4 Vienna Heurigers for the Outdoor Season

By Tas TóbiásLast updated: May. 7, 2024

Vienna: a city of wine. The only metropolis in the world with massive vineyards. You can taste the wines at the Heurigers – unpretentious taverns near the vineyards. Below, you'll find a few of my favorites, some closer to the city, others high up on the hillside. The local specialty is the Gemischter Satz, a white blend made from different grapes that were grown and harvested together.

#1 Edlmoser Weingut & Heuriger

If the well-known Heurigers of Vienna’s District 19 in Grinzing and Nussdorf feel overly touristy, I suggest you head to Mauer on the other side of town. Here hides the beloved neighborhood Heuriger of Michael Edlmoser, a leading Viennese winemaker.

Edlmoser himself is among the servers who slalom through the crowd with Liptauer spreads, tender pork belly slices, and apple strudels in hand. And of course wines. Start with his classic Wiener Gemischter Satz, then move on to the Rieslings, among the best in Austria. Be sure to check their calendar – look for asg’steckt – as they follow the Heuriger tradition and open for two-week intervals at a time.

#2 Heuriger Muth

Heuriger Muth is the name if you'd like to experience a typical Heuriger in the center of Heurigerville, that is, the Grinzing neighborhood of Vienna's District 19. Enter through the barrel-vaulted courtyard, select some cold cuts and spreads – spicy Liptauer! – from the display case, then settle down under the soaring chestnut tree with a glass or two of easy-drinking Gemischter Satz, the local specialty.

Proprietor Michael Landrichter, also busy serving guests, gathered an especially kind group of servers. Muth, which isn't overrun by tourists, serves excellent warm dishes, too. Vienna's main Beethoven Museum is right next door.

#3 Wieninger am Nussberg

Wieninger am Nussberg is one of the growing number of Heurigers in Vienna that are located high up on the hillside. The panoramic views and a carefree environment right amid the vineyards draw young and chic and sometimes rowdy locals, who otherwise turn up their noses at the old-school Heurigers in the city.

The wines come from Fritz Wieninger, a father of Viennese winemaking, who makes both excellent whites – Gemischter Satz, too, of course – and easy-drinking reds. Tasty Viennese classics are available for the side. The best way to get here from the city center is taking tram #37 to the last stop (Hohe Warte), then walking the remainder of the way, about 30 minutes. The last section right through the vineyards. Open Thursday to Sunday in the outdoor season.

#4 Weinstube Josefstadt

Heurigers are a Vienna specialty: charming wine taverns in the suburbs, near the city’s famed vineyards. What if you don't have the time or energy to trek out to Grinzing and Nussberg in Heuriger-land? You find the best alternative in the city, which is Weinstube Josefstadt. It's a small drinking joint in the elegantly old-school District 8, with residential houses towering over its ivy-covered outdoor garden.

While technically not a Heuriger – they don't make their own wine – the place looks and feels like one. Both its Gemischter Satz and Blaufränkisch-forward wine offerings and the foods lined up behind the glass display: meatballs, roast pork belly, egg and Liptauer spreads, apple, and cottage-cheese strudels. Weinstube Josefstadt retires for the cold months, from November until February.