Is It True That Many Restaurants in Vienna Only Accept Cash?

I would agreed to that assertion.

My favourite Schnitzel restaurant in Vienna on Neubaugasse is cash only, (the sign out front attests to that policy) , another Schnitzel and dessert restaurant I go (no tourists frequent this place) on Nußdorferstraße takes credit cards as well as cash. In that type of situation, I pay them in cash.

Don't be surprised if eateries, cafes located in so-called tourist areas are still cash only,

I would not agree to that assertion.

Most places, but not all, accept card payments. The mentioned Schnitzelwirt is the most famous exception. It is overrun by tourists, therefore having become the object lesson for cash payments in trip reports or social media postings.

The link the OP is referencing to describes 14 restaurants, only 2 of which are cash only.

Vienna has a rather dense network of ATMs. In case you are in need for cash in a restaurant ask the staff where the next ATM in the vicinity is. (The other most famous cash only place, Schweizerhaus, was the first restaurant in Vienna to have its own ATM outside.)

Is It True That Many Restaurants in Vienna Only Accept Cash? YES. But define "many". Do you mean more than you would expect in France, Spain, Hungary, Belgium, and on and on? Yes. Do you mean more than you would expect in Germany .... maybe not. Fewer in the tourist areas, more likely in the local economy areas. If there are two of you, keep 200 euro in your pocket (or 100 if its just lunch) and dont worry about it too much.

100€ for lunch??? More than I have ever spent for lunch ever, for 2. Ever. Anywhere.

Am I cheap?

No, you just aren't in Austria, LOL. Okay, 50 euro.

thanks for the drop. I have been in Austria many times, Wien, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Seefeld in Tirol, ...

oh, and I haven't paid cash for much of anything in Austria since they used the Austrian Schilling. I tell a lie - cash in the parking machine under the mountain in Salzburg.

Yes, I think it's a matter of one's definition of "many". I spent 17 days in Vienna earlier this year, and I'm not sure I ever encountered a cash-only restaurant. I ate often in ethnic restaurants outside the Ring. Maybe there were one or two casual places that were cash only. But there are lots of card-accepting options; it's not a situation in which you'll find yourself with no practical alternative to going on a search for an ATM.

More of an impact for me was the early closing time of supermarkets. I was very happy Emily had warned about that, so I knew ahead of time not to expect groceries to be open after 8 PM on weekdays (or a much earlier time on Saturday) or at all on Sundays.

No doubt credit cards are more readily accepted in France than in Austria and most definitely in Germany.

Regardless of the area, neighborhood of a city/town in Germany, heavily frequented by international tourists or only locals, you had better not just rely on credit card payment. You might be refused more often than you expect.

you had better not just rely on credit card payment. You might be refused more often than you expect.

This issue is overexaggerated here. Most cash-only places state this fact already at the door. Especially in Vienna the next ATM is within 5 to 7 minutes walk. The restaurant's staff usually knows where the closest ATM is.

There are 800+ ATMs in Vienna; Austria has the highest density of ATMs in Europe. The ATMs are not only located on the street, post offices and banks have ATMs inside (accessible even outside business hours), the SPAR grocery chain has an ATM in every outlet.

https://www.psa.at/en/bankomat-map
This is the network of ATMs operated jointly by Austrian banks; there are a lot of private ATMs as well.

Old school but I always have Bar/cash to cover my meal.

Old school but I always have Bar/cash to cover my meal.

Ditto. I always have cash on me at home or abroad. Why limit yourself in any way?

PharmerPhil, it's very strange that a few, none here, look at not having cash as some sort of identifer. Odds are in Germany or Austria if you get off the the tourist trail you will eventually be faced with a decision .... skip it, spend time locating an ATM or pulling 30 euro out of your pocket. All legitimate and acceptable options.

We were in Vienna this past week and every restaurant we ate at accepted Visa or MC. Many didn't want to take Am Ex but paying with a credit card wasn't a problem.

I always have cash on me at home or abroad. Why limit yourself in any way?

