AUSTRIA - Best of Europe 2014 - page 112

Biobar von Antun Vegetarian Restaurant is a cheery and earthy little place with an
€8 or €11 lunch special and hearty €10 salads, plenty of vegan options, and the fancy juices
you'd expect (daily 12:00-23:00, on Judenplatz at Drahtgasse 3, tel. [phone]).
Esterhazykeller, both ancient and popular, has traditional fare deep underground. For a
cheap and sloppy buffet, climb down to the lowest level. This wine cellar, which dates back
to 1683, comes with a hearty deli counter. While the food is self-serve (a meal-sized plate
costs around €10),you'll order drinks at yourtable. Fortable service from a pricier menu on
a pleasant square, sit outside (Mon-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 16:00-23:00, may close for lunch
in Aug-Sept and/or in bad weather, just below Am Hof at Haarhof 1, tel. [phone]).
The outdoor seating at Hopferl Bierhof on the same square might be a better option if
it's hot and you're in the mood for a beer. It can offer a heartier value and nicer ambience
(daily 11:30-24:00, Naglergasse 13, tel. [phone]).
JuliusMeinlamGraben, aposhsupermarketwithtwofloorsoftemptationsrightonthe
Graben, has been famous since 1862 as a top-end delicatessen with all the gourmet fancies.
Assembleamealfromthepicnicfixingsontheshelves.There'salsoacafé,withlightmeals
andgreatoutdoorseating;astuffyandpriceyrestaurantupstairs;andatake-outcounterwith
good benches for people-watching while you munch (shop open Mon-Fri 8:00-19:30, Sat
9:00-18:00, closed Sun; restaurant open Mon-Sat until 24:00, closed Sun; Am Graben 19,
tel. [phone]).
Near the Opera
(See “Restaurants in Central Vienna” map, here .)
These eateries are within easy walking distance of the Opera (U-1, U-2, or U-4: Karlsplatz).
Café Restaurant Palmenhaus overlooks the Palace Garden (Burggarten—see here ) .
Tucked away in a green and peaceful corner two blocks behind the Opera in the Hofburg's
backyard, this is a world apart. If you want to eat modern Austrian cuisine surrounded by
palm trees rather than tourists, this is the place. And, since it's at the edge of a huge park,
it'sgreatforfamilies.Theirfreshfishwithgenerousvegetablesspecialsareontheboard(€9
lunch plates available Mon-Fri, €15-18 entrées, open daily 10:00-24:00, serious vegetarian
dishes, fish, extensive fine-wine list, indoors in greenhouse or outdoors, Burggarten 1, tel.
01/533-1033).
Soho Kantine is a grim, government-subsidized cantina serving the National Library
and offering the best cheap, sit-down lunches in the Hofburg. Pay for your meal—your
choice of bland meat or bland vegetarian—and a drink at the bar, take your token to the kit-
chen, and then sit down and eat with the locals (€6 two-course lunch, Mon-Fri 11:30-15:00,
closed Sat-Sun and Aug, hard to find on ground floor of library—opposite the butterflies
in a forlorn little square with no sign, Burggarten, Josefsplatz 1, tel. [phone], mobile
0676-309-5161).