Cafe Stein
Within a hop, skip and jump of half a dozen tram, bus and U-bahn lines is Cafe Stein, one of Vienna’s more popular cafe bars.
Open from 7 in the morning (9 on Sunday and public holidays) to 1 at night, it serves an eclectic mix of drinks and meals, managing to be different enough from standard Viennese fare to warrant special attention, but not too different to be an oddity.
The food is very good value - surprisingly cheap when you consider the location (close to the Ring) and the relatively trendy, upmarket style of the place and its customers.
The menu has something for all sizes of appetite and a touch of “wellness” to it. They’ve eschewed many of the standard Viennese foods in favor of a range of quasi-Mediterranean options featuring plenty of vegetables and salads. (You can still get your Schnitzel though).
My favorite is the roasted tofu with peppers, croutons and lettuce for a very fair €6.20.
The cafe itself is spacey and modern, with several rooms and niches of different sizes so you can enjoy a group environment or a private tête á tête as required. Not all the rooms are open all of the time; it depends how busy they are. There’s outdoor seating in the street during the warmer months.
The young staff are friendly and efficient, which isn’t always the case in Vienna cafes. If you’re wandering the area and need a decent snack or meal but don’t want to pay excessive tourist prices, I heartily recommend the place.
Address: Cafe Stein, Währinger Strasse 6-8, 1090 Vienna
Website: http://www.cafe-stein.com/