To experience the best bars in Vienna , you need to know where to look. It's easy enough to order a Pilsner in one of the city’s grand cafés or a glass of local wine in a traditional heuriger tavern – but to experience the Austrian capital's contemporary drinks and cocktail culture, the bars are the places to know about. Below, find some of the best bars in the city, from rooftop party spots to hidden speakeasies.
The 7th district is Vienna’s Shoreditch, and so it’s awash with natural wines – this bar, a spin-off from wine shop Weinskandal that opened in 2022, is a case in point. With its patchwork counter backdrop made of coloured glass, terrazzo table tops and enormous Basquiat-style painting – not to mention the Mexican lucha libre mascot – this is a poster child for the scene. “We’re about showing wines outside the mainstream to a broader audience and making natural wine as accessible as possible,” says Stephan Martin, one of the three owners.
“As for the logo – luche libre stands for freedom, resistance and pop culture, which is what our motto is.” There are around 40 bottles open at any one time, and many more on the list – many from Austria, such as the Burgenland pet nat, or nearby countries, with Lake Balaton furmints and Moravian skin contact on the menu. Pull up a chair by the bar, ask for advice from the bartenders, and order a plate of croquetas jamon, fried oyster mushrooms or puntarelle with anchovy dressing, which is just the righ.
