Stories from the everyday lives of the Mitzitant

On 7 August it is International Beer Day. And because we believe a day like that should not simply pass unnoticed, there is free beer at Mitzitant. With every main course ordered, a Thalheimer beer on the house – sponsored by Brauerei Thalheim. Behind the Thalheimer there is a remarkable story: the only beer in the world brewed with genuine healing water, from the oldest natural healing spring in Austria.

No city in the world is as closely connected to coffee as Vienna. The coffeehouse became an institution here like nowhere else. Since 2011, Viennese coffeehouse culture has been officially part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. From Melange to Einspänner and Häferlkaffee – every name has a story. And it all begins in 1683 with a few abandoned coffee sacks outside the gates of Vienna.

The Wiener Schnitzel is the most ordered dish in Austria, officially listed in the register of traditional foods and for many visitors the very first stop on their culinary journey through Vienna. Yet behind the golden-brown classic, there is far more than just a crispy coating. Where it really comes from, what sets it apart from a Schnitzel nach Wiener Art and what to look out for – all in the blog.

There are sounds you recognise instantly, even with your eyes closed. The crackle of a freshly fried coating is one of them. Nobody in Vienna needs to have Backhendl explained to them – it has simply always been there, for generations, and it tastes just as good today as it ever did. Its roots stretch back to the 17th century, and on Whit Sunday 1852 alone, more than 12,000 fried chickens were consumed in Vienna's Prater. One day, one park, twelve thousand Backhendln. Very Vi

Father's Day is a wonderful opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for the support, the shared experiences, the good advice and the many moments that make fathers so special. While gifts are often quickly forgotten, time spent together stays in the memory. That is exactly why a relaxed visit to the Wirtshaus is the perfect idea for a great Father's Day – and Mitzitant is treating all men to a complimentary beer with every main course.

Some dishes don't need an explanation – you simply eat them. And then there are Käsespätzle. The first thing that hits you is the smell: browned butter, melting cheese, caramelised onions. The second is the first bite. And the third is the silence at the table, because nobody wants to talk anymore. Not a modern comfort food – Käsespätzle have history, and at Mitzitant we know exactly how to make them creamy.

Few dishes divide Viennese opinion quite as reliably as potato salad. Warm or cold? With mayonnaise or without? Kipfler or Ditta? Every family has their own recipe, which is naturally the only correct one. At Mitzitant, we have a clear view on the matter – and a recipe that works every time. Because without potato salad, Austrian cuisine simply doesn't work. It belongs with Wiener Schnitzel the way a fork belongs with a knife.

There are moments in the Wirtshaus when everything suddenly feels just right: the beer freshly poured, the Tafelspitz still steaming on the table, and from somewhere in the background a melody drifts in that feels as though it has always belonged there. That is how Vienna sounds. And that is how the Wiener Lied sounds. Not an invention of the tourism industry – it grew over centuries, from the streets and backyards of the city.

Mother's Day is that special Sunday of the year when we take a moment to say thank you – for all the small and big things that so often feel like a given, yet make life so wonderful. And where better to do that than over a relaxed visit to the Wirtshaus, with good food, a full glass and time for the family? No cooking, no tidying up, no stress – just time for the people who matter most.

The first warm days, a cool Spritzer in hand and the hum of the city all around. With the Schanigarten opening, the best time of year officially begins in Vienna. As soon as temperatures rise and the sun stays out a little longer, tables and chairs move outside, pavements become little living rooms and suddenly life is happening in the open air again. The Schanigarten is far more than just an outdoor seating area – it is a piece of Viennese identity.