5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

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Contrary to popular belief, Vienna is better known for its array of eateries rather than its gourmet temples. The world’s best city to live in dishes up food in social places that will connect you with local life easily. Here are 5 places to eat in Vienna that will make you feel like a true local right away.

Heuriger

5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

The first place I head to when back in my Austrian home country is my family’s place. From there, it’s almost straight to the next Heuriger, or wine tavern.

Most of Vienna’s and Eastern Austria’s traditional wine taverns serve excellent Austrian food. They are a popular destination for family Sundays and dinner feasts with friends. While there, you can take your pick of cold platters of meat, salads, and savoury bread spreads.

My personal favourite warm meals are Surschnitzel (rosy meat left in brine with slightly salty taste), Krauftfleckerl (pasta with cabbage and smoked red pepper), and Styrian Backhendlsalat (crispy breaded chicken breast on salad tossed with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil).

A Heuriger is run by vintners, and is hence not always open, due to the vintners’ own winemaking schedules. Always check a local Heurigenkalender when you’re planning what to do in Vienna. Neustift and Stammersdorf are great winery villages in Vienna, while Grinzing is nice but touristy.

Asta’s Vintage Paradise

5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

Dining in the private home of a local opens up a world of insights you can hardly get anywhere else. For instance, my dinner with Asta, a BonAppetour host, was no different from being at one of my Viennese friends’ places. Except Asta cooks better than most of them.

When I was there, she had invited her friend Bianca as well, and we had a fantastic chat about topisc ranging from a great health app to living in Neubau (7th district), and our grandmothers’ food. Asta is an art historian and interior designer, and has an interest in Viennese vintage and modern art.

Her Griessnockerlsuppe (semolina dumpling soup) and Tafelspitz (boiled beef with savoury sauces and crispy roesti) were absolutely delicious. If you have a little time on your hands, you can also help Asta prepare your Austrian food and get a local cooking course on top of your meal.

Würstelstände

5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

Würstelstände, or sausage stands, are an essential part of local subculture. They were originally created a hundred years ago to help war-disabled soldiers to secure an income. There are more than 400 sausage stands in Vienna, which offer a variety of sausages, from the classic Frankfurter to spicy Debreziner, savoury Waldviertler to cheesy Käsekrainer.

Be sure to try a Leberkässemmel as well, which is a traditional roll with meat loaf.

Vienna’s best Würstelstände is probably Bitzinger’s, which can be found between the Vienna State Opera and Albertina museum. Other outstanding ones include Leo’s Würstelstand in the 19th district, and the sausage stand at Hoher Markt in the city center.

Mezzanin 7

5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

This private little restaurant is the perfect hybrid between stylish eatery and local diner. A magnificent 160 sqm townhouse apartment, Mezzanin 7 was refurbished by local hosts Martin and Thomas. Expect grand French doors and windows, original parquet flooring, and an eclectic design that exudes bold charm and a feel-good atmosphere.

The kitchen is no bigger than usual private Viennese apartment kitchens, which made me wonder how chef and gourmet critic Wolfgang was able to create professional dishes of such quality. Dining there had a unique “private dinner party” feel – your own conversations are wrapped in soft lounge music, only disrupted by occasional door bell ringing and friendly welcome chats between hosts and new arrivals.

You can choose between vintage dinners, Sunday brunches, and “table hopping” for a group of eight guests here. The afternoon teas have gathered a reputation of being extremely cosy, so do try them out.

Hofzeile 27

5 Places To Eat In Vienna That Will Make You Feel Like A True Local

Sibylle Fellner-Kisler’s dream of becoming a chef and hosting her own guests resulted in Vienna’s second private dining restaurant. To achieve that, she and her husband Wolfgang turned part of their traditional villa in the leafy suburb of Döbling into a six-table small boutique eatery.

Hofzeile 27 is a beautiful example of local middle-class lifestyle. Sibylle excels at Austrian food with a modern twist that can take on any gourmet style restaurant in the city. In the summer, guests can use the decked terrace and barbecue in the courtyard as well. Sibylle’s feel for interior design was so successful that she had recently added an interior design showroom, too.

