When it comes to comfort food, Austrian and German classics like sausages and schnitzel are easily some of my favorites. Since Innsbruck is the capital city of the Austrian state of Tyrol, it opened up a new door of regional cuisine not usually found in cities such as Vienna. The food scene in Innsbruck was delicious! Nik and I didn’t have one bad meal, enjoyed delicious beer and caught up with friends from Chicago!
Restaurants of Innsbruck
Nik and I hit the ground running as soon as we landed in Innsbruck. We first made our way to Old Town where we took a few pictures and walked the square.
The area by the Golden Roof, Innsbruck’s most famous symbol, is surrounded by arcades, a succession of contiguous arches, with each arch supported by columns.
This area had restaurant after restaurant that made for perfect people watching and architecture admiring. In no particular order, here is a bit of the food scene in Innsbruck that we enjoyed.
Related: Sightseeing Around Innsbruck
Franzs Bier Tavern
Most of the restaurants in Old Town all served the same style food so we settled on lunch at Franzs, a cozy and rustic spot. The inside gave off an Austrian beer tavern vibe while Franzs also offered outdoor seating.
Accompanied by cold beer, Nik ordered the schnitzel with fries while I ordered the St. Johanner sausage, a Tyrol specialty. We shared our entrees and both were delicious. Just what we were craving to start the trip.
As it would turn out, we’d return to Franzs two more times for drinks. It’s that great of a spot.
Stiftskeller
One of the most popular spots for food and drink in Innsbruck is Stiftskeller. Every time we passed by, it was busy. It’s a huge space that gave off big beer garden vibes. It was pouring on and off while we were there so we didn’t get to enjoy the outside environment.
Over dinner and liter mugs of beer, we caught up with our friends Alex (a former work colleague of mine) and his fiancé Erika who were on a trip with his parents and brother, all of who we’ve met before.
We tallied another schnitzel and goulash to the overall count of the trip. Both were very good. I only regret not taking more pictures of the restaurant.
Altstadtstandl Sausage Truck
Innsbruck doesn’t have sausage stands scattered around the city the way Vienna and Berlin do. But we found a mobile one! Located in a prime spot near the Golden Roof was the Altstadtstandl truck.
Nik had the Burenwurst, a type of sausage that was served sliced up. I had the Tiroler Bosna, which is basically a long bratwurst topped with a little curry powder, ketchup and onions in a long crispy roll. Both were delicious and hit the spot.
Gasthof Riese Haymon
I read about Gasthof Riese Haymon on this website and made note of it for its location in Innsbruck’s Wilten district near the Bergisel Ski Jump. (Gasthof is a German-style inn or tavern with a bar, a restaurant, banquet facilities and hotel rooms for rent.)
The restaurant is named after the legendary giant Haymon from Tyrolean folklore. It is said that Haymon was the founder of an abbey in Innsbruck. (We walked by said abbey before knowing the history of it and sadly didn’t take a picture.) He is said to have lived between 600 and 900 years ago and to have died in the year 878 A.D. in Wilten.
Nik and I enjoyed our lunch on their very cute garden terrace. This was my first time having Tiroler Gröstl, a dish that originated in this region. More or less it’s a chopped beef and potato hash topped with a fried egg. Delicious! This was one meal that I ordered in which Nik did not try it. IYKYK.
It definitely seemed like a place locals eat since the table next to us was a group of women who seem to have a weekly meal there.
Can you tell that the food scene is Innsbruck is amazing? There’s still more!
Grill Imbiss Rennweg
Located in the northwest corner of Innsbrucker Hofgarten (Innsbruck park), right next to the Inn river, is a no-frills sausage food truck called Grill Imbiss Rennweg.
We got the most perfectly grilled St. Johanner sausage and bratwurst.
If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by this food truck and take a stroll across the charming Emile-Béthouart-Steg bridge, which links the St. Nikolaus and Saggen neighborhoods. The mountain views and architecture along the way are stunning.
Fischerhäusl
Another delicious dinner spot was Fischerhäusl, which I also read about online. It’s located on a little side street in Old Town by the Innsbruck Cathedral. Once again it was raining when we went to eat there so we sat inside in their upstairs dining room.
You enter on the ground level where the bar is and it was empty so I was a little worried that we were going to be the only ones eating. But as we were seated upstairs, the space was pretty full and we settled in for a tasty dinner.
Nik and I started with the Frittatensuppe, a soup with beef broth and crispy pancake strips. The pancake strips were more like tortilla strips. Really good, especially for a rainy night.
For my entree, I had my second Tiroler Gröstl of the trip, which was equally as good as my first one. Nik went with the Ripperin, spare ribs. We both devoured our meals and are really glad we ate at Fischerhäusl.
Ludwig Burger
One of our slight deviations from the local cuisine was for dinner at Ludwig Burger. It was a nice spot just outside of Old Town. We didn’t take many pictures apparently, other than my bacon cheeseburger with their special sauce. It was very good.
Kroll Strudel Cafe
Would a visit to any Austrian city be complete without a strudel? Probably not! We enjoyed breakfast strudel one morning at Kroll Strudel Cafe in Old Town. It was good, but nothing too exciting. We probably could’ve had more strudel options at the restaurants we ate at, but we were always too full for dessert.
Bars of Innsbruck
Now that food scene in Innsbruck has been thoroughly covered, let’s talk booze! Over the course of our time in Innsbruck, we hit a range of spots. Beer bars, an Irish dive bar and even a couple great spots for cocktails.
Liquid Diary
Nik and I didn’t know much about Liquid Diary before going in, but apparently it’s been voted one of Austria’s best bars. We sat at the counter and had a great view of the drinks being made. Definitely some creativity taking place there.
Note that Liquid Diary is cash only.
Fuchs & Hase
Located in Domplatz by the Innsbruck Cathedral is Fuchs & Hase.
While they have a full menu with food, we went for cocktails which were very good. They even have a happy hour where a few menu items are discounted.
If you find yourself at Fuchs & Hase, try to sit outside. The square is really quaint and a little on the quieter side because it’s away from some of the hustle and bustle of Old Town.
Limerick Bills Irish Pub
No matter the city, you can never go wrong popping into an Irish bar to end the night. Located on the bustling Maria-Theresien-Strasse is Limerick Bills. Nestled on the lower level of an older building, it felt like we walking down a dark alley to its entrance. But once inside, it was just like any other Irish dive bar. Also note, they are cash only.
Other Spots Around Town
Some other places we stopped in and can recommend range from beer bars to sports bars. If you’re a craft beer fan, definitely check out Tribaun. The bar to order is on the lower level along with indoor seating. They also have outdoor tables and a food menu as well.
More of a beer shop than bar is BierWelt.Tirol, or Beer Shop. The coolers were stocked with a variety of cans that you can drink on-site or buy to take away. The owner was also an incredibly friendly guy.
Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl is around the corner from the Golden Roof. We stopped in with our friends Alex and Erika for post-dinner cocktails. It was a cozy space and the food at the other tables all looked good.
For a sports fix, TnT Sports Bar is your spot. Though, their Instagram now shows it as closed. Not sure what happened there but we only stopped in for a couple beers.
And finally, we did stop in at the local Dunkin’ Donuts. It had been awhile!
Overall, our visit to this wonderful city was fabulous. From the stunning backdrop of the Austrian alps to the delicious food scene in Innsbruck, we loved our trip so much. Prices were very reasonable and I cannot wait to make a return visit.
