Danube Canal Area Vienna – All our local tips

15 years ago a nice little coffee shop was founded in the young university district. But it was not a “normal” coffee shop: Due to Café Berg`s connection with the bookstore “Löwenherz“, which is specialized on gay literature, the spot became a hotspot of the queer-, transgender-community.

But not only gay people love Berg: It is one of the loveliest coffee houses in the district, where organic (and fair trade) food is served, where you do not pay a fortune and everyone is easygoing. A non-smoking-area and a little garden for the warmer seasons exist as well.

Apart from the changing menus full of national and international dishes, the waiters take also care of your dogs – they even have special “doggy-bags” for our hairy friends. As a fan of brunches, I am always thankful for cafés serving breakfast until 15:00 like Berg does.

The whole place is equipped with wireless, but – and this is a little drawback – you have to pay for it: €1 for 30 min, €1,50 for 60 min.

Are you already a fan of the spot now? Then do not hesitate to order one of the “Berg”-fan-T-Shirts and equipment via their website, which is also in English.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café Berg | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Austrian) | Main from € 7.00
Berggasse 8 | Danube Canal Area | +4313195720
Summer 10:00 – 00:00 daily (warm dishes till 23:00), October 10:00 – 01:00

“Let’s go to the Flex”, is a phrase mostly used in the winter. “Let’s go in front of the Flex” is often heard on warm days. The reasons are the many wooden tables and benches in front of the club, where you can sit drinking beer from the outside bar called Flex Cafe or beverages you brought yourself (a lot of people do it but you should be at least a little discrete about it) and enjoy the good old dirty Danube canal right next to you.

What makes sitting outside very attractive is the free access to the toilets, which, for the girls at least, has candy all over the walls (only behind a glass plate).

If you would like to see the Flex from the inside, you will have to pay entry more often than not (which varies according to the event). It is a place where you have to check out the program beforehand to know what to expect, but be sure, no matter if it is Rock or Electronic music, it’s not the popular one you can hear on a regular radio station. As a consequence, you may spot a lot of freaky people.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Flex | Bars, Music | Beer € 3.50
Am Donaukanal Abgang Augartenbrücke | Danube Canal Area | +4315337525
19:00 – 04:00 daily

Organic food shop, restaurant and take-away, “Gesundes” is all in one providing space for 15 people for having lunch at the same time. It is a really tiny spot close to Schwedenplatz and you would not find it without insider-hints. Since its opening in 2001, “Gesundes” has become one of the top spots guaranteeing both delicious and healthy food.

Alexandra Adler, the owner of “Gesundes”, and her team are daily (except Sunday) preparing a lunch menu for guests and take-aways. The dishes are made from organic food, vegetarian and based on the 5 elements, TCM nutritional system, to give as much energy as possible. You get soup and a main dish in small portion or in the bigger version for quite a good price considering the ingredients – either to eat it there or as take-away.

If you feel like cooking yourself, there´s the opportunity to buy lots of vegetables, fruits, corn, spices and much more in “Gesundes” as well. To complete the package, you can also take part in the regular cooking courses and / or get a coaching what to eat from Alexandra. And for German speaking people who are interested in all the things around “Gesundes”, I can recommend this blog: www.gesundess.blogspot.com

It is all for your best, isn´t it?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Gesundes | Shopping, Restaurants (Organic) | Daily menu from € 8.90
Lilienbrunngasse 3 | Danube Canal Area | +4312195322
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 15:00 (Food from 11:30 – 14:00)

If an Italian living in Vienna says that this is the best Pizza in town, do you have any doubts about that?

Pizza’ Mari is a minimalist pizzeria, no kitsch on the walls, no Eros Ramazotti as background music, no Austrianised Italian dishes, just Pizza, the basic of the basics. If you are looking for a Pizza Fantasia or Pizza Hawaii you are definitely at the wrong place, there are Austrians, Arabs, Turks and many more selling this kind of Pizza on every corner, but not here!

They have plenty of space inside and if you are lucky you’ll find on a nice day even a free table outside. Watch out, as they pizza makers are Italians, they do ferragosto, which means they go to the beach in August, so no Pizza!

Best choice: a beer and a Pizza Margherita and you will be the happiest person… and please don’t order Cappuccino after dinner (as you wouldn’t be ordering cornflakes after dinner!)

Now repeat after me: “No more cappuccino after dinner, no more pizza Hawaii and please, for God’s sake, don’t ask for ketchup never ever!”

Buon appetito!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pizza Mari’ | Restaurants (Pizza) | Margherita € 6.80
Leopoldsg 23a | Danube Canal Area | +436766874994
Tue – Sat 12:00 -14:30 & 18:00 – 00:00

The first question which came up when we discovered the place was: Why they call it the “beautiful pearl”? The answer we found on their website! Apparently the place was a former Chinese restaurant called like that, and when they discovered what great minimaistl architecture was hidden in this place, they simple decided to keep the name.

The Restaurant of the “beautiful pearl”, is a good choice for those who pay attention to where it comes their food from! Organic meat and mainly Austrian products are served, though their mussels are another favorite. Dishes are inspired from all around the world and the Karmeliter Market around the corner.

The place is quite simple, minimalist, but always full. Food is served from 11:00 until 23:00 by the friendly and warm staff. Also coffee and drinks are of good quality. As the location is quite spacious you might find family gatherings and young children playing around.

During weekdays (from 12.00 – 18.00) they offer two lunch menus  for € 6,90.

A favorite dish of Daniela: Ratatouille of Beans and Pumpkins with pita bread. A favorite of Giamba: Yummy deep-fried Brie with tartar sauce and cranberries!

Guten Appetit!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Schöne Perle | Restaurants (Austrian) | Main dish from € 5.00
Corner Leopold/Grosse Pfarrgasse | Danube Canal Area
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 00:00