• October 14, 2025

A Taste of Vienna: Serving Inspiration for 2026 & Beyond

A Taste of Vienna: Serving Inspiration for 2026 & Beyond

A Taste of Vienna: Serving Inspiration for 2026 & Beyond 1024 683 micebook.

By Shannon Skeels

Contrary to what Billy Joel may have led me to believe, Vienna doesn’t wait – it welcomes, it hosts, and it does so with impeccable style. Last month, I was invited by the Vienna Convention Bureau on a whirlwind trip to get a taste of what the city has in store for its 2026 theme: Vienna Bites – Cuisine, Culture, Character.

As Carola Pils, manager corporate at Vienna CVB, said during our welcome evening, “Vienna meetings don’t just take place, they take on their own flavour.” Over the next few days, that flavour unfolded through grand palaces, modern meeting spaces, Michelin-star dining and hillside heurigers, giving me a true tasting menu of the city’s personality.

Experiencing the Cuisine

If Vienna’s history is rich, its cuisine is even richer. Over dinner one evening, our host remarked that Vienna is the only city in the world with its own cuisine — not Austrian, not European, but distinctly Viennese. It makes sense. This is a place where culinary identity has been simmering for centuries, shaped by imperial influences, local passion and the constant exchange of people and ideas that flow through the city. Today, that legacy lives on through a dining scene that is refined yet familiar, elegant yet unpretentious.

Dinner at Steirereck im Stadtpark set a tone that is hard to match. Holding an impressive three Michelin stars, it’s one of those rare experiences that very few people have the chance to enjoy. The restaurant’s metal exterior stands out against the calm greenery of the park, a contrast that feels very Vienna. Inside, service was incredibly smooth, and every course showcased Austria’s finest seasonal ingredients. It’s an incredible spot for small groups, the kind of experience that would easily become the highlight of any incentive trip and a true taste of Vienna at its best.

Of course, no story about Vienna’s food would be complete without its wines, and our evening at Weitsicht Cobenzl was a reminder of how deeply it is woven into Vienna’s identity. Perched high above the city, surrounded by vineyards, it offered sweeping views and a tasting that showcased just how good Austrian wines can be. Each glass was light, refreshing and full of character, from crisp whites to easy-drinking rosés that suited the late afternoon sun perfectly. Trying them side by side, it was easy to understand why Vienna is the only capital in the world with significant wine production within its city limits, and why the locals are so proud of it!

Sitting down isn’t the only way to experience Vienna’s food scene. Rebel Tours Vienna took us on a relaxed, story-filled wander through the city’s hidden corners, stopping at places you’d never discover organically. We sampled local meats, cheeses and wines, chatted with small business owners and ended at a neighbourhood bakery where we discovered that the croissant (contrary to popular belief) actually originated in Vienna. It was a fun, flavour-packed way to see the city and a reminder that food here is as much about connection as it is about taste.

Our final dinner took us to Bruder, a lively neighbourhood spot that had a vibrant atmosphere and moody interior. Known for its focus on fermented foods, the menu was inventive from start to finish, each course paired with a different homemade drink, such as wines, ales, cocktails and everything in between. It was a meal that felt both unexpected and deeply local, a reminder of how Vienna’s new generation of chefs and bartenders are reinterpreting tradition in their own way. The place was packed and it was soon made clear why it has become one of the city’s most talked-about restaurants.

Uncovering the Culture

If 2026 is focusing on taste and tradition, then its historic venues are surely the signature dish for event professionals, offering a blend of grandeur, hospitality and unmistakable Viennese flair. Our host venue, The Imperial Riding School, Autograph Collection captured that heritage perfectly. What was once a 19th-century military equestrian academy is now a polished hotel that still wears its history proudly with little nods to its past hidden throughout. It was also named Cvent’s #1 Top Meeting Hotel in Europe for 2025, thanks to its 1,200 square metres of flexible event space spread across 10 versatile rooms that cater to everything from business gatherings to corporate retreats.

Along the Ringstrasse sits Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna, a property that perfectly blends heritage and modern ease. Polished marble, soft lighting and grand architectural details create an atmosphere that lingers. Our dinner in the Presidential Suite revealed just how versatile the hotel can be, offering an elegant and private space that was ideal for group dining or high-profile events.

A short drive away, Palais Coburg continues that sense of prestige. A suite-only property that feels more like a private residence than a hotel, its neoclassical façade hides a world of vaulted cellars, ornate salons and sweeping event spaces, all undergoing a meticulous refresh that is due to finish in spring 2026. Even mid-renovation, it is easy to see why this place is such a gem, grand, historic and completely in tune with Vienna’s signature style.

The theme of living history continued at the Hofburg Vienna, where it is impossible not to feel the weight of the past in every gilded hallway. Once the seat of the Habsburg Empire, it remains one of Europe’s most breathtaking event venues, where conferences and gala dinners unfold beneath glittering chandeliers and soaring ceilings. If you are looking for grandeur, this is where to find it, with centuries of heritage meeting flawless modern production in every detail.

Just a few streets away, the Kunsthistorisches Museum turns art and architecture into an unforgettable event backdrop. Surrounded by masterpieces from Rubens to Vermeer, guests can dine or network beneath frescoed ceilings in galleries that are full of culture and creativity. Together, these venues showed how seamlessly Vienna hosts with history, giving event planners the rare chance to create something new in places that have already seen it all.

Discovering the Character

Beyond the chandeliers and gilded halls, Vienna shows off a bolder side that is creative, confident and full of personality. The Hoxton Vienna captures it perfectly. Set in a 1950s modernist building, it has that easy, unpretentious kind of cool that makes you feel instantly at home. Here, the line between business and pleasure felt deliciously blurred. When we visited, the sun was blazing and the Cuban-inspired rooftop bar, Cayo Coco, was in full swing. With its pool deck, bright décor and endless array of cocktails, it was almost too easy to forget we were in Vienna and not somewhere far more tropical. Downstairs, the meeting spaces share that same sense of style, combining function with a relaxed charm that makes work feel a little less like work.

That same energy carries through to venues like K47, a newly refurbished rooftop perched above the Danube Canal. Its glass walls flood the space with light and frame skyline views that make even a board meeting feel cinematic. By night, it turns into a sleek private lounge, the kind of setting that makes networking feel a little more like a celebration. Nearby, LOFT Z13 channels that same energy with open, flexible spaces designed for workshops, launches and team sessions that actually spark ideas. There is an easy flow to both venues that captures modern Vienna at its best.

That spirit of reinvention continues at the newly reopened Wien Museum, which Regina Zebardjedan described as “a museum for people who hate museums” — and she is absolutely right. The space feels bright, modern and refreshingly interactive, with immersive exhibits that bring Vienna’s history to life in unexpected ways. Its upper floors house contemporary meeting spaces with sweeping city views, offering an inspiring backdrop for workshops, receptions or private events.

As the trip came to a close, what struck me most was just how much Vienna has to offer. Every part of the city felt like another layer to uncover: grand venues, bold new spaces, world-class food, and a genuine warmth that runs through it all. It is a destination that leaves you inspired, well-fed and already planning your return. As Pils commented at the start of the trip, this was just an appetiser, a small taste of what’s to come when Vienna serves its main course in 2026. If these few days were only a sample, then the full celebration of Vienna Bites: Cuisine, Culture, Character promises to be something truly special, and certainly one worth coming back for.

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