Some evenings don't need a plan, just a good wine list and time. Vienna's wine bar scene has diversified enormously over the past few years, from natural wine bars to a historic cellar with six vaulted rooms.
O boufés: The City's First Wine Bistro
The strongest evening out is promised by O boufés, Konstantin Filippou's spot at Dominikanerbastei 17. The city's first wine bistro to pair serious cooking consistently with natural wines, and it still has an atmosphere other places envy come midnight. Sommelier Ester Sökjer-Petersen curates a list that pairs Austrian natural wines with international discoveries.
Heunisch & Erben: 1,500 Wines on the List
Anyone looking for depth will find it at Heunisch & Erben on Landstraßer Hauptstraße 17 in the third district. 1,500 wines on the list, more than a hundred available by the glass, a list you want to work through from front to back.
Vinifero and Pub Klemo: Natural Wine and Variety
For natural wine enthusiasts, Vinifero, with locations at Karmeliterplatz 2 in the second district and Otto-Bauer-Gasse 16 in the sixth, is the right address. Enrico and Claire are trained winemakers with a deep commitment to biodynamic and low intervention growing methods.
In the fifth district, Pub Klemo on Margaretenstraße 61 combines a wine bar and shop in a charming way. 3,000 wines in stock, around a hundred available by the glass, with a list that changes weekly.
The Wine Bar at Palais Coburg and Eulennest
The most legendary address for wine depth is the wine bar at Palais Coburg on Coburgbastei 4. Six historic cellars, thousands upon thousands of bottles, from Grüner Veltliner to the best Champagnes to rare Bordeaux.
In the fourth district, Eulennest on Operngasse 30 invites you to linger with a rotating wine list, knowledgeable staff, and inventive tapas.
Anyone wanting to experience the history of sparkling wine up close should visit the Schlumberger Kellerwelten on Heiligenstädter Straße 39: vaults more than 300 years old, with tours through the secrets of the traditional method.
Between the natural wine niche and a centuries old vaulted cellar, Vienna's wine bars can easily turn one glass into an entire evening.