Do you consider yourself a vintage fashionista? Do you also feel the need of conserving the charm of old times by spicing up your outfit with bowler hats and patterned bow ties? Or maybe you’re looking for some super authentic 60′s sunglasses? Then I’m telling you, this is the place to go.

Freistil has always impressed its customers with its widely spread collection of habiliments, old fashioned accessories and souvenirs, both fancy and student budget suitable ones. For those that are excitedly preparing for either going to a classic Viennese ball or want to be top-styled for an elegant opera, visiting this shop offers some real treasures.

Aside from topper hats, flannel vests to colorful umbrellas and oddities such as walking sticks and mustache brushes I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding items you never wished for but need to buy right now.

Of course, in case you’re searching for something special or just need some stylistic advice, there’s always the possibility to ask the nice shop owner who will be happy to provide you with some guidance through the shop and all the background information on the articles there are to share.

But be aware of not losing track of time while exploring!

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Freistil | Shopping | Sunglasses € 30
Judengasse 4 | Danube Canal Area | +4315359477
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 18:00

Some like it hot. Those, and also the other ones of course, love to go to Maschu Maschu.

For those who are familiar with the town’s international cuisine scene one things is clear: Maschu Maschu is one great insider tip when it comes to foreign lunch and snacks. So what’s this spot about? Falafel and a variety of Israeli kitchen, quite simply.

The best things come in small packages, and so does Masch Maschu. The place itself is a real cosy one, outfitted with oriental pictures and collages. If this place happens to be full, there’s also the possibility to visit the other Maschu Maschu in Neubaugasse which is, of course, just as nice!

In the menu you’ll find various Israeli “Health Food” dishes, so besides Falafel you can also get to know Pita, Hummus or Nana Mint tea. Of course there’s also the possibility to round up your meal (and, in case, ease your taste buds) with a sweet and smooth Mango Lassi. Actually there are loads of exotic things to taste and smell, I’m quite sure movie hero Zohan would have liked to stop by and have a bite here.

By the way, on every table you’ll find a choice of Israeli sauces you can spice up your meal with. But caution, some of them are real hotties!

Freely translated from Hebrew “Maschu Maschu” means “Wow, that’s something!” and believe me, you should really trust in the name.

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Maschu Maschu | Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Falafel from € 3.80
Rabensteig 8 | Danube Canal Area | +4315332904
Sun – Wed 11:30 – 00:00 Thu – Sat 11:30 – 04:00

If you ever feel the need of escaping a grey and rainy day in Vienna you’ll be happy to enter this place, where cocktails are still prepared with fresh fruits all year long, delicious spirits tempt your taste buds and a cigar still gives you the feeling of sitting just outside on the veranda of a Cuban hacienda, enjoying the mild and warm wind tumbling your hair and watching the waves roll in.

For a long long time now this has been one of my favourite cocktail bars in Vienna. When I was 16, my friends and I came here quite often, sipping sweet delights (not too strong ones of course) together, surrounded by great Latin rhythms and the spot’s warm and cosy atmosphere.

But don’t worry, coming here you won’t stumble upon loads of youngsters being excited about trying their first Mojitos and Margaritas. Actually there are all kinds of people coming here, from students and night owls up to those that like to suit up every once in a while. Plus, the music’s not too loud, so, not as in many other cocktail bars where there’s the need of using pantomime or sign language, you can easily have a relaxed chat over your cocktails.

So, if you ever feel like having a summery shortbreak, come in here and get drawn into the world of guitar vibes, lime juice dashes and heavenly Daiquiris!

PS: Ladies Night every Tuesday – Thursday!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Ron Con Soda | Bars, Music | Cocktail from € 7.00
Seitenstettengasse 5 | Danube Canal Area | +436503192184
19:00 – 04:00 daily

As the title implicates you’ll find several places within this spot, true to the maxim “Why be satisfied with just running a pub when you can have some many things at one time?”.

Pickwick’s is, above all, a real nice and relaxed Irish pub providing its guests with all kinds of beverages, snacks and music. What I personally love about the spot is that it really gives you a little bit of the feeling of being at home. Creating a great atmosphere, the place is furnished with some cosy armchairs, old fashioned sofas and big shelves filled with loads of books inviting you to stay a little bit longer and delve into English literature masterpieces.

And here’s the kicker: if you feel like exploring the place a little bit further, you should go and see the basement. Down there you’ll be amazed to see that Pickwick’s also houses Vienna’s biggest English video and DVD store, open way longer than all the other stores in town.

And just to make completely sure that guests are kept entertained, there are also weekly happenings such as Quiz Nights, Karaoke and similar..what more could you possibly wish for?

Pickwick’s offers you so many great and interesting things to spend your evenings with, and what’s best about it: every single one of them is worth a visit.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pickwick’s | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Beverage € 3.00
Marc Aurel Straße 16 | Danube Canal Area | +4315330182
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

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, Sun & Holidays 17:00 – 23:00

Madiani is a beautiful small market restaurant at the Karmelitermarkt (just around the corner from Pizza Mari, see the article, and Schöne Perle, check article here) which offers great Georgian food. Who would think that Georgian food can be sooo delicious. I have to admit it was my first time that I even have thought about having Georgian food and I was positive surprised.

