World City Guide

Nightlife

The most popular cluster of bars is around the Bermuda Dreieck (Bermuda Triangle), the old Jewish Quarter, in the area around Ruprechtskirche. Other districts with fewer tourists include the Spittelberg area, around Amerlinghaus (in the Seventh and Eighth Districts) and in the Fourth District, adjacent to the Naschmarkt. A lot of the best places in Vienna will not be obvious to tourists, as they are strictly marketed at the locals and are not necessarily in the centre of town. Quite a few clubs are filled with ‘schicki-micki’ (style-conscious) partygoers and many of these venues operate choosy door policies, where the beautiful or the correctly dressed waltz past the queue. Alternatives to the club and bar scene abound – hip and trendy Viennese still enjoy traditional favourites, such as Heurigen and the city’s many balls.

Clubs generally stay open until 0200 during the week and 0400 on the weekend, although there is considerable variation. For late, late nights, there are quite a few bars in the First District that are open until 0300, 0400 or even later. The legal drinking age is 18 years. A beer costs, in general, between ¬3 and ¬4, rising to ¬4.50/5 for a small beer in more upmarket bars and clubs.

For information on what kind of sound and crowd to expect on any given night of the week, pick up the Der Falter listings paper (website: www.falter.at) or check out the online information on the club scene (website: www.rave.at).

Balls: The ball season takes place during Fasching, Vienna’s winter carnival season from New Year’s Eve until the beginning of Lent. Of the 300 or so balls, the most prestigious are the New Year’s Eve Imperial Ball and the Opera Ball. The latter is the highlight of the Viennese social calendar and takes place in the elegant surroundings of the Staatsoper, Hanuschgasse 3 (website: www.wiener-staatsoper), on the Thursday before Shrove Tuesday. Waltzers in long gowns and dinner jackets twirl under chandeliers, recalling the splendour and romance of a bygone era. New Year’s Eve is marked not only by the Kaiserball (Imperial Ball) in the Hofburg, Innerer Burghof 1, Kaisertor (website: www.hofburg.com/d/va), but also by the conversion of the city centre into the world’s largest ballroom.

Bars: The American Bar, Kärntnerdurchgang 1, lies just off Kärntnerstrasse. Designed by the famous Austrian architect, Adolf Loos, in 1908, it is a small, quiet space that serves as a good getaway from the crowds. The Spittelberg area (Seventh District) is dotted with bars, including the perennially popular Amerlingsbeisl, Stiftgasse 8, with its leafy garden, and Blue Box, Richtergasse 8 (website: www.ping.at/bluebox), which hosts a different DJ each night. The Bermuda Triangle, in the Jewish area around Schwedenplatz, also contains many attractive bars. Other popular spots include Café Europa, Zollergasse 8, and Chelsea, Lerchenfeldergürtel 29–31 (website: www.silverserver.co.at/chelsea), situated under the S-Bahn arches, with regular live concerts and football by satellite from England.

Casinos: The Casino Wien, Palais Esterházy, Kärntnerstrasse 41 (website: www.casino-wien.at), is the most central of Vienna’s casinos. Casino Wien opens at 1500 and admission is free. The minimum age for admission is 18 years and either an identity card or passport must be shown. Games include roulette, blackjack and poker, as well as 184 slot machines. Dress is smart.

Clubs: One of the hottest clubs in Vienna is Volksgarten, Burgring 1 (on the Ringstrasse), which offers raves on Friday and Saturday from 2200 until late in the morning and draws a very dressed-up crowd. Flex, Augartenbrücke (website: www.flex.at), draws ravers and all sorts of alternative types, while U4, Schönbrunner Strasse 222, is still going strong, with a different theme every night of the week. P1, Rotgasse, is a popular spot for a (very) young international crowd. Club Roxy, Faulmanngasse 4, Lindbergh, Mahlerstrasse 11, and Atrium, Schwindgasse 4, are also worth checking out for a change from the techno scene – the music at these venues tends to be the latest dance hits and nothing too heavy.

Coffee Houses (Kaffeehäuser): The coffee shops are an essential part of Viennese life. For the price of a coffee – anything upwards of ¬2 – one can sit for hours with the papers, some work, a book, or just watching the world go by. The new ‘szene houses’ attract a young, trendy crowd. Stein, Währingerstrasse 6–8; website: www.cafe-stein.com), is the king of the new style, with minimalist decor, Internet facilities, veggie fare and all-day breakfasts. Café Demel, Kohlmarkt 14, is the best and most expensive of the old-style cafés – the pastries are not to be missed.

Heurigen: Originally the Viennese word for the wine of the latest harvest, the word heuriger now also refers to the place where this wine is sold. Each heuriger can only sell the wine produced on its own estate – and only for a maximum of 300 days per year. Although it is possible to have heurigen in the centre of the city, the best locations are in the small villages in the Tenth to 23rd Districts, such as Grinzing, Nussdorf, Heiligenstadt, Sievering and Stammersdorf. See also Restaurants.

Live music: A converted porn cinema, Porgy & Bess, Riemengasse 11 (website: www.porgy.or.at), near the Stubentor U-bahn stop, is now Vienna’s best jazz club. Clair Piano Bar, Naglergasse 23, and Jazzland, Franz-Josefs-Kai 23 (website: www.jazzland.at), both offer what their names suggest. Open-air concerts are held on the Donauinsel (Danube Island) in summer, while larger rock concerts are performed at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Meiereistrasse 2. The main indoor venue for large acts is the Wiener Stadthalle, Vogelweidplatz 14 (website: www.stadthalle.com).