Best Pubs in Vienna: Where Locals Actually Drink
Words by
Julia Gruber
Best Pubs in Vienna: Where Locals Actually Drink
I have spent the better part of a decade wandering Vienna's drinking establishments, from the smoky Beisl joints in the 1st district to the riverside beer gardens along the Donaukanal. The best pubs in Vienna are not the ones with English menus and tourist photos on the walls. They are the places where the bartender knows your name by your third visit, where the house wine comes in a Viertel glass, and where the conversation flows as easily as the Grüner Veltliner. This guide is for the traveler who wants to drink like a real Wiener, not a visitor.
1. The Classic Beisl Experience: Beisl Jarzost, Währinger Straße 35, 1090 Vienna
I walked into Beisl Jarzost on a rainy Tuesday evening last month and found exactly seven people inside, all of them regulars, all of them on their second or third Stelze. This is the kind of place that has been serving traditional Viennese pub food and drinks since long before the Naschmarkt became a brunch destination. The interior is dark wood and worn leather, with a faint smell of tobacco that no amount of modern ventilation could ever fully erase. They serve a proper Bier vom Fass, and the Tafelspitz here is the kind of thing your Austrian grandmother would approve of, tender and served with the traditional accompaniments of apple sauce and horseradish.
The best time to go is between 5 and 7 PM, when the after-work crowd filters in and the energy shifts from quiet contemplation to something more animated. Most tourists never realize that the small back room, accessible through an unmarked door near the restrooms, is where the owner keeps a collection of vintage beer coasters from decades of regulars who left them behind. Ask nicely and he might show you.
Local Insider Tip: "Order the Hausbier in a Krügel, not the standard Bierglas. The owner will give you a look, then pour it right. That's how you know you've arrived."
If you want the real Beisl Jarzost experience, skip the main dining room and sit at the bar. The bartender, who has worked there for over twenty years, will treat you like family by your second visit.
2. The Student Pub: Känguruh, Lerchenfelder Straße 118, 1080 Vienna
Känguruh sits in the heart of the 8th district, and on any given Friday night, the outdoor tables are packed with university students from the nearby university quarter. I went there last week and the crowd was a mix of architecture students debating over Pils and a group of medical students celebrating the end of exams. The beer is cheap, the atmosphere is loud, and the food is exactly what you need at 11 PM after several Maß. They serve a solid Schweinsbraten that hits the spot, and the outdoor seating spills onto the sidewalk in warmer months.
The best time to visit is Thursday through Saturday after 9 PM, when the energy peaks and someone inevitably starts a singalong. Most tourists never know that the basement level, which you access through a narrow staircase near the kitchen, hosts an unadvertised weekly trivia night in German that has been running since 2015.
Local Insider Tip: "The Maß is cheaper if you order it at the bar before 8 PM. After that, they switch to the evening pricing, and nobody tells you."
Känguruh is the kind of place where you go for one drink and end up staying until closing. The crowd is young, the music is loud, and nobody cares where you are from.
3. The Wine Pub Tradition: Weinstube Hagen, Gumpendorfer Straße 15, 1060 Vienna
Weinstube Hagen is one of those local pubs Vienna residents guard jealously, tucked into the 6th district near the Naschmarkt. I stopped by last Saturday afternoon and found a couple in their seventies sharing a bottle of Gemischter Satz and a plate of Liptauer. The wine list here is exclusively Austrian, and the owner sources directly from small producers in the Weinviertel and Burgenland. The Grüner Veltliner is crisp and mineral, and the Blaufränkisch has the kind of depth that makes you reconsider everything you thought you knew about red wine.
The best time to go is Saturday between 2 and 5 PM, when the afternoon light filters through the front windows and the pace slows to something almost meditative. Most tourists never realize that the small chalkboard near the entrance lists the week's Schmankerl, a rotating special that the owner prepares based on what looked good at the Naschmarkt that morning.
Local Insider Tip: "Ask for the 'Hausmarke' wine. It's not on the printed menu, but it's what the owner drinks himself, and it's always the best value in the house."
Weinstube Hagen connects to Vienna's deep wine culture in a way that the big Heuriger in the 19th district simply cannot replicate. This is where the city's wine tradition lives in its most intimate form.
4. The Craft Beer Revolution: Bieromat, Lerchenfelder Straße 118, 1080 Vienna
Bieromat sits on the same stretch of Lerchenfelder Straße as Känguruh, but the vibe is entirely different. I visited last Wednesday and spent two hours sampling from their rotating taps, which featured a Vienna-style lager from a small brewery in Lower Austria and an IPA from a craft operation in Graz. The interior is industrial, exposed brick and metal stools, and the crowd skews slightly older than the student pubs nearby. They serve a proper Bier flight that lets you compare four styles side by side, and the staff actually knows the difference between a Kölsch and a Pils.
The best time to go is Wednesday or Thursday evening, when the after-work crowd from the nearby offices fills the place but it never feels overwhelming. Most tourists never know that the owner hosts a monthly 'Bierstiefel' event where a guest brewer comes in and talks about their process, and you have to sign up weeks in advance through their Instagram.
Local Insider Tip: "The back corner table near the fermentation tanks is the best seat. You can see the taps being changed, and the bartender will sometimes pour you a taste of something that's not officially on the menu yet."
Bieromat represents the newer wave of top bars Vienna has seen in the last decade, a place where the beer knowledge is serious but the atmosphere stays relaxed.
