To most people, Austria´s capital is known as the city of Sisi, Schnitzel, and Sachertorte, but in fact Vienna is perking up to become a cheese lover’s pit stop as well.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. Austria has a long-standing history and profound knowledge of cheese production that dates back to the Iron Age, with monasteries in the Middle Ages refining recipes and techniques. Today there are approximately 200 professional producers manufacturing around 400 different types of cheese, and it’s only natural that in a small country the availability of many of them bundles in the capital that nearly a third of the population calls home.
According to Statistic Austria and the Austrian Dairy Association (MVÖ) the per capita consumption of cheese rose by 10% within the last year, showing a broader awareness of the product’s beneficial nutritional effects due to its high-quality proteins and content of important minerals like calcium.
This trend however is not a singular occurrence specific to Austria or Vienna, but in fact circles around the globe, leaving tourists and locals alike in search of the best places to enjoy their milky friends. In response, market stalls, specialized shops and dining spots as well as cheese producers started to pop up around the city.
To give you a sense of what´s on offer, we put together a possible itinerary and marked our favorite places for you to shop and drop.
Day 1 – Shops and Stalls
As you might know Vienna is organized in a radial way (almost like a wheel of cheese!) with the first district (“Innere Stadt”) being the center and heart of this Imperial city. Here on the international cat-walk next to Chanel, Prada, and Gucci you will find Meinl am Graben, Vienna´s gourmet temple that has been the first address for delicacies for almost 150 years.
Offering hundreds of different cheeses from all over Europe, from fresh to aged and innocent to complex, it is the counter to head for when looking for a broad and exquisite selection of European cheeses. Our Tip: Meinl am Graben is not a small store. And just as an example – they have 10 different Pecorinos to choose from. So you should reserve some time for your visit.
Still in first district, you can point your taste buds toward the Swiss Alps with a raw-milk bite of Gruyère or Etivaz, accompanied by a glass of crisp wine at Der Schweizer. Andrzej Koch, alias “Der Schweizer,” has a wide selection of raw-milk Swiss Cheeses, and threw in some British – lowland- treasures as well. If you are in for a glass, try *Petit Arvine, * a complex and mineral white wine made of the namesake autochthonous grape grown solely in Switzerland’s canton Valais and Italy´s Aosta Valley.
Just outside the city center, past the Opera you will find the Naschmarkt, Vienna´s main market, which by itself is a must-visit. Bustling with vendors digging into buckets of olives and dried fruit, the Naschmarkt is a mix of restaurants and market stalls selling everything from fresh fish and meat to vegetables and spices. On the cheesy path, Käseland and Pöhl am Naschmarkt are the ones to navigate to. Both have a wide, high-quality selection of cheeses from Austria and beyond with *Käseland* offering outdoor seating and the possibility of enjoying a tasting plate right on the spot.
Our greedy advice when in the area: Hop over to Frau Svensson on Kettenbrückengasse 10 for a deep dive into Nordic cheese, from Belgium all the way up North.
Day 2 – Makers and Tables
Vienna not only has a giant river running through it but also a significant amount of milk. It is closely surrounded by a green, lush forest belt called the Wiener Wald. An attractive weekend destination for families, dog owners, and sport maniacs alike, it is also home to more than 450 agricultural businesses, among them a handful raising cattle for beef and milk. One of those farms delivers the main ingredient for mozzarella and burrata that Pasquale and Gianni Valentino produce right behind their aperitivo bar Fratelli Valentino in 9th district. With cheese as fresh as it can be and the right whiff of authentic Italy, Fratelli Valentino is a fun pub bar that brings formaggio fatto in casa together with the right vibes for an evening out in town. We say – don’t be shy. Grab an aperol, and live life at the fullest with a devoted bite into a juicy burrata.
Walking the cheese wheel clockwise, we arrive in 8th district at Swiss cheese maker´s Jumi Austrian outpost. The young and wild 5th generation Jumi crowd makes cheese in Switzerland’s Emmental valley and markets it in Vienna in a carefully assembled store where they will let you taste everything and make suggestions based on your likes and dislikes.
Finally, closing the wheel and landing on the southern mouth of 1st district, we get into the 3rd, called Landstraße, where Johannes Lingenhel, former partner of Pöhl am Naschmarkt, realized his own idea of a cheese lover’s paradise. Situated in what was once the stables of a building dating back to Maria-Theresia, he produces fresh as well as Camembert-style cheese, has a wide selection of international classics, and offers plentiful cheese plates in his Bistro and restaurant.
But it wouldn´t be an imperial city if there wouldn´t be the opportunity for an imperial-style cheese experience. Just a few minutes away, right by the Stadtpark and still in the 3rd district, 3 Michelin star restaurant Steirereck is simple heaven for anyone into cheese. Reserve at their evening restaurant and let yourself be guided by a highly professional cheese sommelier through a cheese cart that easily breaks the mold of some cheese shops. Or go for their more modest variant the Meierei with its giant glass cheese counter. Either way, one thing is for sure: you can drown in their cheese. Our advice: They fill up quickly. If you know you come to Vienna make sure to book your table way in advance.
Day 3 – Flying Vendors
The Viennese are a lucky bunch. After all, they can find almost 20 regular food markets within the city limits. All of them are open on all working days, some of them with extra vendors – often farmers – on Saturday.
Cheese-wise, besides the Naschmarkt the most significant markets are the Karmelitermarkt in the 2nd, Kutschkermarkt in the 18th, and the Yppen- /Brunnenmarkt in the 16th district.
At all of these markets cheese vendors pop up on Saturday with physicist and cheese enthusiast Stephan Gruber, alias Kaes.at, among them. Today we visited him in his new spot at Kutschkermarkt and asked about his lactic recommendations for a traveler to Austria and Vienna.
“Stephan, what cheese would you say a tourist new to Austria should not miss?”
Definitely Vorarlberger Bergkäse. Because it is the most famous and because it is a cultural asset in the West, and is one of the cultural assets that survived through history.
“Is there an innovative cheese maker that you would recommend?”
I would say *Nuart*. No matter which famous or Michelin-starred restaurant you go to—I mean, they probably have *Nuart*.
“What do the Nuarts do differently than others? “
They make good cheese – fresh cheese from raw sheep’s milk that’s matured in ash. In France, probably every third cheese maker does that, but in Austria it’s something rare and doing it from sheep rather than goat is something special.
Our Saturday advice: Rise and shine early and head for the Karmelitermarkt. Find Anton macht Kes, a cheese maker from the West of Austria, who ripens his cheese in a historic cellar right next to the Stephansdom, Vienna´s cathedral. Ask for a vertical tasting of his Gebsenkäse to summersault through different stages of ripening. Grab a coffee and head over to Kutschkermarkt to find Stephan, his selection of Nuarts, a cheesy anecdote, and a glass of wine before the market will close at 12:30.
Whether you are in search of the simple, the special, the decadent, or the wild, Vienna offers cheese for every taste, preference, and personal profile. Raw milk runs through the city´s veins and all you need to bring is your curiosity and an empty belly.
