Three levels of medieval cellar descend beneath the First District, the deepest vaults dating to the fourteenth century when the space served as a wine depot for Vienna's ecclesiastical establishment. The apostle theme decorates the vaulted rooms with statues and frescoes of varying artistic quality, but the atmosphere — candlelight on ancient stone, the particular cold of a cellar that has been underground for seven centuries — is genuine and unreplicable. The wine is Austrian and served by the Viertel or Achterl, the food is tavern-standard Beisl fare, and the experience is that rare thing in Vienna's First District: a tourist destination that delivers something a local bar genuinely cannot.
Location
Innere Stadt, Vienna
Map
Insider Intel
Austrian wine by the Viertel — a quarter-litre is the traditional Viennese measure. The Grüner Veltliner or a red Zweigelt from Burgenland. Food is secondary but the cold cuts and bread are appropriate cellar companions.
Early evening before the tour groups arrive — the cellar's atmosphere depends on a certain quietness that large parties disrupt. Winter is ideal when the underground temperature feels appropriate rather than uncomfortable.
Sonnenfelsgasse 3, Innere Stadt. Near Stephansdom. The cellar descends three levels — request the deepest if available. Wine four to seven euros per Viertel. Tourist-frequented but the medieval architecture is real, not reconstructed. Live music some evenings — check in advance if you prefer silence. Cash preferred.