I never carry cash except on the golf course, to settle small bets. Never presents any problems for me. And I seldom carry cash in Europe. My total cash use in 4+ months this past summer:

Caddie fee/tips (many GBP)
Laundry in Munich (maybe 20-25 euros)
Donations to cathedrals in Wells and Durham, and offering in Westminster (some GBP)

My wife spent some cash in thrift shops in the UK.

Everyone has a different perspective on carrying cash. Neither approach is better than or inferior to the other; it's annoying when people suggest otherwise.

jphbucks, you brought up a good point.

The churchs here now accept cards for candles and in the collection boxes? I know the homeless here now accept cards. Tips? there are places where the tip can not be put on the card, but not many; their loss. If it does go on the card, my bet is that its subject to VAT (somethng greater than 20% in most countries). Cash tips generally arent subject to VAT (by law in many countries, not cheating). But the service is bad in Europe and there is no tipping in Austria anyway; so tipping isnt an issue. Well, of course none of that is true. I lead a different life. Not better, just different. I just realized I could not get through the week without cash.

"...I could not get through the week without cash." How true.

Here in SF and the Bay Area one could get through the week without cash but you pay more , if that makes any difference. Buying gas are you willing to pay the cc price all the time when the difference between the cash and cc price is between a nickel and a dime and you need 12 -15 gallons? I prefer to carry the cash along with the credit cards, most definitely in Germany and France.

In France 2 hotels both two star give me a lower rate provided I pay in cash, worked it out with the boss or an important employee.

There are hotels here that are cashless as well as restaurants and vice versa as well, cash only restaurants or if "they" give you that luxury of paying by cc, just for the convenience of the customer, then another 5% is added to the total bill.

Buying gas are you willing to pay the cc price all the time when the difference between the cash and cc price is between a nickel and a dime and you need 12 -15 gallons?

Fred, it was a surprise the first time I visited California and saw gas prices differentiated between card and cash; we didn't have that in Ohio or the other states I've lived in. Now that we live here, I get my gas pretty much exclusively at Costco, where all transactions at the pump are by card (and cheaper than anyone else's cash price). Glad I don't have that potential need for cash; still living by the card and paying it off in full every month. I love that float.

As for tipping in Austria - my experience in Vienna recently was that a tip was almost universally expected - and that includes places off the tourist trail.

@ jphbucks....buying gas at Costco, all I can say is "Bravo !"

True, Costco in the past (don't know about now) used to only accept Visa for gas payment, ie no cash ( i can see why) and no MC or AmEx. The incentive is getting there is indeed cheaper than any cash price, maybe with the exception of an independent dealer.

All sorts of choices here in CA regarding establishments and vendors, cash only, cashless, mixed, discount offered if it's cash,

The ability to put restaurant tips on credit cards seems to vary quite a lot from country to country. In my quite recent experience in northern Italy, there were quite a few restaurants that wouldn't permit the customer to charge the tip. I'd guess the percentage not allowing that was somewhere between 20% and 40% in the moderate-cost restaurants I frequented.

Another place I've needed cash is in Italian churches with coin-operated lights to illuminate frescoes and mosaics. Gotta have those 1-euro (usually) coins.

Costco here is still VISA only for gas (and Warehouse). Their Branded Citibank card is VISA as well. Don't know if they vary by State/Country.

I know this question is about restaurants in Vienna, but we seem to have veered into Costco and Californian fuel.

So, in the UK, charging extra for a card transaction is illegal, and I believe so in the EU.

Costco in the UK does not issue or partner with a particular card, although at the beginning it was tied to an AMEX card. In the store, and the food court and at the petrol station Visa, MC and Amex are all accepted. The petrol station is all pay by card at the pump; in the store cash is also accepted; in the food court it is contactless card only at a self serve ordering screen, and cash may be paid if you search out the one person who can take it while serving others.

I carry a £10 note on the off chance I will need it during the day, and I carry a physical card for the same reason. I do all my purchases with my phone and although I carry my wallet I never take it out. Never need cash, need a physical card every few months. I don't think I used it in 2024.

As a side note, the latest generation of public toilets in Vienna accept credit cards, too (€0,50 or 0,60). So carrying some coins with you is not a bad idea.