Trip Ideas The Pint-size Vienna Neighborhood You Have to Visit With its specialty shops and sophisticated new stays, this under-the-radar area is coming into its own. By Chadner Navarro Chadner Navarro Chadner Navarro is a writer and editor who specializes in travel, food, design, and culture. He started his career in fashion journalism before eventually broadening his scope of work thanks to his love of travel and food. His favorite destinations to write about include Portugal, which he's visited over two dozen times, and the Philippines, where he was born and raised. * 15+ years of journalism experience Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on June 26, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email The hotel Das Triest. Photo: Steve Herud/Courtesy of Das Triest Despite its proximity to the world-famous Naschmarkt and Belvedere Palace, Vienna's Wieden district has never been a big draw for travelers. But the tiny neighborhood left an outsize impression on me after I visited last fall. The hotel Das Triest, originally designed by Terence Conran in 1995, recently added 49 über-stylish rooms outfitted with Philippe Starck floor lamps and black-and-white wall panels by artist Esther Stocker. Later this summer, Mooons opens across the street from the Central Train Station with 170 budget-friendly, design-forward rooms, plus a rooftop terrace and a courtyard garden. Related: Vienna's Getting a Whole Lot Cooler I was charmed by the quaint, locals-only vibe of the neighborhood's restaurants. At Grace, Petra and Oliver Lucas offer an approachable take on fine dining that features venison hunted by Petra's father and walnuts picked from a friend's tree. Blown-glass pendant lamps and blue velvet seats provided an airy setting at the year-old Alma, where I found unfussy bistro food like tartines with marinated chicken and roasted pistachios. I sampled a more eclectic spread — falafel, ricotta knödel — at Zweitbester, an always-humming brunch spot with regular live music and art exhibitions. Kruste und Krume launched last fall with a packed calendar of baking workshops. Book a session in English and learn how to make traditional Austrian rolls like kipfels and Salzstangerl. Wieden is miraculously low on chain stores. Instead, it's dotted with one-off gems like the light-bathed Feinedinge, which sells sculptural vases decorated with floral reliefs. Gabarage specializes in quirky upcycling: pick up a tote crafted from event banners or a canary-yellow statement necklace fashioned out of bike gears, part of a collaboration with designer And_i. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit