TOP 8
Boho barsCAFÉ EUROPA
BEST FOR: A NIGHTCAP
Zollergasse, a side street in the 7 th district,
has blossomed with lively cafes after it was
recently pedestrianised. Europa, one of the
oldest and the overwhelming favourite, has
modernist primary-colour seating and is
so lively that residents overlooking it have
been known to move their bedrooms to avoid
the noise. Patrons — old teetotalers, young
cocktail-swillers — all seem to know the
friendly staff. Best of all, Europa stays open
most nights until 5am. cafeeuropa.atKAFFEE ALT WIEN
BEST FOR: A CLASSIC BEER
This old-school, family business has
smartened up since the days when cigarette
smoke stained its walls brown. Today, those
walls are plastered with film posters, much
like a Parisian brasserie, though if you ask
for a glass of French rosé, you’ll be deemed
‘fancy’. The menu is short and unpretentious,
offering house reds, whites, brandy and a few
beers on tap. You could do worse than a cold
Schladminger lager, brewed in the mountains
near Salzburg. kaffeealtwien.atTÜR 7
BEST FOR: INVENTIVE COCKTAILS
Find your way to the unsigned ‘door 7’ on
nondescript Buchfeldgasse and ring for entry.
It sounds like a pretentious way to start the
night, yet this shoebox speakeasy provides a
warm welcome. While the chummy doorman
hangs up your coat, the bartender will strike
up a conversation and design a bespoke
cocktail based on what he learns about you
(I got vodka, bitters, chartreuse and Corsican
Escubac). Plus, you’ll enjoy free popcorn at
your velvet banquette. tuer7.atMQ LIBELLE
BEST FOR: GRAND VIEWS
On the roof of the Leopold Museum, MQ
Libelle is billed as a viewing platform and
art venue, where a free lift will take you up to
the panorama of domes and spires that make
up central Vienna’s skyline. Stay for a glass
of Austrian white wine at one of the outdoor
tables, priced very reasonably at around
€3.50 (£3). Time your visit for night, when
Brigitte Kowanz’s permanent neon sculptures
switch on and the whole place glows.
mqw.at/ihr-besuch/mq-libelleFrom left: Kaffee Alt Wien, where the
walls are adorned with classic posters;
a redcurrant aperitif at Spelunke; a
DJ plays electronic music at Donau
Techno, a club found behind an
unmarked door near MuseumsQuartier