The typical mixed Georgian starters with walnuts, beetroot, fresh herbs, beans, aubergines are simple great.

Followed by a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes, mouth-watering!

My favorite dish is the yummy Khachapouri, a sort of filled bread with cheese.

Give it a try and maybe you are lucky to catch one of the live-music evenings.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Madiani | Bars, Restaurants (Georgian) | Menu incl. soup € 9.50
Karmelitermarkt 21-24 | Danube Canal Area | +436644561217
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 22:00, Sat 08:00 – 14:00

Imagine yourself on a balcony, or better: your balcony…! No dressing up, no keeping up appearances, no noise, no stress – just: relaxation.

And imagine you don’t have a balcony (like most Viennese people – and tourists), there is some place in this lovely city, where you can rest your weary head after a long hot day (either working – or sightseeing). Where you can rest that weary head on the pillow of a deckchair while a river is floating by. And where you find a tiny snack stall-like bar, nice music, reasonably priced drinks, on some days good food, and a great urban-style view!

The place where all this comes true is right at the very end of the Danube channel. I know, there are plenty of beach bars along the Danube channel. But this one is small, relaxed, funky, non-stylish yet cozy and not made for those who people who take too much effort of getting seen and noticed.

So if you are only into drinking and girls or boys, this is not the spot for you! If you want some balcony-feeling on a hot summer’s night, go for it! Hafenkneipe (literally harbor pub) is my not-so-private balcony, and definitely on of my most favorite spots in those last days of summer time.

Hafenkneipe just opened now but in spring time, they are only open on really nice and sunny days. But it’s worth to check it out. 

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Hafenkneipe | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Bottle of juice € 2.60
Franzensbrücke | Danube Canal Area
12:00 – 00:00 daily

This little green oasis in the second district indeed offers a weird mixture. As you pass the old walls surrounding the pretty baroque park, you’ll soon notice one of the two so called “Flaktürme” – huge towering bunkers.

These towers were military defense towers in the 40′s and as they can’t be destroyed, they are still some bleak (but important) reminders of the second world war. Nowadays the park is used by joggers, couples, families and dog owners in need for a walk.

Everybody who wants to relax, do some exercise or get some fresh air, will be happy here. And this is already possible since 1775!! The garden is baroque, so there are plenty of cut bushes, trees and hedges which come along with carefully decorated flowerbeds. That’s the reason why there were times when it was neither for men or animals allowed to step on the lawn. But as you will notice: the need for green space and relaxation is stronger, so in summer time you see picnickers, hammocks strung up between the trees and football players.

There is even more to be found in the park: the boarding school of the famous Wiener Sängerknaben, the Porzellanmanufaktur, the art gallery Augarten Contemporary and also a nice cafe called Augarten Atelier. Check the Belvedere website for more info. 

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Augarten | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Free
Obere Augartenstrasse | Danube Canal Area
06:30 – 17:30 daily

…in Vienna. That’s what the owner says about his shop. And it’s quite true!

Of course it’s possible to buy fish in other places in Vienna. But where can you find those very special shrimps delivered from Buesum, northern Germany!?! Which come along with tasty, so called Broetchen, a non-Austrian German word for bread rolls?! Fish salad, wraps, matjes, all for take-away or to enjoy in the shop.

The shop itself is small but stylish: high ceilings, blue tiles on the floor, white and wooden interior. Get yourself one of the few bar stools, a typical Hamburg beer to bridge the time you have to wait for your great fish bread roll to be finished. On a Saturday morning you can ask for a hangover fish breakfast, to fight the impact of a sinful Friday night.

This is the place for visitors whose hearts beat in the northern tune, or who just like tasty fish… and a piece of Hamburg in Vienna, just like me.

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Wulfisch | Bars, Snacks | Fish bread roll € 3.50
Haidgasse 5 | Danube Canal Area | +4319461875
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 13:00

In search for fresh vegetables, slow instead of fast food and a colourful market amidst nice old buildings? Then this is the right place to visit! In comparison to the famous Naschmarkt (check the Naschmarkt article), the Karmelitermarkt is much smaller and has a less exotic variety of fruits and vegetables, but here you will find the local people of the second district go shopping.

Especially on a sunny Saturday it’s very lively and after or before getting your bags filled, why not enjoy a coffee or a decent meal. Some of the small market stalls consist of just one or two rooms which function now as a restaurant or café like Marktachterl or like Madiani, a great place for Georgian food.

On a Saturday morning you can find a lot of food and herbs from organic farms of the nearby region on the Karmelitermarket but the earlier you come the better – though the official opening times are till afternoon. In the surrounding streets there are even more food stores or snack bars like Wulfisch or nice small shops like Kabine.

The history of this very old market and the district itself is quite interesting: apart from the Nazi-time the Karmeliterquarter had always been a multi-ethnic place with a huge jewish community. Nowadays you find shops for kosher food beside Turkish or Serbian stores and Georgian restaurants.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Karmelitermarkt | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Leopoldgasse | Danube Canal Area
Mon – Sat from 06:00