Weinstube Josefstadt

Heurigers are a Vienna specialty: charming wine taverns in the suburbs, near the city’s famed vineyards. But what if you don't have the time or energy to trek out to Grinzing and Nussberg in Heuriger-land? You find the best alternative in the city, which is Weinstube Josefstadt. It's a small drinking joint in the elegant District 8, with residential houses towering over its ivy-covered outdoor garden.

While technically not a Heuriger – they don't make their own wines – the place looks and feels like one. Meatballs, roast pork belly, egg and liptauer spreads, spinach, apple, and cottage-cheese strudels are stocked in the glass display. The wines: Gemischter Satz (Vienna's white), Blaufränkisch, and Zweigelt. Note that Weinstube Josefstadt shuts down for the winter, from November until February.