Cook your own meals, save money, and enjoy the freedom of self-catering accommodation in the heart of Vienna. Grocery stores and markets within walking distance. From €45/night.
One of the biggest limitations of staying in a hotel is the lack of cooking facilities. You are entirely dependent on restaurants, takeaway food, and overpriced hotel room service for every meal. Over a multi-day stay in Vienna, this dependency becomes expensive, repetitive, and restrictive, especially if you have dietary requirements, food allergies, or simply prefer home-cooked food. A self-catering apartment with a fully equipped kitchen changes everything about how you experience a city.
At Old Vienna Apartments on Herminengasse 12 in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district, every apartment comes with cooking facilities. Our Comfort and Superior apartments feature full kitchens with a stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, cookware, baking trays, cutting boards, knives, and a complete set of dishes, glasses, and cutlery. Our Duett and Quartett apartments have kitchenettes that include all the essentials for preparing everyday meals. You can make anything from a simple breakfast of toast and coffee to an elaborate dinner for the entire family.
Eating out in Vienna is a wonderful experience, but it adds up quickly. A modest lunch at a restaurant in the city center costs between 12 and 18 euros per person. Dinner at a mid-range restaurant runs 20 to 35 euros per person, not including drinks. A family of four eating all meals out will easily spend 150 to 200 euros per day on food alone.
Compare this to self-catering. A full breakfast of eggs, bread, butter, jam, coffee, and juice from the supermarket costs roughly 2 to 3 euros per person. A home-cooked dinner using fresh ingredients from the local market might cost 4 to 8 euros per person, depending on what you prepare. Even if you eat out for one meal a day and cook the other two at home, a family of four can save between 80 and 120 euros per day. Over a week-long stay, that is a savings of 560 to 840 euros, enough to fund several museum visits, concert tickets, or a day trip to the Wachau Valley.
For budget-conscious travelers, the kitchen is not just a convenience but a fundamental part of the travel strategy. By choosing an apartment with cooking facilities, you can afford to stay longer, see more, and experience Vienna more deeply than you could from a hotel room.
The Leopoldstadt district surrounding our apartments is exceptionally well served by grocery stores, specialty food shops, and fresh markets. You will never need to travel far to stock your kitchen.
Billa (Taborstrasse): Austria's largest supermarket chain, located about a five-minute walk from the apartment. Billa carries a comprehensive range of fresh produce, dairy, meats, bread, and pantry staples. They also have an excellent selection of Austrian wines and a dedicated organic section called Billa Bio.
Spar (Grosse Schiffgasse): Another major Austrian supermarket chain within walking distance. Spar is known for competitive prices and a good selection of ready-made meals and deli items, useful for evenings when you want something quick without a full cooking session.
Hofer (various locations): The Austrian branch of Aldi, offering the lowest prices on staple items. If you are on a strict budget, Hofer is where you stock up on basics like pasta, rice, canned goods, and frozen vegetables.
Karmelitermarkt: About a ten-minute walk from Herminengasse, the Karmelitermarkt is one of Vienna's most beloved neighborhood markets. Open Monday through Saturday, it features vendors selling fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, artisan cheeses, cured meats, freshly baked bread, olive oils, spices, and prepared foods. The Saturday morning market is particularly vibrant, with additional stalls from regional farmers. Shopping here is not just practical but one of the genuine pleasures of living in Leopoldstadt.
Naschmarkt (via U4): Vienna's most famous market is accessible in about 15 minutes via the U4 from Schottenring to Kettenbruckengasse. The Naschmarkt stretches for over a kilometer and offers an extraordinary range of international ingredients, from Turkish spices and Middle Eastern dried fruits to Japanese sauces and Italian cheeses. If you are cooking something special, the Naschmarkt is your destination.
Having your own kitchen becomes especially valuable when you have specific dietary requirements that restaurants may not easily accommodate. Vienna's restaurant scene, while excellent, is heavily oriented toward traditional Austrian cuisine featuring meat, dairy, bread dumplings, and rich sauces. If you follow a vegan diet, are gluten-free, have food allergies, or need to follow a medically prescribed meal plan, cooking for yourself gives you complete control over your ingredients.
Vienna's supermarkets have made significant progress in stocking specialty dietary products. Billa and Spar both carry dedicated gluten-free ranges, plant-based milk alternatives, vegan cheese and meat substitutes, and clearly labeled allergen information on all packaged goods. The health food chain DM (drogerie markt) also stocks a wide range of organic, gluten-free, and specialty dietary products and has locations throughout the 2nd district.
For guests with severe allergies, the ability to control your cooking environment is not just a preference but a safety issue. In a restaurant, cross-contamination is always a risk, and communicating complex allergy requirements in German can be challenging. In your own kitchen, you know exactly what goes into every dish.
Families with young children particularly appreciate having a kitchen. Preparing simple, familiar meals for toddlers and young children is far easier and less stressful than navigating restaurant menus with picky eaters. You can prepare baby food, heat bottles, and maintain your child's normal eating schedule without disruption.
One of the most rewarding ways to experience Viennese culture is to cook traditional Austrian dishes yourself. The ingredients are readily available at any supermarket, and the recipes are often surprisingly simple despite the impressive results. Try your hand at Wiener Schnitzel using veal or pork cutlets, breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour. Prepare Kaiserschmarrn, the famous shredded pancake, with just flour, eggs, milk, sugar, butter, and raisins. Make a classic Gulasch using beef, onions, paprika, and caraway seeds, letting it simmer slowly while you relax after a day of sightseeing.
The Karmelitermarkt vendors can offer advice on selecting the right ingredients, and many Austrian food blogs provide English-language recipes that you can follow in your apartment kitchen. Cooking local cuisine becomes a cultural activity in itself, one that creates lasting memories and connects you to Vienna in a way that simply ordering from a menu never can.
If cooking is a priority for your Vienna stay, we recommend the Comfort apartment or the Superior apartment, both of which feature full kitchens with a proper stove, oven, and ample counter space. The Comfort apartment at 30 square meters and 60 euros per night is ideal for couples or small groups who plan to cook regularly. The Superior apartment at 60 square meters and 90 euros per night is the best choice for families, with enough kitchen space and dining area to prepare and serve full meals for up to six people. The Duett and Quartett kitchenettes are well suited for breakfasts, light meals, and simple cooking, but serious home cooks will prefer the full kitchen options.
Fully equipped kitchens from €45/night. Cook, save money, and live like a local. Grocery stores within walking distance. Rated 8.4/10 on Booking.com.
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