Taverns and restaurants

The cuisine in Lower Austria thrives on regional products, seasonal cuisine and proximity to winegrowers and producers. From typical pub culture to creative award-winning cuisine, a food and drink culture has developed that is deeply rooted in the region and sets modern accents.

Many establishments are listed in restaurant guides such as Gault&Millau or the MICHELIN Guide and are part of Lower Austria's tavern culture.

The most important culinary regions include the Wachau (wine, apricots), the wine-growing areas of Krems Valley ("Kremstal" in German), Kamp Valley, Traisental, Thermenregion and Weinviertel (wine & Heurigen culture, asparagus, onions, pumpkins), the Waldviertel (poppy seeds, potatoes, carp), the Mostviertel with its Moststraße and Pielachtal (cornel), the Wienerwald (wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, service tree) and the Vienna Alps (mountain huts, sheep's cheese, smoked ham) with their down-to-earth tavern cuisine. 

Each region has its own locally rooted specialities – from wine, apricots, poppy seeds, carp and cornelian cherries to potato dishes and Cider.

Yes – even in top-class cuisine. Lower Austria has Michelin-starred restaurants and award-winning establishments that offer vegetarian menus as standard or can adapt their menus on request. For example, the two-star restaurant Landhaus Bacher (Mautern) has its own vegetarian menu; a vegan menu is available on advance booking. The restaurants Mörwald "Toni M."(Feuersbrunn), Esslokal(Hadersdorf am Kamp), Gastwirtschaft "Der Floh" (Langenlebarn) and Vinzenz Pauli(St. Pölten) also show that fine dining in Lower Austria is no longer defined solely by meat. Vegan options are not automatically available everywhere. Esslokal, for example, explicitly states that it cannot offer vegan menus.

Lower Austria is a land of wine and culinary delights: in wine taverns, on wine trails, wine cycle routes or on entire wine journeys, cuisine and wine cellars come together directly in the regions. In pubs, restaurants and hotels, guests can combine regional dishes with matching wines from Lower Austria.