9 Best Restaurants in Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg, Austria

Weiss

$$ Fodor's choice
Since it opened in summer 2020, Weiss has quickly become one of the city's top dining draws, with young owner-chefs Milena and Erik bringing their burgeoning international reputations to the heart of Bregenz. Billing itself as a restaurant-bar-café, Weiss offers everything from coffee and snacks to special five-course menus of equally-sized dishes, making it an imaginative, unfussy, and surprisingly affordable dining experience. Along with neighbouring establishments like Petrus and Cafesito, Weiss has helped transform Anton-Schneider-Strasse into Bregenz's foremost foodie drag.

Cafe Central

$$

Dark wooden paneling, crystal chandeliers, and the smell of coffee make this Viennese-style café a meeting point for intellectuals, artists, and students. International newspapers and magazines are available, as is a variety of cakes, pastries, and breakfast dishes. You can have breakfast any time of day, or choose something from the daily menu. A typical small dish to sample is Kasnocken (cheese dumplings with brown butter); more substantial choices might include traditional boiled beef. Enjoy your cappuccino with live piano accompaniment every Sunday from October to April. In summer, there is also terrace seating.

Gasthof Goldener Hirschen

$$

Allegedly the oldest tavern in Bregenz and close to the Upper Town, this rustic restaurant offers delicious traditional food and drinks in lively surroundings. Many say it's the most authentic Austrian eatery in town, great for tafelspitz (slow-cooked beef with horseradish). It also has tasty pasta dishes, including spicy spaghetti in a tomato, onion, bacon, and red pepper sauce. In spring, local asparagus is featured and later in the year the menu focuses on game. You won't go wrong with the apricot dumplings for dessert.

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Gasthof Kornmesser

$$
This gorgeous Baroque townhouse, built in 1720 beside the iconic Nepomuk-Kapelle, is today a restaurant serving hearty Austrian dishes at very reasonable prices. Try the Wienerschnitzel, the tafelspitz, or the zander fish. Not ready for a full meal? Kornmesser also offers traditional beer snacks, like Bavarian veal sausages, as well as tasty sweet treats like apple strudel.
Kornmarktstrasse 5, Bregenz, Vorarlberg, A-6900, Austria
05574-54854
Known For
  • excellent schnitzel
  • nice outdoor seating area
  • service can be slow when busy
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Gasthof Löwen

$$

Guests started eating here more than 500 years ago, and they've been coming back ever since. The old dining room has wood-paneled walls and is the perfect setting in which to enjoy a Zwiebelrostbraten (steak with onions) and a good red wine. Unfortunately, the historic tables with the beautiful inlay work are not for sale. Ernest Hemingway certainly enjoyed his stays in "the old inn with the antlers in Tschagguns." There's also folk music performed here regularly. You can ask the staff if one of the five guest rooms is available. The reception is in the Montafoner Hof, just across the street, which belongs to the same family.

Kreuzgasse 4, Tschagguns, Vorarlberg, A-6774, Austria
05556-72247
Known For
  • traditional atmosphere
  • live folk music
  • solid Austrian fare
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Hotel Gasthof Bräu

$$

The core of this frescoed building in the town center dates from the 16th century, but subsequent renovations have brought the five-story structure up to date. The three-room restaurant offers a menu with an emphasis on fish and game, and many ingredients come directly from the owner's own farm and fish ponds or from other local suppliers. Go for the trout, and make sure to taste the house beer from the on-site brewery, also the source of a special made-for-the-festival brew, Zillertel Gauderbier. The "Bräu" also has some nice rooms to stay the night; book early if you want to reserve a room during the Gauder Fest.

Dorfplatz 1, Zell am Ziller, Tirol, A-6280, Austria
05282-2313
Known For
  • beautifully decorated wood-paneled parlors
  • locally grown produce
  • beer from nearby family brewery
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Apr. and mid-Oct.–mid-Dec.

Restaurant Seegrube

$$

Simply put, this restaurant in the Seegrube cableway station is one of the best dinners with a view in the country. At 6,500 feet high, the view of the city lights twinkling below makes a wonderful background for a romantic dinner. The food itself is mostly Tyrolean specialties including gröstl, a bacon, onion, and potato fry-up topped with a fried egg. During the week, a hearty breakfast including smoked salmon, sausages, and cheese feeds hungry hikers. During July and August, there is also a jazz brunch every Sunday, starting at 11 am.

Seegrube 1, Innsbruck, Tirol, A-6020, Austria
0512-303065
Known For
  • sublime views
  • delicious Tyrolean specialties
  • requires reservations in advance
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Thai-Li

$$

This Thai kitchen has quietly fashioned a reputation as one of the best and most popular dining spots in the Old Town. Thai-Li is short on elbow room, but long on excellent food presented with elegance and efficiency. Come for lunch, when you can sit outside at the tables on the cobbled pavement. In the evening, start with skewers of grilled chicken and pork, fried prawns, and vegetables with a range of dipping sauces. For a main course, try one of the curry dishes, such as duck simmered in coconutty red curry. Beverages include a good selection of teas, coffees, and fruit juices. Not to be confused with Thai-Li-Ba across town.

Marktgraben 3, Innsbruck, Tirol, A-6020, Austria
0512-562813
Known For
  • very affordable menu
  • possibly the best Thai food in Tyrol
  • classic curry dishes
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Credit cards accepted

Weisses Rössl

$$

This is Innsbruck's oldest restaurant, and the hunting pedigree of the area is reflected by the array of antlers adorning the walls in the authentically rustic dining rooms. Be aware that this is not a vegetarian's natural habitat, but meat lovers will enjoy the solid local standards, such as Tiroler Gröstl, a tasty hash, and Wiener schnitzel (veal, or pork if you prefer, cutlet), both of which taste even better on the outside terrace in summer. Ask about the specials that don't appear on the menu, such as wild game or freshly picked mushrooms. Because the place hosts regular local gatherings it can get quite lively; for a quieter experience, request a table in one of the smaller stubes.

Kiebachgasse 8, Innsbruck, Tirol, A-6020, Austria
0512-583057
Known For
  • historic and atmospheric
  • classic Austrian meat-heavy staples
  • lively atmosphere
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted