Schnitzelwirt in Neubau fries an oversized pork version in clarified butter. Gasthaus Pöschl fries veal, and Das Rosi takes you out to the 15th. Most neighbourhood places sit in the low to middle range of our price scale. Menu prices, with their sources, are in the box just below, and the table further down compares all five.
The short list
5 places, in the order they appear below.
- 01SchnitzelwirtOversized pork schnitzel, cash preferredPrice: €Neubau (7th)
- 02Glacis BeislVeal schnitzel in a gardenPrice: €€MuseumsQuartier (7th)
- 03Gasthaus PöschlZwiebelrostbraten (roast beef with caramelized onions)Price: €€Innere Stadt (1st)
- 04Meissl & SchadnFiakerschnitzel variation, lunch setPrice: €€€Innere Stadt (1st)
- 05Das RosiWeekly-changing schnitzelPrice: €€15th district
Where do locals eat Wiener schnitzel in Vienna?
In Neubau, two places cover both sides of the pork-or-veal question: Schnitzelwirt fries pork, and Glacis Beisl is the veal option. Both are in the 7th district, so one can be lunch and the other dinner.
The same family has run Schnitzelwirt on Neubaugasse since 1972, and nobody has redecorated the wood-panelled rooms. Skip the Cordon Bleu. Order the plain pork schnitzel with its Erdäpfelsalat dressed in pumpkin-seed oil, and plan to share: one portion feeds two, the staff will pack up leftovers, and cash is still preferred.
Schnitzelwirt
Hours: Mon closed · Tue–Sat 11:00–22:00 · Sun closed
Address: Neubaugasse 52, 1070 Wien, Austria
Glacis Beisl, inside the MuseumsQuartier grounds, is the place to order your Wiener Schnitzel made with veal. Eat it in the garden under the chestnut trees, and on warm evenings reserve a terrace table instead of hoping for a walk-in spot.
Glacis Beisl
Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–00:00
Address: Breite G. 4, 1070 Wien, Austria
Where to eat schnitzel in Vienna’s first district
The first district has two very different schnitzel addresses: a proper Gasthaus and a high-ceilinged brasserie.
Gasthaus Pöschl hasn’t been retrofitted for tourist traffic, and since 1987 it has served traditional Viennese food to a room of lawyers, delivery drivers and the occasional professor. The Wiener Schnitzel is veal, cooked to order in clarified butter. Still, the dish to order here is the Zwiebelrostbraten (roast beef with caramelized onions), ahead of the Schnitzel every tourist guide mentions.
Gasthaus Pöschl
Hours: Mon–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun closed
Address: Weihburggasse 17, 1010 Wien, Austria
On Schubertring, Meissl & Schadn serves honest Viennese cooking under dark wood panelling. Go for the Fiakerschnitzel or the Rindsgulasch. The lunch set is among the better sit-down meals in the Innere Stadt.
Is it worth leaving the centre for a schnitzel in Vienna?
Yes, if you want to see how the outer districts eat. Das Rosi is the kind of neighbourhood Beisl the 15th district largely had before rents pushed out the old guard, and that alone is worth the trip out of the Innere Stadt.
Das Rosi cooks seasonal Austrian food in the 15th. In spring it opens a terrace, and the wine comes from small local producers. The schnitzel changes every week, both the cut and the sauce it’s paired with. Read the blackboard before the printed menu, since the specials usually win, and go for Saturday lunch, when the kitchen gives the plates its full attention.
Das Rosi
Hours: Mon–Tue closed · Wed–Fri 17:30–23:00 · Sat 09:30–23:00 · Sun 09:30–15:00
Address: Sechshauser Str. 120/Tür 2, 1150 Wien, Austria
How much does a Wiener schnitzel cost in Vienna?
Menus change, which is why the figures sit in the dated box near the top. Our relative scale is enough to plan with: most of these places sit at €€. In the table below, only Meissl & Schadn reaches €€€, while Schnitzelwirt sits at €.
Plan by district. The two Neubau addresses fit into one day and the two in the 1st into another. Das Rosi needs its own outing. Book ahead for evenings, especially for terrace and garden tables when the weather is warm.
