2 Best Restaurants in Carinthia and Graz, Austria

A tiny bar, café, and restaurant, Aiola is located at the top of the Schlossberg mountain fortress. The restaurant serves traditional Austrian breakfasts with a selection of bread, cheese, and meat, and dinner entrées such as porcini mushroom risotto and the Aiola-style grill plate, which includes beef, lamb, and cheese. Relax under crisp, white-canvas umbrellas on an outdoor deck, or behind the glass walls that blend with the environment. Enjoy a glass of the local dry Rose Schilcher or a coffee with all of Graz spread out before you.

A tiny old house turned coffee shop in the center of the city, Cafe Schwalbennest serves traditional Austrian cakes such as homemade sweet poppy seed and cheese-curd tort. It's also a great breakfast spot with regionally sourced cheese and meat, and has a nice Austrian wine list for later in the day. Green shutters on a red facade make Cafe Schwalbennest easy to spot, and there is an upstairs patio overlooking the River Mur, which runs through Graz. But beware, with only three tables upstairs, it can be difficult to snag a spot.