Stories from the everyday lives of the Mitzitant

A good dish doesn't need wine to taste good. But the right wine can change the way you experience it. Rounder, more harmonious, sometimes even surprising. In the Wirtshaus, wine has always belonged with food – not as a prestige product, but as a constant companion. It can balance richness, soften spice or extend the finish of a dish. It's not about complicated rules. It's about balance, instinct and making every bite a little better than the last.

Anyone visiting Vienna for the first time will sooner or later stumble across it: the Wiener Grant. An eye-roll, a dry comment, an answer that seems blunt at first glance. And yet, there is often more warmth behind it than you'd expect. The Wiener Grant is not unfriendliness – it is its own form of communication. Once you understand it, you understand a little piece of Viennese everyday culture.

A Gröstl is not a dish for grand gestures. It lives from simple ingredients, good technique and the right feel for timing. That's exactly why it belongs to those classics where small details make all the difference. In the Wirtshaus, the Gröstl has always been a dish for every occasion: using up leftovers, fuelling up after a long day, or simply an honest meal without any fuss. Here is everything you need to know to make the perfect Gröstl at home.

For tourists, a Viennese Wirtshaus can feel like a small planet of its own at first glance. Wooden tables, the smell of roast meat and beer, a waiter with a stoic expression and a menu full of unfamiliar words. What is a Wiener Schnitzel really? What's the difference between a Krügerl and a Seidl? And how do you ask for the bill? Mitzitant's guide to surviving your first real Wirtshaus – everything you need to know before you sit down.

Vienna without Wirtshäuser? Unthinkable. They are as deeply rooted in city life as the smell of fresh coffee, the clip-clop of Fiaker horses on the cobblestones, or the affectionate grumbling of the locals. A Wirtshaus is not simply a place to eat. It is a space where stories are made. From medieval inns to the unofficial living room of the Viennese – the history of Vienna's Wirtshäuser is the history of the city itself.

Some drinks tell you something about the place where you're sitting. In Vienna, that drink is the G'spritzte. A simple glass that doesn't try to impress, and for exactly that reason has become a symbol of this city. It doesn't demand attention or a stage. And yet it's always there wherever Vienna is at its most honest: in the Wirtshaus, at the Heurigen, at the regulars' table – or at Mitzitant, where the Spritzer has long since developed a character all of its own.

Vienna in summer. The sun blazes, the asphalt shimmers and you'd love nothing more than to spend the whole day somewhere cool. That's exactly what Mitzi's homemade iced teas are for. Three flavours that couldn't be more different: the fruity Bloody Berry, the invigorating Herb Witch and the refreshing Green Apple with peppermint. Freshly made, no ready-made products and completely alcohol-free. The perfect companion for hot Viennese summer days.

Wenn bei der Fußball-WM die besten Nationalteams der Welt um den Titel kämpfen, läuft auch bei der Mitzitant die kulinarische Nationalmannschaft auf. Wiener Schnitzel als Kapitän, der Kaiserschmarrn als Joker von der Bank und der hausgemachte Apfelstrudel als Torschützenkönig. Elf Wirtshausklassiker, jeder mit seiner Rolle, jeder mit seinen Stärken. Wer die stärkste Aufstellung der österreichischen Küche kennenlernen will, liest weiter.

Im Wirtshaus gehört das Bier auf den Tisch. Das war schon immer so. Aber ob das Krügerl auch wirklich zum Teller passt, darüber macht man sich selten Gedanken. Dabei kann das richtige Bier ein gutes Gericht noch besser machen, den Geschmack heben, abrunden oder mit einem überraschenden Kontrast bereichern. Von Schnitzel bis Kaiserschmarrn: Wir verraten, welches Bier zu welchem Wirtshausklassiker passt.