Figlmüller Wollzeile

The original Figlmüller, in a narrow passage between Wollzeile and Bäckerstrasse behind St. Stephen's, and the most famous schnitzel address in Vienna.

Johann Figlmüller opened a small wine tavern here in 1905, and the family still runs the business. The house schnitzel became its trademark: a pork schnitzel beaten out so thin and wide that it hangs over the edge of the plate. Note the detail — a true Wiener Schnitzel must by law be made of veal, which is why Figlmüller calls its pork signature the Figlmüller Schnitzel. The classic side is Viennese potato salad, dressed with vinegar and oil rather than mayonnaise. True to its origins as a wine tavern, the Wollzeile original has traditionally served wine, not beer; the family's second restaurant a few steps away on Bäckerstrasse pours beer as well.

The room is small and wood-panelled, with tables close together and brisk, practised service.

Honest note: this is a tourist institution and it knows it. Without a reservation you may queue in the passage for a long time at peak hours. Book online a few days ahead, or come early for lunch or in mid-afternoon. The schnitzel is genuinely good and very large — one plus a salad feeds most people — but the Bäckerstrasse branch is the easier fallback if Wollzeile is full. Neighbourhood: the Innere Stadt; costs: Vienna prices.