Our guide to gay bars in Vienna
The Viennese scene is bursting with coffeehouses and bars. One of the figureheads is Café Savoy, which was established in the nineteenth century and built by a student of gay architect August Sicard von Sicardsburg. The two gigantic mirrors and impressive wall and ceiling paintings set the scene for an enchanting journey back in time. It is a place where patrons of all ages come to relax and flirt, with many people selecting the Savoy as the starting point for the long party night ahead. Options include the nearby Mango Bar, which can safely claim to be the favorite haunt of the younger crowd and is famed for its attractive waiters and brightly-colored cocktails. Mango Bar is part of the “gay empire” built up by leading figure on the gay scene Frank Liebetegger, who is also the man behind the Why Not disco, Felixx-Bar, Sportsauna and Village-bar. While Felixx-Bar treats its patrons to excellent wines and an overflowing cocktail menu, it’s the clientele at Village-bar that reads like a who’s who of the capital’s gay scene.
Good times are guaranteed at Why Not, Vienna’s most popular gay disco, thanks to its trio of bars and trendy dance floor. As an alternative, Vienna offers two or three different gay club nights virtually every weekend, ensuring that there really is something to suite every taste. Pop fans and party animals turn night into day at Ken Club, while queer:beat offers a captivating mix of indie rock, electronic music and charts hits. The city’s top club nights include gay extravaganza Circus with scene doyenne Tamara Mascara and lavish stage and light shows that draw the party masses to dance the night away, as well as Meat Market (celebrating rock sounds and electronic beats), and OMG Society, which has charted its own course with cool visual effects, international DJs and a no party pics rule.
The idea that Vienna’s scene makes every effort to reach out to people outside the gay mainstream is reflected in various club nights, including burlesque electro night Imperial Madness, the BallCanCan queer Balkan parties, bear night Pitbull, and Malefiz where director Gregor Schmidinger brings together art and trash and blurs the lines between different sexual orientations.
Kibbutz Klub is another one for those in the know. Serving up Israeli pop music, it adds yet another dimension for the late night crowd to enjoy. Fans of classical music cannot afford to miss Santo Spirito, a mix of café, restaurant and bar with predominantly gay male patrons. Ffiftysix and Hard On are an absolute must for anyone who wants to check out the local cruising scene. Sauna devotees are in their element at the well-known Kaiserbründl (a heritage-listed historic oriental bathhouse), Apollo City Sauna (with differently themed days), Römersauna (with Roman parties) and Sportsauna. The latter is open round the clock on the weekends and its bar even offers breakfasts. Outdoor fans should head for the nudist FKK zone at Toter Grund (also known as Gay Beach) on the Danube Island.
Here are the hotels we recommend that have good reviews and keep you close to all the action
Hotel Imperial, Steigenberger Hotel, Hotel Astoria, Hotel Maria Theresia
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