Austria
Our Guide To Austria’s Best Pubs and Bars
From its mountainous West to its genteel fertile East, Austria is an enigmatic place, difficult to pigeonhole. The imperial legacy has resulted in a country with a large ethnic mix, nowhere more emphasised than in the capital, Vienna. Despite this, a conservative, patrician culture and accompanying attitudes prevail perhaps on account of its pickled in aspic high society and decline from a global power to a small European state.
In Vienna city centre you'll require guidance to seek out drinking holes that aren't stuffy Beisls with tablecloths, silver service and expensive dining. They are out there though, and a few remaining slices of 'Alt Wien' liven things up considerably.
Further out, nightlife in Neubau and WestBahnhof is lively and you'll come to learn this is a city of neighbourhoods rather than one with a central nightlife hub.
As for other Austrian cities, Linz is a potted Vienna, upright and stylish but signs of life are to be found in little clutches. The same can be said for Klagenfurt. There are some other relatively dull cities like Villach and Wiener Neustadt that could do with an injection of adrenalin.
Graz by contrast is one of Austria's most casual and fun cities with a distinctive Yugoslavian influence, concentrated compact city centre which acts as a natural crucible. Their 'Bauzatzlokale' kit bars are distinct to the city - informal drinking holes where you create your own meal from various components.
Don't underestimate Austria as a beer destination either. While wine plays a much bigger role, Austrian brewing can be the equal of Bavaria and you will often find Kellerbier/Zwicklebier, unfiltered lager available on tap, sometimes overly light and lemony, sometimes wholesome and subtle, delicious stuff.
Austria also has another trick up its sleeve: the Heuriger
Generally, set on or near to vineyards or apple/pear orchards, the Heuriger arose from families enticing potential customers to visit to sample their wares and eat a meal.
This makes commercial sense for small businesses who perhaps can’t get their brand in a shop window or a supermarket or on a major distribution line.
In Vienna, taking the tram line to the terminus of Beethovengang places you in the foothills of wine growers. Signs like Buschenschank, Weingut and Heuriger will hove into view, various venues where you can sample wines or drink them over a meal. There are dozens of options.
The customer will find a pleasant setting in spring or summer, occasionally also a personal experience with great hospitality, now and then a pubby one. Yes, just like the Viennese Beisl, they can be fine-dining establishments but there are also cheerful and communal pubby examples such as Lucky’s Heuriger in Graz.
I mentioned orchards at the beginning, and Linz’s Mostheuriger are a niche within a niche. On either side of the Danube, cider and perry is produced and sold in genteel rustic taverns like Wildauer’s. Look out for names like Moststube (-room) or Mostschenke (-tap) to find other examples.
These are great examples of a common theme: local produce sold by families at traditional taverns in a distinctive inimitable format.
In Vienna city centre you'll require guidance to seek out drinking holes that aren't stuffy Beisls with tablecloths, silver service and expensive dining. They are out there though, and a few remaining slices of 'Alt Wien' liven things up considerably.
Further out, nightlife in Neubau and WestBahnhof is lively and you'll come to learn this is a city of neighbourhoods rather than one with a central nightlife hub.
As for other Austrian cities, Linz is a potted Vienna, upright and stylish but signs of life are to be found in little clutches. The same can be said for Klagenfurt. There are some other relatively dull cities like Villach and Wiener Neustadt that could do with an injection of adrenalin.
Graz by contrast is one of Austria's most casual and fun cities with a distinctive Yugoslavian influence, concentrated compact city centre which acts as a natural crucible. Their 'Bauzatzlokale' kit bars are distinct to the city - informal drinking holes where you create your own meal from various components.
Don't underestimate Austria as a beer destination either. While wine plays a much bigger role, Austrian brewing can be the equal of Bavaria and you will often find Kellerbier/Zwicklebier, unfiltered lager available on tap, sometimes overly light and lemony, sometimes wholesome and subtle, delicious stuff.
Austria also has another trick up its sleeve: the Heuriger
Generally, set on or near to vineyards or apple/pear orchards, the Heuriger arose from families enticing potential customers to visit to sample their wares and eat a meal.
This makes commercial sense for small businesses who perhaps can’t get their brand in a shop window or a supermarket or on a major distribution line.
In Vienna, taking the tram line to the terminus of Beethovengang places you in the foothills of wine growers. Signs like Buschenschank, Weingut and Heuriger will hove into view, various venues where you can sample wines or drink them over a meal. There are dozens of options.
The customer will find a pleasant setting in spring or summer, occasionally also a personal experience with great hospitality, now and then a pubby one. Yes, just like the Viennese Beisl, they can be fine-dining establishments but there are also cheerful and communal pubby examples such as Lucky’s Heuriger in Graz.
I mentioned orchards at the beginning, and Linz’s Mostheuriger are a niche within a niche. On either side of the Danube, cider and perry is produced and sold in genteel rustic taverns like Wildauer’s. Look out for names like Moststube (-room) or Mostschenke (-tap) to find other examples.
