What is life like in Vienna on Christmas Eve? Are most restaurants closed, or are they open? Do people go out to eat, or are they at home with their family instead?

First og all thank you for the question! Christmas is a very important holiday in Vienna, and that is why Austrians like to spend especially Christmas Eve together with their family and best friends. And as you asked, they almost always do this at home, in their own houses. That is why restaurants are often closed, because the employees are at home celebrating Christmas as well. However, those who come to town as tourists also need a place to eat on Christmas Eve, and that is why there are some exceptions, that is, there are some restaurants that remain open also on Christmas Eve.

Restaurants in Vienna on Christmas Eve.

One general rule is that it can be useful to book a very nice hotel in Vienna on Christmas Eve, because the best hotels in Vienna have nice restaurants, and they keep them open, also on Christmas Eve. That is why you could check up with your hotel as well, to see if they have a restaurant in which you can dine on Christmas Eve.

Besides restaurants connected to hotels there are some independent restaurants as well that stay open on Christmas Eve. These are not so many, and unfortunately we can not present you with a complete list of such restaurants, but here you can find the names on some restaurants and cafes that have had open doors on Christmas Eve in previous years. If anyone has further feedback, names on open restaurants and cafes, please write a comment to share your knowledge!