Over to you

Have a taste of local cuisine and life by booking a seat at Asta’s Vintage Paradise, or check out our other home restaurants in Vienna.

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5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

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If you’re hosting visitors from abroad this Thanksgiving, you have a special task. It’s your duty to create a memorable experience – especially for those who have never celebrated this American holiday before – without going over your personal budget.

Luckily, striking a balance between authentic and budget-friendly isn’t so hard to do. With a few DIY projects, some delegating, and early planning, you’ll have everything you need to show your visitors what Thanksgiving is all about.

 

P.S. Not an organizer? Wherever you are, you can join a family for Thanksgiving right here.

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Start stocking up right away

5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

Next time you go to the grocery store, keep your eyes peeled for items on offer. This allow you to buy products before they sell out – I visited three stores one year to find a jar of nutmeg – and take advantage of sales throughout the fall.

You never know when random items like pumpkin pie filling or gravy base will be on sale, because these discounts often happen when the store has too much excess and they need to get rid of the extras.

You can also use this trick to load up on items like wild rice and potatoes. Items that are often sold in bulk go on sale more frequently because they come in large shipments.

Prioritize the classics

5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

Instead of going overboard with all the newfangled dishes you’ve been pining for since February, stick with the basics. For most people, this includes: turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, and pumpkin or apple pie.

This will reduce the amount of money you have to spend on food, while also showcasing the most authentic Thanksgiving food items. It also helps you reduce the likelihood of a cooking disaster because you’re likely not cooking with new foods for the first time.

Prepare conversation starters

5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

The best part of Thanksgiving is visiting with friends and family. If you’re hosting guests from out of town, their friends and family will be far away, so it’s your job as the host to keep conversation going with everyone.

Luckily, there are a lot of fun conversation starters that you can use to stoke discussions, while teaching your overseas visitors about the holiday and learning more about their culture at the same time.

Here are a few to try out:

  • History: Did you know the first declaration of Thanksgiving was in 1782?
  • Cooking: How do you cook with turkey in your culture?
  • Leftovers: What is your favorite turkey recipe? You can also share your favorite recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers.
  • Culture: Ask visitors to share about their favorite holiday growing up.

Go for BYOB

5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

Otherwise known as bring your own beer. The fun part about hosting is having a variety of taste preferences at the table. While a turkey dinner has a variety of traditional items already on the menu, you can introduce variety by having guests bring their favorite bottle of wine, cocktail (pre-mixed, or just the ingredients), or beer.

But don’t forget to have someone bring other after-dinner refreshments like tea and coffee, too!

This is not only a fun way to get everyone involved, but takes some of the financial burden off of your shoulders, without asking people to cook something.

Make a festive centerpiece

5 Ways To Host An Authentic Thanksgiving Dinner On A Budget

Teach your visitors a little more about this American holiday with a festive centerpiece. While a few candles are nice, creating something that stands out a little more will make the experience more fun and memorable for everyone.

Luckily, you don’t need phenomenal crafting skills to put together a great centerpiece for very little cost. You could easily paint old wine bottles or create a mini pumpkin patch for less than $10.

See what you have in your house before heading out to buy anything; a little twine, some extra paint, or an old basket could go a long way.

Over to you

Show your visitors what Thanksgiving is all about with a memorable yet budget-friendly feast. Use these ideas to start saving and planning the big day now!

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette (Or, How To Survive A Dinner In Paris)

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“Maybe we should take a bottle of something with us? Prosecco, perhaps?”

I could tell by my French boyfriend’s slightly agape mouth that, no, we would not be taking a bottle of Prosecco (or Italian white wine) to his parents’ dinner party in Paris. This was my first lesson in French dining etiquette: always bring a gift for your host, but never let that gift be a bottle of anything non-French.

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette

Here at BonAppetour, we are all about dining with locals. Of course, this means that you actually need to dine like a local, too – which includes adopting the eating customs of your culturally-different dinner-party host.

Naturally, the French have many interesting customs centred around their cuisine; some of these are common sense, but others only a local would know.

But don’t worry, none of them involve frog legs.

Toast properly

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette

“I’ve heard that only men should refill wine glasses, but I think that may be antiquated,” says Hardly Snarky’s American expat and blogger Anne. Although I don’t think this would sit well with modern-day Parisiennes, it is hardly surprising that drinking wine is no simple affair in France.

Known for their bon vin (or fine wine), the French take great pride in what they serve with their food. In terms of drinking customs, when you’re toasting, always look your toasting partner in the eye, and try not to cross arms with anyone.

A common toast to use is à votre santé (which means “to your health”). This is more commonly shortened to just “santé.”

Take your time

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette

Dining with French locals will never be a quick dinner date. In fact, a survey found that 43% of French people spend over 45 minutes eating lunch each day. This was by far the biggest percentage out of all 14 countries surveyed.

If you are invited to dine in France, make sure you take your time over your food to savour the delicate flavors. It’s only polite to do so!

Watch your “baguettiquette”

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette

When you are literally breaking bread, leave it by the side of your plate, never on top of it. This would be a serious breach of what is known as “baguettiquette.”

And don’t be surprised if your fellow diners clean-up their plate with their remaining hunk of bread.

…and your table manners

The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette

Any slip-up in table manners might offend your local host or hostess, so it is always a good idea to be well-versed in French dining etiquette. Here are some good dining habits to keep in mind:

  • Keep your hands on the table at all times
  • Don’t eat until your host says, “Bon appétit!”
  • Always keep the knife in your right hand, and the fork in your left
  • Lay the knife and fork parallel to each other on the right side of the plate once done with the meal

After 5 years of dining with a French family, I have also learned to not touch cheese with my fingers, to not remove the skin from cheeses like brie and camembert, and to not spread foie gras with a knife; rather place a slice onto your bread, and then eat it.

But most of all, I learned to enjoy the delicious dishes of France – and more importantly, the company of my fellow diners.

Over to you

Now that you’re (relatively) well-versed in French dining etiquette, it’s time for you to put it into action at one of BonAppetour’s many home restaurants in Paris. Go ahead, give it a try!

Here's How You Can Enjoy Winter In Canada

How You Can Enjoy Winter In Canada

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As in summer, winter offers great adventures. Canada is among the best destinations where it is possible to experience beautiful sceneries, a sense of freedom, and a true escape at the heart of the great Canadian wilderness.

But this country also stands out for its culinary art. So, what are you waiting for?

Discovering the Charlevoix region

Here's How You Can Enjoy Winter In Canada

Many trails in Canada will take you where nature has been kept intact – an escape into the wilderness. To best way to explore the village of Huron-Wendake, the Laurentian Mountains, and the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, would be to take snowmobile tour in Canada.

Huron-Wendake

This is a village that is rich in history. Get to know more about the aboriginal history, visit the hotel-museum of the First Nations, and take part in woodland walks on snowshoes. Before arriving at the village, you’ll get to walk along the banks of the St. Lawrence River – an opportunity to watch ship traffic – and meet the fishermen who practice ice fishing.

The Laurentides Wildlife Reserve

Located between neighboring rivers and mountains, the track leading to the reserve is quite an exotic natural setting. For those wishing to venture into a wild and preserved area and enjoy a true feeling of freedom, the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve is worth the trip. This step is also the opportunity to enjoy an expedition through authentic sceneries along the Montmorency River and between the Laurentian Mountains.

The more you spend time in the snowy expanses of the Charlevoix region, the more your experience will be rich in discoveries. In addition to wildlife, plants, and traditions, do not forget the country’s gastronomy.

Several typical recipes of the Far North

Here's How You Can Enjoy Winter In Canada

Most of the time, you will have lunch and dinner at hostels, which will expose you to a wide variety of Canadian dishes. The culinary traditions of the country have perpetuated for centuries, and typical dishes come from the influences of different immigrant communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to savor traditional Canadian cuisine!

Among many recipes, you will most certainly enjoy a delicious meal made from wild boar or elk. Generally cooked by the Canadians themselves, this particular meal is served with crispy vegetables. In the east and north coasts, seafood – mainly lobster or blue mussels – are other great options.

If you are in Alberta, bison burgers, steaks and smoked salmon are widespread, and come from cowboy traditions. As for the West Coast, cuisine is similar to that of the Americans.

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