These are great examples of a common theme: local produce sold by families at traditional taverns in a distinctive inimitable format.
| Name | Location | Style | |
| Café Wunderbar | Bregenz | Late Bar | 7.5 |
| Posaune | Graz | Bauzatslokale | 8.1 |
| Grammophon | Graz | Bauzatslokale | 7.9 |
| Hops Craft Beer Pub | Graz | Craft Beer Bar | 7.9 |
| Lucky's Heuriger | Graz | Heuriger | 7.7 |
| Humboldtkeller | Graz | Jazz Bar | 7.7 |
| Bier Baron | Graz | Bauzatslokale | 7.7 |
| Kombuse | Graz | Park Kiosk | 7.7 |
| The Churchill | Graz | Cocktail Bar | 7.6 |
| Zeppelin | Graz | Bauzatslokale | 7.6 |
| Wohnzimmer | Klagenfurt | Late Bar | 7.6 |
| Zum Augustin | Klagenfurt | Beer Hall | 7.5 |
| Vertigo | Klagenfurt | Late Bar | 7.5 |
| Exxtrablatt | Linz | Basement Café Bar | 8.3 |
| Thusen Tak | Linz | Rock Pub | 7.9 |
| KV KAPU | Linz | Culture Centre | 7.8 |
| Stieglbrau am Klosterhof | Linz | Beer Hall | 7.7 |
| CulturCafé Smaragd | Linz | Alternative Bar | 7.6 |
| PLATO | Linz | Craft Beer Bar | 7.5 |
| Augustiner Kloster Mulln | Salzburg | Beer Hall | 8.6 |
| Whiskey Museum | Salzburg | Theme Pub | 8.0 |
| Zipfer Bierhaus | Salzburg | Gaststätte | 7.8 |
| Kanguruh | Vienna | Kneipe | 8.9 |
| Café Bendl | Vienna | Alternative Bar | 8.7 |
| Jazzland | Vienna | Jazz Bar | 8.7 |
| Bockshorn Irish Pub | Vienna | Theme Pub | 8.6 |
| Stehbeisl | Vienna | Late Bar | 8.5 |
| Gutruf | Vienna | Gaststätte | 8.3 |
| Loos American Bar | Vienna | Cocktail Bar | 8.3 |
| Kaffee Alt Wein | Vienna | Café Bar | 8 |
| Hawelka | Vienna | Café | 7.6 |
| Gösser Bierklinik | Vienna | Gaststätte | 7.6 |
| Zum Holunderstrauch | Vienna | Gaststätte | 7.6 |
| Brendl | Vienna | Alternative Bar | 7.5 |
| Trzesniewski | Vienna | Snack Bar | 7.5 |
| Philosopher Bier Bar | Vienna | Kneipe | 7.5 |
| 7Stern Bräu | Vienna | Brewpub | 7.5 |
| Tanzcafe Jenseits | Vienna | Late Bar | 7.5 |
| 1516 Brewing Company | Vienna | Brewpub | 7.5 |
| Salm Bräu | Vienna | Brewpub | 7.5 |
Bregenz // pop. 26,303
Nightlife Rating: ❤️
Typically poor and quiet, even on Saturdays, with a generally under-par stock of mainstream bars. I suspect even when it gets busy in summer, the complete lack of an alternative scene or indeed genuine pubs still stands out. The town is fine, even if the train tracks spoil the lakeside front, but for going out, it's one to avoid.
Feldkirch // pop. 36,201
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
A distractingly pretty little town that perhaps doesn't get its dues. You can effortly enjoy an exploration of the classical compact old town and its castle, while the pub options are at least reasonable unlike Bregenz. Deceptively large, its wider suburbs are barely noticeable.
Graz // pop. 283,869
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Graz, by contrast is one of Austria's most casual and fun cities with a distinctive Yugoslavian influence and laid back attitude, enhanced by concentrated compact city centre which acts as a natural crucible as well as a University campus located close by. Their 'Bauzatzlokale' kit bars are distinct to the city - informal drinking holes where you create your own meal from various components.
Klagenfurt // pop. 102,527
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
Like many Austrian cities, Klagenfurt suffers from being so prim and proper. Some of its pubs are just too restauranty, while what scuzzy counter-culture there is, is not among the best. Craft beer has yet to heavily land here either (although that is a problem even in Vienna). In amongst that though, there are a handful of decent examples of their style - a bohemian bar, a central institution beer hall (with an actual Schanke for drinking) and an atmospheric late bar for music and fun. The big one, Pumpe eluded us on our one and only visit due to being closed at 3pm on a Saturday - preposterous. However, it does look like the best venue in the city.
Linz // pop. 203,012
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
Linz is a potted Vienna, upright and stylish but signs of life are to be found in little clutches. It will not strike you as a natural party or bohemian destination, with most funds directed to high society venues, provincial insecurity perhaps. However, there is fun to be had if you know where to look.
