (read about when I explored the up-and coming area here), Garage01 is a great place to spend a few relaxed hours filling your stomach with their diverse tapas menu, while sipping on some refreshing drinks. There are several other bars and restaurants to move on to afterwards, but feel free to stay and have Juan (the tall, handsome barman) prepare you a few more of his exceptional cocktail creations. This place has a lively character.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Basilikum Daiquiri (White rum, lime juice, sugar, basil leaves) = 7.20€
Non-alcoholic: Kofola (Czech Cola with herbs and caffeine, less sugar) = 2.80€

We love… Radetzkyplatz on summer evenings
We advise you… to come hungry, las tapas son muy ricas!
Next stop… could be the neighbouring WILD Austrian restaurant which also has a beautiful garden.

Hidden away and enclosed by the vine covered walls of the ex-factory, turned cultural space, WUK, the Statt-Beisl is like on of those places locals look forward to spending a lot of time at in summer. Like a institution during the summer months that nobody wants you to know about, the WUK boasts one of the most kick-ass beer gardens in the city. Fitting to the grungy red-brick look of the WUK, the bar looks like it should be on a beach in Thailand somewhere, but instead it’s in the middle of Vienna serving up a huge range of beer, including numerous Craft beers. Their longdrinks list is made for summer, while they also serve up a whole bunch of basic pub kind of food, like burgers. And if the weather turns sour, their big umbrellas over the beer bench seating will keep you dry from the summer rain.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Astra beer = 3.20€
Non-alcoholic: fritz-spritz (made up of organic rhubarb and grapes = 2.90€

We recommend… catching one of the many open air concert or event here in summer. See the program here.

Set next to a church, tucked in to a cobblestone square, ULRICH is one of Vienna’s newest kids on the block in the restaurant/bar/cafe scene drawing in the hip locals. You can take a seat anytime of day in Ulrich’s garden and you’ll feel like a smiley urban lizard. Modelled on the cafe culture found in Australia and New Zealand, this place also serves up a stellar coffee and a inventive menu. At nighttime, their garden transforms the quiet square into vibrant spot to gleefully waste a summer’s evening. Read our full review on Ulrich, here.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Spicy margarita shot (Jalapeños Tequila, Cointreau, Lemon Juice) = 4.50€ Watermelon basil cooler (melon vodka, water melon, fresh basil) = 8.50€
Non-alcoholic: Café freddo (iced espresso) = 2.20€ Ginger Lemon sun (fresh ginger, lemon, orange, mint, honey) = 3.80€

Atmosphere:
Service:
Drinks:
Value for money:
Spark:

This place has one of the most pleasant gardens in town, and we just can’t help ourselves recommending it again and again. The Chinabar perched on Burggasse dosen’t only serve up a delicious, original Asian menuyet possesses a charismatic atmosphere, inside and out. The sounds of children playing dominate from the neighbouring playground, alongwith the occasional yell from one of the parents who sit under the shady trees of the China Bar garden, with glasses of Austrian wine or Chinese beer, and a relaxed look about them. This is a common scene here, on any given evening of the week. The owner, Simon, tells us he’s aim was to transport the charm of the street food culture of Asia to a European setting, where which the inside spills out onto the street. I particularly love the bench seats scattered with pillows that are wrapped around the garden’s trees. Read our full review of the China Bar here.

Summer drink of choice
Alcoholic: Pimm’s No. 1 (ginger ale, lime juice, orange, cucumber, mint) = 5.10€/9.00€
Non-alcoholic: kwai hua cha green tea with osmanthus = 3.80€

We advise you… to try the food as well – unusual Asian cuisine with a unique twist.