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Restaurant reservations—always necessary?

I am making final plans for our Prague, Vienna & Budapest trip. Are restaurant reservations a must for each night or are walk ins accepted?

I fully realize some restaurants are popular and booked way out. I’m trying to determine if I need ti make a reservation for each night before we leave for our trip.

We will be there October 17-21 if that makes a difference.

Thanks!
Rachel

Ps if anyone has restaurant recommendations, I would love to hear them. Doesn’t have to be a formal sit down. We enjoy casual and local places.

Posted by
1907 posts

You can walk in wherever you like, but it can happen that no table is available. Restaurants in Vienna (and Austria) usually do not have a waiting space, e.g. a bar where you can sip a drink in the meantime. Therefore waiting means standing in a line, often outside. Consequently, it is better to make a reservation. Most places have a homepage on the Internet for online reservations.

https://www.falter.at/lokalfuehrer?r=Wien

This is Vienna's most comprehensive restaurant guide. Although in German it is easily understandable. You can select features like "Empfohlen" (recommended) then you get only the better places, or "Bezirk" (city borough), or type of cuisine.

Posted by
4000 posts

I more often than not travel alone and never make a reservation. Perhaps if there are many people in your party, it would be a good idea.

Posted by
1293 posts

I would make the reservations. Be courteous and cancel if you will not make it. Sometimes you will be told no reservation is required. Sometimes your desired date/time will be booked. Maybe a quiet day and closed? A particular dish may be reserved also if popular and a chance to be sold out.

Posted by
4412 posts

I ate here twice on a recent visit to Vienna, just walked in and they sat us down. It's not only a nice restaurant but is attached to a really cool supermarket.

https://www.dasmezzanin.at/en

I'm not the kind of traveler whose day is planned enough to know where and when I want to eat. When it's that time, I just look around and find a good looking place.

Posted by
1907 posts

I cannot second phred´s recommendation. The supermarket is a highlight, but the cuisine in the restaurant is mediocre.

Posted by
1434 posts

It's safer to make reservations in advance. Europeans are used to it, even if it's on the same day.