North-west around the university and Servitenviertel: Pramerl & the Wolf's Michelin star on Pramergasse, MAST Weinbistro and Gragger & Cie's wood-fired sourdough on Berggasse, plus the city's strongest student-cafe density.
Wolfgang Zankl-Sertl's Pramerl & the Wolf on Pramergasse in Vienna's Alsergrund holds a Michelin star for a tight, six-course Austrian tasting served in a 24-seat room.
Order: The full chef tasting; the kitchen runs one menu only.
Tip: The room only seats around two dozen; weeknights are easier to book than Saturdays.
Helmut Gragger's wood-fired sourdoughs on Berggasse in Vienna's Alsergrund are baked in a clay-tile oven, the bread by far the most distinctive crumb-on-crust in the city.
Tip: The Hausbrot loaf is the workhorse; the rye is the kitchen's most-defended bake.
Worth the queue: Wood-fired Hausbrot
Jonas Reindl on Waehringer Strasse in Vienna's Alsergrund is one of the city's most consistent specialty roasters, the Schottentor branch tied to the roastery on Westbahnstrasse in Neubau.
Tip: The Westbahnstrasse roastery does roastery tours by appointment; book through the website.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
MAST Weinbistro on Porzellangasse in Vienna's Alsergrund is Matthias Pitra and Steve Breitzke's natural-wine bistro, the Servitenviertel address with a Bib Gourmand kitchen under chef Martin Schmid.
Signature pour: Burgenland Pinot Noir by the glass
Wine focus: Natural and organic, Austrian and European
Food: Seasonal bistro, Bib Gourmand
Tip: Lunch service runs midday Wednesday to Friday; the weekend service is dinner only.
Botanical Garden on Kolingasse in Vienna's Alsergrund is a basement speakeasy under Cafe Stein, the dark nautical room entered through a black door inside the cafe upstairs.
Signature drink: Botanical Garden
Food: No food
Tip: Cash only; ring the doorbell on the side or enter through Cafe Stein's black door.
The Sign Lounge on Liechtensteinstrasse in Vienna's Alsergrund is the Kan Zuo team's neon-and-velvet flagship, ranked in Asia's bar lists and a top-10 fixture of Vienna cocktail rankings.
Signature drink: Vienna Old Fashioned
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Booking essential at weekends; the upstairs Living Room runs a tighter, calmer carte than the main bar.
Der Wiener Deewan on Liechtensteinstrasse in Vienna's Alsergrund runs a pay-what-you-want Pakistani buffet, the curry-and-rice carte one of the city's most-loved student-budget rooms.
Try: Pay-what-you-want Pakistani buffet
Tip: Pay-what-you-want for food only; drinks are charged. Cash welcome and most appreciated.
Beaver Brewing on Liechtensteinstrasse in Vienna's Alsergrund is a tiny brewpub run by an American-Czech brewer, the menu of 16 rotating taps the city's deepest American-craft range.
Tip: Cash and card; the kitchen runs Czech-American crossover plates, the buffalo wings come with house hot sauce.
Der Wiener Deewan on Liechtensteinstrasse in Vienna's Alsergrund runs a pay-what-you-want Pakistani buffet, drinks charged separately, the city's loved student-budget room since 2005.
Try: Pay-what-you-want Pakistani buffet
Tip: Pay what you want for food; drinks are charged. The buffet is replenished through 22:00.