Follow the current of the Danube canal and you will find a lovely spot for a drink on a warm summer night! Or for a kick-off on the small neighbouring football field (well, a lawn).

After passing by every busy and somehow crazy place, the so-called beach bars etc along the Donaukanal in very downtown Vienna, if you keep going on along the stream, you’ll finally end up at two small bars. Enjoyed mainly by the locals of the neighbourhood of the 2nd and 3rd district, the first of these outdoor bars, which I do like a lot, is called Central Garden, though without a huge signboard to promote itself. So just look out for a big tree, a simple wooden terrace and a small pavilion made of glass and wood.

Central Garden is a cultural association by artists which started some years ago with just a trailer to sell drinks and snacks and which now offers a simple, but pretty, wooden shack with self-service for you to enjoy a drink beneath a gorgeous tree, beside the canal. Do not expect anything fancy but a laid back atmosphere.

As it was open for takeaway even during lockdown, it kind of got us through this hard time – at least a drink and a glaze upon the iridescent water, after a cycle tour or a long stroll. Now we can look forward to more lively times, as sometimes even a small fleamarket or concerts take place here!