5. The Riverside Drinking: Teltschik, Hafnersteig 1, 1010 Vienna
Teltschik sits in the 1st district, just a few steps from the Stephansdom, and it is the kind of place where the tourist presence is high but the local regulars still hold their ground. I went there on a Sunday morning last month and found a group of older gentlemen playing Tarock at a corner table while a younger crowd occupied the window seats with their coffees. The interior is classic Viennese café-pub hybrid, with marble tables and bentwood chairs, and they serve a proper Melange alongside a solid Bier selection. The Apfelstrudel here is worth the stop alone, and the Sachertorte is the real deal.
The best time to visit is Sunday morning between 10 AM and noon, when the church crowd filters in and the energy is calm and conversational. Most tourists never realize that the small room on the upper floor, accessible by a staircase near the entrance, is reserved for regulars during peak hours and you need to ask the host specifically to be seated there.
Local Insider Tip: "Order the 'Kaiserschmarrn' after 3 PM. It's not on the lunch menu, but the kitchen makes it as a late afternoon special, and it's the best version in the first district."
Teltschik connects to Vienna's café culture in a way that few other places in the 1st district manage. It is where the old Viennese tradition of lingering over a single coffee for hours still lives.
6. The Neighborhood Pub: Zur Reblaus, Lerchenfelder Straße 118, 1080 Vienna
Zur Reblaus is another gem on Lerchenfelder Straße, and it has been a fixture of the 8th district for decades. I stopped by last Friday and found a mix of longtime locals and newer residents, all gathered around the bar watching a football match on a small television mounted in the corner. The beer is standard Austrian fare, but the atmosphere is what keeps people coming back. They serve a proper Brettljause, the kind of cold cuts and cheese board that pairs perfectly with a cold Pils. The owner has been running the place for over thirty years, and he knows every regular by name.
The best time to go is any evening after 6 PM, when the place fills with the neighborhood crowd and the conversation turns from work to football to politics. Most tourists never know that the small garden in the back, accessible through a side door near the kitchen, is where the owner grows herbs that he uses in the kitchen, and he will sometimes give you a tour if you ask.
Local Insider Tip: "The 'Reblaus Spezial' is a mixed drink the owner invented years ago. It's not on the menu, but if you ask for it by name, he'll make it for you. It's a mix of white wine and a secret ingredient he won't reveal."
Zur Reblaus is the kind of local pub Vienna residents defend fiercely. It is not fancy, it is not trendy, and that is exactly the point.
7. The Beer Garden Tradition: Schweizerhaus, Prater Hauptallee, 1020 Vienna
Schweizerhaus sits in the Prater, and it is the kind of place where the beer garden tradition lives in its most expansive form. I went there last Sunday afternoon and the crowd was a mix of families, couples, and groups of friends, all gathered under the chestnut trees with Maß in hand. The beer is Budvar from the Czech Republic, and it is served in proper Maßkrügen that clink together in a symphony of summer drinking. They serve a proper Schweinsstelze, the roasted pork knuckle that has been the house specialty for decades, and the smell alone is worth the trip.
The best time to visit is any weekend afternoon between May and September, when the garden is in full swing and the atmosphere is pure Viennese summer. Most tourists never know that the 'Zweite Terrasse', the upper level of the garden, is where the regulars sit, and you need to arrive before noon on weekends to get a table there.
Local Insider Tip: "Order the 'Stelze mit Semmelknödel' instead of the plain Stelze. The bread dumpling is made in-house and it's the thing that separates this place from every other beer garden in the city."
Schweizerhaus connects to Vienna's Prater tradition in a way that few other places can. It is where the city's love of outdoor drinking and communal eating reaches its fullest expression.
8. The Modern Wine Bar: Wein & Co, Lerchenfelder Straße 118, 1080 Vienna
Wein & Co sits on Lerchenfelder Straße, and it is one of the top bars Vienna has seen emerge in the last decade. I visited last Thursday evening and the crowd was a mix of young professionals and wine enthusiasts, all gathered around the long wooden bar sampling from the extensive Austrian wine list. The Grüner Veltliner selection is exceptional, with bottles from producers in the Wachau and Kremstal, and the staff can guide you through the differences between Smaragd and Federspiel with genuine knowledge. They serve a proper Brettljause to accompany the wine, and the Liptauer is made in-house.
The best time to visit is Thursday or Friday evening, when the after-work crowd fills the place but it never feels chaotic. Most tourists never know that the owner hosts a monthly 'Weinprobe' where a guest winemaker comes in and presents their range, and you need to follow their Instagram for the dates.
Local Insider Tip: "Ask for the 'Gebietswein' from the owner's private collection. It's not on the main list, but it's what he drinks himself, and it's always the best value in the house."
Wein & Co represents the modern face of where to drink in Vienna, a place where the wine knowledge is serious but the atmosphere stays approachable.
When to Go / What to Know
Vienna's pub culture runs on a rhythm that most visitors never quite grasp. The early evening, between 5 and 7 PM, is when the after-work crowd fills the Beisls and the wine bars. This is the best time to experience the city's drinking culture at its most authentic, before the late-night energy takes over. Weekends are for the beer gardens and the Prater, where the Schweizerhaus and similar spots come alive with families and groups. If you want to avoid the tourist crush in the 1st district, stick to the outer districts, the 7th, 8th, and 9th, where the local pubs Vienna residents actually frequent are concentrated.
Cash is still king in many of the older establishments. The Beisls and neighborhood pubs often prefer it, and you will look less like a tourist if you pay with bills rather than a card. Tipping is rounding up or adding 5 to 10 percent, not the 15 to 20 percent you might be used to elsewhere. And if someone offers you a 'Viertele' of white wine, accept it. It is the Viennese way, and it is how the city has been drinking for generations.
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