The Aurora Rooftop Bar at the Andaz Vienna am Belvedere is not only one of Vienna’s great bars but has a world-class outlook.
Which rooftop bar in Vienna has:
- outstanding cocktails
- the best view in Vienna
- total coolness?
Here’s a clue:
Reasons to like the Aurora rooftop bar
Here are some reasons I like the Aurora rooftop bar at Hyatt’s fancy new Andaz Vienna am Belvedere:
- I am picky about cocktails. The Aurora has a terrific Nordic-themed cocktail menu. My favourite is the “Berserker’s Punch” (white rum, overproof rum, orange, coconut, pineapple, lemon, milk, and a cola lolly). To be honest, I can’t see or taste any milk in it. I advise against drinking too many of these;
Mixing cocktails
- that view. I can’t get enough of it. You can look down on the Belvedere, across to the Stephansdom and Kahlenberg, or over to the Arsenal. In fact, they have a pretty good views in all directions, soon to be lent a touch of vertiginous splendour by some other tall buildings nearby. The views are good at night, too;
The view from the Aurora at night. The Belvedere is in the foreground, the Stephansdom in the background
- the clientele is cool, with a high proportion of Viennese;
- in spring, summer and autumn you can enjoy maybe the best terrace in Vienna (you can go outside in winter, too, but it may be chilly). In the winter, when the weather is less terrace-friendly, the indoors has a fine vibe with wall-to-ceiling windows and wonderful views;
- they’ve banned plastic straws;
- the snacks are tasty and filling – I like the Boa beef Bratwurst;
- the location is handy for the 21 Haus (modern art gallery) across the road; for the Upper Belvedere, with its Klimts and other world class art; and for Vienna’s pulsating new Hauptbahnhof (main station) with its transport links.
Independent reviews
Here are a couple of independent reviews are in Falstaff and Falter (both in German). You can see a bunch of photos at Aurora’s Instagram page.
Full disclosure: the Andaz Vienna am Belvedere, on whose top floor the Aurora Rooftop Bar perches on its beautiful terrace, is run by my partner, Gözde. But I wouldn’t praise it unless I really liked it.
For: something special, with a real sense of place, and a beautiful rooftop terrace.
Against: unfamiliar location if you rarely leave the First District
P.S. If you want to see more Vienna cafe reviews, see my Great Vienna cafes page.
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