Travel · Vienna · Evenings
Three Places for an Evening in Vienna: Prater, Strandcafé and 7Stern Bräu
Go-karts and a good dinner, ribs with a glass of beer, or schnitzel with something unexpected to drink: these are three different ways we’d spend time in Vienna. Each gives the evening its own direction, depending on whether you want activities as well as food or simply somewhere to sit down together.
Here are our three choices, with what we enjoyed and a few practical details for planning yours.
Prater and Schweizerhaus in Vienna: rides first, dinner afterwards
At Prater, we went go-karting and tried several other rides. It’s a place we’d suggest for an outing with children too, with dinner at Schweizerhaus afterwards. You can give the visit some room instead of making it just a quick stop for a photograph of the giant Ferris wheel.
The park has plenty of visual character: red cabins above the trees, the tall swing ride against the sky and views across Vienna’s rooftops in our photographs. You don’t have to choose every attraction before arriving, but check the ones you particularly want to try. Entry to Prater is free; individual rides are separate, and their operating hours vary.
Two views across Vienna’s rooftops towards the skyline.
1 / 3
Schweizerhaus is our choice for a good dinner in Prater. Our table photographs show roast pork, beer and bowls of sides. The potato and cabbage salads are what we’d recommend alongside the meal, and our beer choice is Budweiser mixed light and dark.
There can be a queue for a table. In our experience, the wait hasn’t been long, though we’d still leave some flexibility rather than plan dinner to the minute.
The important planning detail is the season: Schweizerhaus currently opens 15 March–31 October, daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 10:15 p.m. A winter visit to Prater needs a different dinner plan.
1 / 3
- 15 March–31 OctoberSchweizerhaus season, daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Kitchen until 10:15 p.m.Last orders are earlier than closing time
Strandcafé on the Alte Donau: come for the ribs
Our friends recommended Strandcafé, and the ribs made us glad we went. They were probably the most delicious we’d had, and I’d happily recommend trying them.
We sat inside. There were plenty of tables, everything felt clean, and the food was very good. The photographs show the ribs on wooden boards, sauces beside them and drinks around the table. It’s a meal to settle into together, rather than a snack between sightseeing stops.
Here too, we’d recommend the mixed light-and-dark Budweiser. We really enjoyed it, and it’s a useful order to remember if you usually choose just one or the other.
Strandcafé is on the Alte Donau, at Florian-Berndl-Gasse 20. You don’t need an outdoor table to enjoy the meal, but if you want to sit by the water, check the seating options when booking. The official website lists different weekday hours for the terrace and floating platform than for the indoor dining room and promenade.
1 / 2
- Alte DonauFlorian-Berndl-Gasse 20
- Terrace and indoor hours differThe official site lists them separately
7Stern Bräu: schnitzel and chilli beer in Vienna
At 7Stern, I tried schnitzel, ordinary beer and something much less ordinary: beer with chilli. It was an unusual experience, but one I’d say is worth trying.
That’s the detail that makes this stop different for me. You can choose a familiar meal and put something unexpected alongside it. The brewery’s current beer list includes Chilibier, so you can check what is available before you go.
You’ll find 7Stern at Siebensterngasse 19, near Mariahilfer Straße. It currently opens 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday–Tuesday and on public holidays, and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday, with the kitchen closing an hour earlier. The same official page lists closures on 24–26 December.
1 / 2
- Siebensterngasse 19Near Mariahilfer Straße
- Sun–Tue and holidays 11–22Wednesday–Saturday 11–23, kitchen closes an hour earlier
- Closed 24–26 DecemberListed on the official page
Choosing your evening
For activities and dinner, choose Prater with Schweizerhaus during its season. For ribs, I’d go to Strandcafé. For schnitzel and a beer worth talking about, try 7Stern. Pick the one that fits your mood and give yourself time to enjoy it. These are three choices for different evenings, not a route to rush through in one night. For a date with a view, I wrote about our table at Donauturm, and for a daytime outing, Schönbrunn Zoo.
