Ah, Vienna! What a marvelous city! Visiting Schönbrunn Palace, the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), and the Austrian Parliament Building were highlights of my trip. The exquisite architecture of the Hofburg Palace and Austrian National Library were breathtaking. After a long day walking around the Ringstraße (Ringstrasse) and enjoying watching Lipizzan horses at the Spanische Hofreitschule (the Spanish riding school), I was exhausted and ready to eat!
My first meal in the beautiful European city was at the Vienna Marriot (Stephansdom Quarter) for a light, refreshing lunch after a long flight in. We stayed at the Vienna Marriot during our trip and had called the hotel before hand to let them know of my allergy. During lunch at the Garten Café, I was delighted to find gluten-free rolls with olive oil served with the Caesar salad I ordered. Now, you may question my ordering a Caesar salad when I had many tasteful Austrian selections to choose from. Well, let me tell you, that was very well the best Caesar salad I have had. And that stands till this day.
Another fantastic meal in Wien (Vienna) was had at the Hofburg Café after exploring the Sisi Museum and the Royal Silver Collection. The servers were kind enough to make accommodations so I could try the delicious Austrian cuisine. I had Frankfurters that were served with a mustard-like condiment and slivered pickles. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the foreign cuisine, while staying healthy and gluten-free!
Last but not least, my favorite food stop: Aïda. Aïda is almost too hard to describe with words. It’s a clash of a retro diner and Dolores Umbridge invading Ruby Tuesdays. The cozy, chain cake and coffee shops (konditorei) were located all around the city. Kind of like a Starbucks in any metropolis in the US. The waitresses dressed in pink and brown were sweet and friendly. They were very helpful in finding gluten-free options, which I was surprised to find that there were many! Many of their cakes were gluten-free as they almond flour as a base. I think we stopped at Aida’s almost every night after roaming around the city under the street lights. Although I am unable to access the gluten-free options currently, I do recall having many delicious chocolate, hazelnut, and lemon cakes!
So when traveling to the well known European city, do not fear, you can experience the culture, sights, and cuisine of the marvelous Wien! Also, enjoy the pictures below from my trip to Vienna.
Cheers,
Anika
The Gluten-Free You 