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Top 5 bars in… Vienna

It may have a staid reputation for coffee and cake, but Austria’s capital offers the discerning drinker a whole host of exciting choices, writes James Lawrence.

SB names the top five bars in Vienna, Austria

It’s early evening, and the Altstadt (old town) buzzes with the sound of boisterous revellers sipping Aperol Spritz and Grüner Veltliner from local vineyards. The atmosphere is lively and welcoming; the setting similarly perfect – neoclassical architecture and stately palaces serve as the ostentatious backdrop to a rapidly escalating party. Meanwhile, café owners clear away their tables after dusk to make way for guest DJs and a thumping soundtrack – an example of the stark contrasts inherent to life in this beguiling city.

This is Vienna, a destination more famous for its waltzes and smoke-­aged coffee houses than world-­class nightlife. Yet this often-misunderstood city has much to offer in terms of after-­hours fun, especially if your idea of a good time is bespoke cocktails, backstreet speakeasy bars, and electronic music. Indeed Vienna’s club and techno scene is increasingly forging an international reputation, and with good reason. The parties range from the chic to the underground, while clubs such as Flex have already attained cult status – hardly what visitors expect from a city that gave us Mozart and Sachertorte.

To get the most out of Vienna’s diverse nightlife you need to keep an open mind and remember that first impressions can be deceptive. Take Café Drechsler, for example, one of Vienna’s seemingly sedate old cafés that transforms into a miniature club venue at weekends. It’s just one of the many surprises in store – clubs and live music venues can be found in all sorts of unlikely locations in Vienna, from boats moored on the Danube, to disused subways and a former sauna. There are also plenty of easy­-to-­spot cafés and bars that line the streets of the Altstadt, while clubbers should head to the arches of the former Stadtbahn railway along the Gürtel, or in warmer months the Danube Canal, which is full of beach bars in the summer. Night owls also make their rounds on the Ringstrasse: at the legendary Volksgarten disco, the nights are long and the morning headaches obligatory.

Click through the following pages to discover the top five bars in Vienna, Austria. 

Café Central

Herrengasse 14

It’s a terrible cliché but also an undeniable fact: Café Central is an unmissable part of any trip to Vienna. Today, visitors willingly pay high prices for a good selection of local craft beers and spirits (and, of course, coffee), eager to soak up the timeless atmosphere.

The Sign Lounge

Liechtensteinstraße 104­106

One of Vienna’s leading cocktail bars, The Sign Lounge is rapidly becoming the destination in which aspiring bartenders cut their teeth. Founded by Chinese­born Kan Zuo, the bar’s talented team of mixologists crafts an astonishing selection of creative inventions, including cocktails that pay homage to the world’s greatest bartenders, such as Louis Eppinger and Erik Lorincz.

Eberts Cocktail Bar

Gumpendorfer 51

Simultaneously a bar and cocktail school, Eberts is another brilliant destination to head to if it’s outstanding drinks you’re after. It’s an upmarket, slick lounge bar that caters to well-heeled locals in search of classy drinks served to a soul soundtrack.

Atmosphere Rooftop Bar and Lounge, Ritz-Carlton Vienna

Schubertring 5­7

Indeed, in a city hardly renowned for its rooftop drinking, this glamorous bar on the eighth floor of the five-star Ritz­Carlton hotel has much to offer, not least the exquisite cocktails and attentive service, led by master bartender Lukas Hochmuth.

Tür 7

Buchfeldgasse 7

Ever since Tür 7 opened in December 2014, Vienna’s barflies have been clambering over themselves to sample Gerhard KozbachTsai’s legendary creations. It’s not easy: there’s no sign on the door and the bar’s website gives little away. But persevere, as Tür 7 is one of Vienna’s finest. Just don’t expect a bar menu or signature cocktails: all of the drinks are individually created on the spot, to the specification of each customer. Limited to 30 guests at one time, Tür 7 is Vienna’s cosiest and most tailored bar experience.

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