Lugeck on Lugeck square in Vienna's first district is the Figlmueller family's wider-menu room: the original veal Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, Backhendl and steaks inside a 14th-century building rebuilt in 1897.
Signature dishes: Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb, Tafelspitz
Must order: Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb; the veal version is what the dish was originally meant to be.
Tip: Less of a crush than the two pork outlets around the corner; book the Schnitzel Academy upstairs to learn the technique.
Address: Lugeck 4, 1010 Wien, Vienna
Meissl & Schadn on Schubertring in Vienna revived a pre-war Ringstrasse name in 2017, the Schnitzel pounded behind an open glass kitchen and served with a tableside lard pour.
Signature: Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb, Boiled beef
Order: Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb in butterschmalz, the kitchen's signature.
Tip: Open daily 12:00 to 23:30, warm kitchen to 22:00; book a ringside table to watch the schnitzel pounder.
Zum Schwarzen Kameel on Bognergasse in Vienna has stood since 1618, the 1901 Jugendstil dining room and front-of-house Stehplatz for canapés a single Gesamtkunstwerk in the heart of the first district.
Signature: Open-faced sandwiches, Tafelspitz
Order: Two or three of the open-faced canapés from the front-counter glass; eat them standing with a glass of Gruener Veltliner.
Tip: The standing-bar at the front is the quick-lunch entry; the dining room behind takes serious bookings.
Paul Ivic's Tian on Himmelpfortgasse in Vienna holds a Michelin star and a Green Michelin Star for vegetarian fine dining, the first vegetable-only dining room to be starred in Austria.
Signature: Vegetarian tasting menu, Beetroot course
Order: The full vegetarian tasting; book the counter to watch the pass.
Tip: Tian Bistro on Schrankgasse in Spittelberg runs the same kitchen's everyday plates at half the price.
Skopik & Lohn on Leopoldsgasse in Vienna's Leopoldstadt cooks modern Viennese classics under Otto Zitko's hand-painted ceiling, the 2nd district's most-recommended room.
Signature: Wiener Schnitzel, Backhendlsalat
Order: Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and lingonberries; the canonical version of the dish.
Tip: Open Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 01:00; the bar at the front runs later than the kitchen behind.
Meissl & Schadn on Schubertring in Vienna revived a pre-war Ringstrasse name in 2017, the Schnitzel pounded behind an open glass kitchen and served with a tableside lard pour.
Signature: Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb, Boiled beef
Order: Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb in butterschmalz, the kitchen's signature.
Tip: Open daily 12:00 to 23:30, warm kitchen to 22:00; book a ringside table to watch the schnitzel pounder.
Zum Schwarzen Kameel on Bognergasse in Vienna has stood since 1618, the 1901 Jugendstil dining room and front-of-house Stehplatz for canapés a single Gesamtkunstwerk in the heart of the first district.
Signature: Open-faced sandwiches, Tafelspitz
Order: Two or three of the open-faced canapés from the front-counter glass; eat them standing with a glass of Gruener Veltliner.
Tip: The standing-bar at the front is the quick-lunch entry; the dining room behind takes serious bookings.
Mochi on Praterstrasse in Vienna's Leopoldstadt cooks informal Japanese plates with the chefs visible at the counter, the second district's most consistent Japanese kitchen.
Signature: Yakitori, Gyudon, Sushi rolls
Order: A yakitori flight from the binchotan grill, plus the gyudon if lunching.
Tip: Tables go fast; book online a week ahead. The takeaway across the street serves the same kitchen.
Heunisch & Erben on Landstrasser Hauptstrasse in Vienna pours over 100 wines by the glass alongside an ambitious four- to nine-course modern menu, the 3rd district's serious wine-and-dine address.
Signature: Tasting menu, Cheese course
Order: Build your own menu, four to nine courses; ask the sommelier for the pairing flight.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only, from 15:00 to 01:00; the summer terrace is the room's best seat.
Paul Ivic's Tian on Himmelpfortgasse in Vienna holds a Michelin star and a Green Michelin Star for vegetarian fine dining, the first vegetable-only dining room to be starred in Austria.
Signature: Vegetarian tasting menu, Beetroot course
Order: The full vegetarian tasting; book the counter to watch the pass.
Tip: Tian Bistro on Schrankgasse in Spittelberg runs the same kitchen's everyday plates at half the price.
