Austrian-born chef Eduard Frauneder, chef and co-owner of NYC’s Austrian hot spots Edi & the Wolf, Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar, and the new cocktail bar, The Third Man, just returned from a trip to Vienna. Here, he shares his favorite places.
Naschmarkt (Linke & Rechte Wienzeile, Monday – Saturday) a market area in the 6th district over the Wein river, runs from the Secession building for nearly ten blocks! This market has been around since the 16th century, and when I’m in town its my go-to for Vienna’s best produce and lots of great, inexpensive cafes and restaurants. Look for Deli am Naschmarkt (04, Naschmarkt 421-436; 43/(0) 1 585 08 23), my favorite, and order the exotic salad with chicken.
While in Vienna, you can’t miss Grinzing, a bordering suburb where you’ll find the Heurigers that inspired Edi & the Wolf. We grew up hanging at these traditional Austrian wine taverns, known for their “gemütlichkeit,” or coziness.
A must is a Sachertorte (see the AFAR story), a chocolate cake with apricot filling at the Hotel Sacher (Philharmonikerstraße 4; 43/(0) 1 51 45 60). This five-star hotel is a Vienna landmark, and also houses an art gallery with some beautiful works from the 19th century.
Five minutes from the hotel, you can’t miss Loos Bar (Kärntner Durchgang 10; 43/(0) 1 512 32 83), Vienna’s coolest and oldest bar in the city center. Designed by Adolf Loos over 100 years ago, the place has hardly changed. Historically, it’s known as a hang out for the art nouveau artists and writers of the early 20th century. [My partner] Wolfgang [Ban] and I used this place as inspiration for The Third Man.
Go to Museumsquartier where you’ll find most of the city’s best museums and some top-notch restaurants. It’s a very impressive and wide open space with some beautiful architecture, both Baroque and modern.
And of course, there’s Restaurant Steirereck (Am Heumarkt 2A; 43/(0) 1 713 31 68), Austria’s best restaurant, an award-winning spot all about indigenous sourcing and reviving forgotten dishes. They have a more casual area on the ground floor called “Meierei,” or Milk Bar, which can be a bit easier to get into. If you’re game for an excursion, they have a Blue Hill at Stone Barns concept in Styria, Steirereck am Pogusch (Pogusch 21, A-8625 Turnau; 43/(0) 3863 2000), about a 3-hour drive outside Vienna.
