The trouble with partying like there’s no tomorrow is that tomorrow always rears its ugly head.
Even the most enchanting evening becomes a vague blur when attacked by the persistent blows of reality hammering their way into your skull. In such cases, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; how fortunate then that prevention is usually just a greasy Käsekrainer away, thanks to Vienna’s ubiquitous Würstelstände. When even the heartiest sausage can’t soften the blow, a Katerfrühstück (a breakfast to cure your Kater = hangover) can help restore some semblance of humanity. When prevention fails, these places offer tried-and-tested cures:
- Café Drechsler
No conversation about Katerfrühstück is complete without mentioning this well-loved coffeehouse at the Naschmarkt. Founded in 1919, Café Drechsler initially catered to early-rising market folk but has since been embraced over the years by late-night revelers for their scrumptious Viennese staples served into the wee hours. Their Eggs Benedict enjoy near-legendary status, drawing night crawlers and other colorful characters in like moths to a light bulb. Breakfast (and everything else) can be ordered Sunday to Thursday between 8 am and midnight, Friday and Saturday up to 2 a.m.
Café Drechsler, Linke Wienzeile 22, 1060 Vienna - Goodmann
If vampires existed, Goodmann would be their preferred hangout. It’s an unorthodox yet effective combination of bar, club and restaurant, open from 2 a.m. until whenever the last of the party people limp home to bed. Aside from traditional Viennese or English breakfast, the night restaurant even serves one called “Hangover”. The latter includes a hair of the dog that bit you: a glass of prosecco for her and a small beer for him. Cheers!
Goodmann, Rechte Wienzeile 23, 1040 Vienna - The Guesthouse Vienna
A favorite among the sophisticated (and those aspiring to be), the brasserie and bakery of the hotel “The Guesthouse”, close to the Albertina in the 1st district, lets you recover in style. From 6:30 a.m. till 11 p.m., their Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine (toast with pine nuts, spinach, soft boiled egg and cheese sauce) and Eggs Amélie (toast with vegetables, soft boiled egg, artichokes and Sauce Hollandaise) offer a delightful cure to a long night out.
The Guesthouse Vienna, Führichgasse 10, 1010 Vienna - Blaustern
Breakfast all day long… an unobtainable dream for lost souls that slept in way past noon. At “Blaustern”, a popular neighborhood hangout wedged between the 9th and 19th districts, this dream becomes a reality during their opening hours: Monday to Friday from 7.30 a.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. Their in-house blend could wake the dead – no matter what happened the night before.
Blaustern, Döblinger Gürtel 2, 1190 Vienna - Café Galerie Kandinsky
Sometimes the best regenerative involves mending the mind and body, especially if you overindulged in both wine and philosophy the night before. If your dualistic self requires an intellectual pick-me-up alongside the physical, the do-it-yourself breakfast at Café Galerie Kandinsky is the place to be. Grab some whole wheat bread or organic Mohnflesserln (a sweet delicacy with poppy seeds) from the nearby Bakery Kornradl (or elsewhere), help yourself to the butter, jam and honey provided at the tables and take a glance at the current exhibition. If you’re lucky, proprietor Armin Wallner will join you for a deep and engaging chat.
Café Kandinsky, Lerchenfelder Straße 13 / in the backyard, 1070 Vienna
