Best Vienna Nightlife

AOL PICK from our Editors

Vienna nightlife can mean a lot of different things. During ball season, even the most sophisticated members of society can be spotted on the dance floor in the wee hours of the morning—but you can also find a DJ and a live music scene reminiscent of Berlin, or seek out intellectual company in warmly-lit cafes, drinking coffee and eating borscht at all hours of the night. You don't have to be a certain age or a certain type to stay out late in Vienna.

Tobias Deml

Cafe Landtmann

Neighborhood: The Ring, next to the Burgtheater

This historical cafe, which originally opened in 1873, will give you the feeling of "old Vienna;" where composers scribbled for hours in restaurants instead of their homes and met with their contemporaries to debate the art and politics of the times. During the day, you drink some of the finest coffee in Austria here, and at night, you'll find it open to accommodate post-ball guests and insomniac creative-types. If you're looking for beer, they serve Czech Budweiser here, among others. Find the food here traditional and hearty, often graced with live music—not too loud.

More Details on

Cafe Landtmann »

Tobias Deml

Tunnel

Neighborhood: West of The Ring

Vienna nightlife at Tunnel is the smoke-filled, what-decade-is-it, live-music-in-a-packed-house kind. The nightly shows usually start around 10PM, and save for the occasional poster or newspaper ad about a particularly important act, you'll never know what to expect beyond throngs of university students and young people looking to have a good time (and with no idea what they're there to see either). Expect some type of jazz and slow service and you won't be disappointed. If you're especially frugal, you'll love their periodic open mics and "no-cover" Sunday nights.

More Details on

Tunnel »

Tobias Deml

Cafe Leopold

Neighborhood: MuseumsQuartier

Thursday to Saturday, from 9:30PM until 2 or 3AM, the Leopold Museum's restaurant opens up its disco floor for rock-and-roll dance parties. The cafe adjoining to the museum of Egon Schieles (more than any other museum in the world) and Klimts hosts international DJs and live musicians, pushes the tables to the sides and turns on the gobos and video projections, transforming itself into an extraordinary venue for drinking, dancing and revelry—something of which the artists would no doubt approve, actually.

More Details on

Cafe Leopold »

Tobias Deml

The American Bar

Neighborhood: The Ring

The American Bar, also known as Kärntner Bar and The Loos Bar is small, but mighty. Due to their size, they're not big on tourists piling in with cameras and fanny packs, so go to drink or don't go. The rich wooden interior and curious ceilings will make you feel instantly at home, and though its main constituent is locals, you're definitely likely to bump into other Americans there. Why? The name. Go early if you want a seat in this pub-like, yet elegantly opulent bar.

More Details on

The American Bar »

Club Planetarium

Neighborhood: By the Ferris Wheel in Riesenrad

The Vienna Planetarium moonlights as Club Planetarium, a multi-room, 700-person capacity club venue with lights, disco balls, and a faux starry sky. Known especially for techno and the occasional soul artist, this venue is a must-play for DJs and the place for young folks to get dressed up for, to go to the kind of parties they've only read about in Europe. The club's large garden area makes it especially popular as a summer dancing destination, but the great music and view of the Giant Ferris Wheel keep it hopping all year long.

More Details on

Club Planetarium