New in Vienna 2026: The Openings Worth Your Time

In short: The best new places in Vienna in 2026 are Sanatorium (a pharmacy themed cocktail bar by the Apotheke team from New York, opened September), Donauhof (a revived 1902 inn in the 2nd district, opened April), sophie7 (seasonal, mostly vegetarian cooking in a former hospital pavilion, opened September) and the reopened Café Bräunerhof (June). On the culture side, the Sisi Museum expands with 12 new rooms on 19 November 2026.

Our guides eat, drink and wander through this city every day, so we keep a running list of what is genuinely new. This is it for 2026, checked against the venues themselves and Vienna’s food press. We only list places that actually opened this year; plenty of “new” lists online still recycle openings from 2024 and 2025.

2026 openings at a glance

New restaurants worth booking

Donauhof (2nd district). A 1902 inn with its own ballroom on Engerthstraße, brought back to life in April 2026 by Cornelius Klimt and the former Bruder team. Austrian and French sharing plates, dinner only, and already one of the most talked about tables in town. Worth the trip out towards the Danube.

sophie7 (7th district). Restaurant, bar and co working space in the listed Kenyon Pavilion of the former Sophienspital on Apollogasse. Chef Stephan Zuber, who has cooked at Tantris and the Adlon, serves a seasonal and mostly vegetarian menu; the bar has 14 signature cocktails. Fully open since 8 September 2026.

M.eins19 (1st district). Julia Schmid’s first restaurant on Seilerstätte, opened in July: regional cooking from an open kitchen, its own patisserie and monthly guest chefs. The lunch menu is one of the best value ways to eat well in the old town.

New bars for an evening out

Sanatorium (1st district). Albert and Jakob Trummer, the brothers behind Apotheke in New York, opened their Vienna bar on 5 September 2026 in the passage between Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Platz and Postgasse. Expect “prescription” cocktails in an Otto Wagner inspired interior, sushi from Martin Ho’s Ay-Vy Sushi Bar and a members’ club downstairs.

Bar Sophie at Palais Chotek (9th district). After six years of restoration, the Neo Renaissance palace on Währinger Straße, once home to Sophie Chotek, wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, reopened in May as the EST Hotel Palais Chotek. Its all day bar and garden are open to non guests.

Hidden Room at Hotel Schani City (2nd district). In the heart of the old Jewish quarter on Große Schiffgasse, this bar with a garden opened with the hotel in April 2026 and hosts concerts and readings. The hotel is kosher, and so is the drinks list.

WILMA Rooftop (23rd district). Billed as the first rooftop bar in Vienna’s south, on top of Hotel Stasta, with soul food and a long view over the southern edge of the city. Opened in July.

Coffee: one legend back, one newcomer

Café Bräunerhof (1st district). Thomas Bernhard’s favourite coffeehouse on Stallburggasse closed after an insolvency in 2025 and reopened on 17 June 2026 under the Plachutta family and Peter Friese of Schwarzes Kameel. The good news: it looks almost exactly as it always did, newspapers and all.

Piccolina Filmbar (1st district). A tiny Italian espresso and aperitivo bar inside the Austrian Film Museum on Augustinerstraße, facing the Albertina. Perfect for a quick espresso between museums.

Wildkaffee (5th district). A specialty roastery on Pilgramgasse run by the 2024 World Brewers Cup champion. If you take your filter coffee seriously, this is the address.

New for culture lovers

• Sisi Museum expansion: 12 new rooms open in the Hofburg on 19 November 2026.
• Imperial Silver Collection: redesigned and reopening in November 2026.
• Wiener Aktionismus Museum: renovated and enlarged, reopened on 25 March 2026 with early works by Hermann Nitsch.
• Villa Beer: Josef Frank’s 1930 modernist villa reopened in March 2026 after restoration.
• Big anniversaries: 2026 marks 250 years of the Burgtheater and of the Albertina’s collection, and 25 years of the MuseumsQuartier.

Our guides’ tips for trying new places

• Book dinner, walk in for lunch. New restaurants fill up fast in the evening, but lunch menus like the one at M.eins19 are often available without a reservation.
• Go early in the week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the easiest nights to get into new bars like Sanatorium.
• Combine old and new. Start with a Melange at the reopened Bräunerhof, then walk five minutes to the Albertina and finish at Piccolina Filmbar.
• Check before you go. Opening hours at new places often change in the first months, so look at their own website or Instagram on the day.

See the neighbourhoods behind the openings

New places make more sense once you know the streets around them. Our free walking tours cover the old town, and our food, drink and tasting tours are the best way to taste the city with a local. Looking for more ideas? Read our guide to things to do in Vienna in October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best new restaurants in Vienna in 2026?

Our picks are Donauhof in the 2nd district (opened April 2026), sophie7 in the 7th district (September 2026) and M.eins19 in the 1st district (July 2026).

What is the newest bar in Vienna?

Sanatorium, by the Trummer brothers of New York’s Apotheke, opened on 5 September 2026 in the 1st district and is the most talked about bar opening of the year.

Is Café Bräunerhof open again?

Yes. Café Bräunerhof on Stallburggasse reopened on 17 June 2026 under new owners and has kept its classic interior.

What is new in Vienna’s museums in 2026?

The Wiener Aktionismus Museum and Villa Beer reopened in March 2026, and the Sisi Museum adds 12 new rooms on 19 November 2026, with the redesigned Imperial Silver Collection following in November.

Prefer to discover new places with a local? Join the Vienna Like a Local hidden gems free walking tour or eat your way through town on our street food and wine tasting tour.