You know, there’s more to Viennese restaurants than just Fabios: A Series
By Evgeny Stolyarov
There are almost 8,000 restaurants and cafés in Vienna, and whilst we all have our favorites, trying something new can be daunting. That’s why we often limit ourselves to the same couple of places; places like Fabios, Joma, Dots, and Hungry Guy. Although these restaurants serve delectable dishes, there are a ton of other places to try and explore! Of course, with every new restaurant comes a lot of questions: Is it going to be expensive? Is it going to taste good? Will there be a language barrier? Is this restaurant better for brunch or lunch? Is the food Instagramable? Hopefully, this guide will answer all of those questions and more. Each publication, I’ll share one new place that most people haven’t been to. Except a small blurb about the place itself, all the vital questions mentioned above will be answered. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! If you go to theknightschronicle.com, you will find even more restaurants and cafés reviewed in the same manner, so you’ll never be out of new places to explore.
Der Wiener Deewan
Cuisine: Pakistani
Quirky Feature: Pay as You Wish
Have you ever looked at a menu, saw a 15 euro mixed salad and said “That’s BS! Why should I pay 15 euros for 3 euros worth of vegetables?” Well, the Deewan is your refuge then. When you ask how much your meal cost at the Deewan, they’ll look at you confused. There’s no receipt you can get and no set price for their all-you-can-eat buffet. Is it free? you might ask. No, but their pay as you wish system allows you to decide yourself how much you should pay. That means that if you only had a little nibble from the buffet, you can decide to pay just a couple euros, and if you ate 3 full steaming plates of Pakistani goodness, you can decide to pay 20 euros. It’s all based on people being fair and honest. Warning: the drinks do have set prices, but you can get free tap water.
Price: As much as you think is fair
Taste: Pakistani Cuisine which means lots of rice, mangoes, kardamom, beef, lamb, and chicken. Not spicy at all, and everyone seems to love it.
Vegetarians: Yes, you will definitely find something vegetarian in the buffet, and combined with rice, it’ll make for a great meal.
English: You don’t actually have to speak at all here since it’s a buffet, but chances are, your waiter will either speak perfect English or the equivalent of English B HL.
Brunch or Lunch: Definitely not a breakfast or brunch place; it’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or a small bite in between.
Cute Insta Story: Unfortunately, this is not the place for a cute insta story. Whilst the atmosphere is definitely different and quite cool here, it’s not at all designed for instagram.
Pro Tip: If you go to the bottom floor, you’ll find a ton of board games for you to play with your friends.
Friendliness: Some of the waiters and cooks are working very long shifts, cooking literally hundreds of kilograms of food (if you look at the kitchen, you’ll see their huge pots and pans). This means some of them will be tired and not especially friends (but at the same time, definitely not unfriendly). However, those who just arrived on their shifts, will be upbeat and smiling.
The Knights Chronicle 