Vienna Media News 09/2021 Reaching for the Skies: Vienna’s New Rooftop Bars

13.9.2021 - High above street level, perched atop hotels and museums, zoos and furniture stores, and even coming soon to the top of the Austrian parliament building: Vienna has lots of rooftop bars and restaurants that offer top-drawer views of the city, as well as stunning design and mouthwatering hospitality concepts. An overview stretching from the old town to the Prater park.

Ikea: a World First at Westbahnhof

70 fully-fledged trees growing out of giant planters weighing tons, a fantastic view of Vienna and all that with no obligation to make a purchase either. One of the capital’s more unusual new rooftop rendezvous opened in August, right next to Vienna’s Westbahnhof railway station. Swedish furniture giant Ikea has created “hus”, an innovative city center location featuring a greened facade, as well as a hotel called JO&JOE. But the rooftop terrace is where it is all happening. Open to the general public, there is no pressure for visitors to buy any of the culinary delights on offer to enjoy the views. But that would mean missing out a little: the Ikea Snackbar on the roof, a culinary world first, is inspired by vegetarian cuisine.

Ikea Westbahnhof
Europaplatz 1
1150 Vienna
www.ikea.com/at/de/stores/wien-westbahnhof

mariatrink: Distinctly Laid Back

Zeitgeist, contemporary design and lots of music: Vienna’s most musical rooftop bar has been open for business on the roof of the new Jaz in the City hotel in the sixth district (Mariahilf) since mid-August 2021. Following Amsterdam and Stuttgart, Jaz in the City Vienna is the third hotel in the German chain’s portfolio, and destined to make music fans’ hearts skip a beat. The lobby recreates a record shop vibe. And building on these laid-back musical foundations, the rooftop mariatrink bar has panoramic views of Vienna in store. The menu features innovative cocktails, alongside dishes made from regional ingredients. That all-important feelgood factor comes courtesy of luxuriant velvet seating.

mariatrink
Windmühlgasse 28
1060 Vienna
www.jaz-hotel.com/hotels/jaz-in-the-city-vienna

Chez Bernard Restaurant et Bar: Sustainable and Stunning

Anyone yearning for spectacular architecture should head for the roof of Hotel Motto on Mariahilfer Strasse – a boutique accommodation scheduled to open in fall, where a combination of 1920s Parisian charm, contemporary Viennese lifestyle and Scandi chic awaits. And the same winning formula applies at Chez Bernard Restaurant et Bar on the rooftop: flooded with natural light, surrounded with lush greenery and spread across two floors, it holds court beneath a striking glass dome. The menu offers a tantalizing assortment of Austrian dishes with French and North African influences. Freshly prepared food and organic ingredients set the culinary tone. And Hotel Motto also has a slightly out-of-the-ordinary flavor when it comes to its drinks menu: the beans used in its Alt Wien coffee are roasted exclusively for the hotel. Meanwhile, Bernd Schlacher, who has picked up numerous certifications in recognition of his sustainability credentials, uses leftover bread from the in-house bakery, Motto Brot, to brew his signature beer Brewdi.

Chez Bernard Restaurant et Bar
Mariahilferstrasse 71a/Schadekgasse 20
1060 Vienna
www.hotelmotto.at

Kindred Spirits Rooftop Bar: Drinks with Views of the Prater

Or maybe great views right next to Vienna’s beloved Prater park appeal more? At the boutique Hotel Zoku Vienna, which opened in June 2021, the innovative focus is on balancing leisure and working-from-home requirements. Its special home-office hybrid solution is designed to appeal to people who are often on the road for work. And the formula extends all the way to the top, where guests can enjoy the Living Kitchen Rooftop Restaurant and Kindred Spirits Rooftop Bar high above street level. Ideal for a laid-back lunch or an after-work drink, while taking in the 360-degree views of Vienna from the rooftop terrace. In the evenings, the attractions at the Prater amusement park below twinkle like a sea of brightly colored lights, adding to the atmosphere. The cocktails, beers and wines at the Kindred Spirits Rooftop Bar confirm the team’s strong commitment to Austrian artisanship.

Kindred Spirits Rooftop Bar
Perspektivstrasse 6
1020 Vienna
www.livezoku.com/vienna

NENI am Prater: Great Vistas and Fantastic Food

The new NENI am Prater offers top views of the Prater amusement park as well as the city center. Businesswoman and multitalented restaurateur Haya Molcho and her sons are the creative force behind the rooftop restaurant with spacious terrace on the top floor of hotel-hostel hybrid Superbude. The Molcho family has a proven track record in Vienna as the operators of NENI am Naschmarkt and Tel Aviv Beach on the Danube Canal, both of which fly the flag for cosmopolitan Middle Eastern cuisine. And things will continue in a similar vein at NENI am Prater where seating is arranged around the centerpiece of the eatery, an open kitchen. Chef de cuisine Andy Barotanyi and Haya Molcho put their heads together to come up with an epicurean masterplan centered on open-flame cooking. And the on-site bakery supplies freshly baked sourdough bread and focaccia every day.

NENI am Prater
Perspektivstrasse 8
1020 Vienna
www.neni.at

MQ Libelle: Viennese Modernism at Your Feet

MQ Libelle, located slap bang in the middle of one of the world’s largest cultural complexes, only opened in summer 2020 but is already the most popular rooftop bar in town. And with good reason: the MQ Libelle (ed. Libelle = dragonfly) is perched on top of the roof of the Leopold Museum – home to the city’s leading museum of Viennese Modernism which has the world’s largest Egon Schiele collection. Architecturally speaking, the MQ Libelle is a work of art in its own right. Two of Austria’s most prominent artists were responsible for the central elements of the terrace and construction. Eva Schlegel designed the MQ Libelle glass wall, while the iconic lighting elements on the terrace were created by Brigitte Kowanz. This new addition is not just an epicurean hotspot, but also open as a new space for art and cultural projects, too. The MQ Libelle is available for hire as a venue for conferences, gala dinners, weddings and cocktail receptions.

MQ Libelle
Museumsplatz 1
1070 Vienna
www.mqw.at/en/your-visit/mq-libelle

360° Ocean Sky: a Zoo With a View

Below, brightly colored, shimmering exotic fish; above, eye-catching cocktails and great food. Opened in 2020, the 360° Ocean Sky is a spectacular rooftop bar and restaurant that enjoys pride of place on the top floor of the House of the Sea. The building it sits on is particularly interesting, too: the Haus des Meeres is located in a World War II flak tower which stands head and shoulders above the surrounding apartment buildings, opening up fantastic views of the city in every direction. The daytime and evening menus are full of classic dishes with a modern flourish. Breakfast with a view is another option here. A newly constructed panoramic lift whisks visitors to the top of the building in no time at all, ready to enjoy the culinary heights that await.

360° Ocean Sky
Fritz-Grünbaum-Platz 1
1060 Vienna
www.oceansky.at

Parliamentary Proceedings: See the First District From a Different Angle in 2022

Another of Vienna’s rooftops is set to welcome an unusual new addition in the near future. The late-19th-century Austrian Parliament, one of the most important buildings on the Ringstrasse, will unveil a modern rooftop restaurant of its own in 2022. Construction work is continuing at pace as part of a huge refurbishment project at the Parliament. Once complete, the new arrival will have four outdoor terraces that promise to open up previously unseen views of Vienna’s historic city center. An area with table service, a self-service section and a bistro are all planned. The menu will include a mix of traditional Viennese cuisine and international dishes.

Parliament
Dr. Karl Renner Ring 3
1010 Vienna
www.parlament.gv.at