Salzburg // pop. 152,367
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Boasting one of central Europe's most iconic beer halls, a superb gregarious juxtaposition to what is an otherwise pretty, fussy city. Don't expect to find lanes studded with great bars here, with Irish pubs doing an upsetting amount of heavy lifting given this is the year 2024. Muted wine bars, and slightly overbearing late night bar-cum-clubs with very little in between. Still, if you're here only for a night or two, there's enough to explore.
Vienna // pop. 1,897,000
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
In Vienna city centre you'll require guidance to seek out drinking holes that aren't stuffy Beisls with tablecloths, silver service and expensive dining. They are out there though, and a few remaining slices of 'Alt Wien' liven things up considerably, including Viennese Cafés, some of which are the bohemian antithesis of the high society it displays to tourists.
Further out, nightlife in Neubau and WestBahnhof is lively and you'll come to learn this is a city of neighbourhoods rather than one with a central nightlife hub. Craft Beer has barely taken off which is such a bizarre thing to say about a large city close to Brno, Bratislava, Budapest. Vienna is tough nut to crack, but there is a rich, if thin seam of quality running across the city. Look out for Heurigers north of the city - a unique venue to Austria, family-run wineries which stretch from fine dining to pleasingly rustic farmhouse type fare.
Villach // pop. 61,221
Nightlife Rating: ❤️
A typical pretty, tame, reserved small Austrian city without many good drinking destinations for its size - not much surprise there. However, in the centre you will find a couple of good bolt holes - providing they are open on the day you are staying they will keep you busy for 1 night at least.
Nightlife Rating: ❤️
Typically poor and quiet, even on Saturdays, with a generally under-par stock of mainstream bars. I suspect even when it gets busy in summer, the complete lack of an alternative scene or indeed genuine pubs still stands out. The town is fine, even if the train tracks spoil the lakeside front, but for going out, it's one to avoid.
Feldkirch // pop. 36,201
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
A distractingly pretty little town that perhaps doesn't get its dues. You can effortly enjoy an exploration of the classical compact old town and its castle, while the pub options are at least reasonable unlike Bregenz. Deceptively large, its wider suburbs are barely noticeable.
Graz // pop. 283,869
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Graz, by contrast is one of Austria's most casual and fun cities with a distinctive Yugoslavian influence and laid back attitude, enhanced by concentrated compact city centre which acts as a natural crucible as well as a University campus located close by. Their 'Bauzatzlokale' kit bars are distinct to the city - informal drinking holes where you create your own meal from various components.
Klagenfurt // pop. 102,527
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
Like many Austrian cities, Klagenfurt suffers from being so prim and proper. Some of its pubs are just too restauranty, while what scuzzy counter-culture there is, is not among the best. Craft beer has yet to heavily land here either (although that is a problem even in Vienna). In amongst that though, there are a handful of decent examples of their style - a bohemian bar, a central institution beer hall (with an actual Schanke for drinking) and an atmospheric late bar for music and fun. The big one, Pumpe eluded us on our one and only visit due to being closed at 3pm on a Saturday - preposterous. However, it does look like the best venue in the city.
Linz // pop. 203,012
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️
Linz is a potted Vienna, upright and stylish but signs of life are to be found in little clutches. It will not strike you as a natural party or bohemian destination, with most funds directed to high society venues, provincial insecurity perhaps. However, there is fun to be had if you know where to look.
Salzburg // pop. 152,367
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Boasting one of central Europe's most iconic beer halls, a superb gregarious juxtaposition to what is an otherwise pretty, fussy city. Don't expect to find lanes studded with great bars here, with Irish pubs doing an upsetting amount of heavy lifting given this is the year 2024. Muted wine bars, and slightly overbearing late night bar-cum-clubs with very little in between. Still, if you're here only for a night or two, there's enough to explore.
Vienna // pop. 1,897,000
Nightlife Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
In Vienna city centre you'll require guidance to seek out drinking holes that aren't stuffy Beisls with tablecloths, silver service and expensive dining. They are out there though, and a few remaining slices of 'Alt Wien' liven things up considerably, including Viennese Cafés, some of which are the bohemian antithesis of the high society it displays to tourists.
Further out, nightlife in Neubau and WestBahnhof is lively and you'll come to learn this is a city of neighbourhoods rather than one with a central nightlife hub. Craft Beer has barely taken off which is such a bizarre thing to say about a large city close to Brno, Bratislava, Budapest. Vienna is tough nut to crack, but there is a rich, if thin seam of quality running across the city. Look out for Heurigers north of the city - a unique venue to Austria, family-run wineries which stretch from fine dining to pleasingly rustic farmhouse type fare.
Villach // pop. 61,221
Nightlife Rating: ❤️
A typical pretty, tame, reserved small Austrian city without many good drinking destinations for its size - not much surprise there. However, in the centre you will find a couple of good bolt holes - providing they are open on the day you are staying they will keep you busy for 1 night at least.