Figlmüller review: 100 years of Wiener Schnitzel

Ian wanted traditional Viennese food on our December trip to Vienna, so I chose Figlmüller. His schnitzel was crisp, juicy and enormous. My boiled beef was less successful, and the conversation about our tip at the end of lunch was uncomfortable enough to stay with me. We ate well in parts, but we did not leave with quite the enthusiasm that Ian’s plate might suggest.

A Winter Lunch at Figlmüller

We were in Vienna around Christmas and ready for something warm when we sat down in the cellar dining room. The soup was a good start: potatoes, carrots and porcini mushrooms, with a creamy texture and enough seasoning to bring out their flavor. It suited the weather and our appetites. There was nothing particularly elaborate about it, and nothing needed adding.

Schnitzel, Lemon and Potato Salad

The house specialty is a pork schnitzel. That is worth knowing if you are expecting traditional Wiener Schnitzel, which is made with veal. Ian ordered the pork version.

Ian had potato salad and lamb’s lettuce with his schnitzel. The lemon helped cut through the breading, and the slightly sweet salad, dressed with pumpkin seed oil, was a welcome accompaniment to all that fried meat. Keep the salad in the order; the schnitzel on its own would have felt a much heavier lunch. Even spread that thinly, the pork was still juicy. The crisp breading and tender meat were the reason it worked for us.

My Viennese Boiled Beef

My boiled beef arrived in a pot of stock with vegetables, browned potatoes, chive sauce and apple horseradish. The beef tasted good, though it needed to be more tender. I enjoyed the broth and especially the apple horseradish, which had enough sweetness to balance its acidity and the kick of freshly grated horseradish.

The rest was disappointing. The chive sauce tasted mostly of egg and cream, with little chive flavor and not enough salt. The potatoes were dry and bland. Ian had made the better choice.

An Awkward End to Lunch

Then came the tip. Our waiter made us feel that the amount we had left was not enough, although the service had given us little reason to be especially generous. We had been there for about 25 minutes. I was not expecting a long, elaborate lunch, but I did expect to settle the bill without that awkwardness. It took some of the pleasure out of a meal that had already been uneven.

That exchange involved one waiter during our 2017 visit. It cannot tell us how the restaurant is run today, but it was part of the lunch we had, and it affected how we felt when we left.

A Good Schnitzel, an Uneven Lunch

Ian had the better lunch. His pork schnitzel was crisp and juicy, and the potato salad was exactly what it needed alongside. My boiled beef never quite matched it, despite a promising start with the soup. If we return, I’m ordering the schnitzel too. There was enough good food here to make another visit tempting, although the uncomfortable exchange over the tip still weighs on that decision. I wanted to leave feeling pleased with our afternoon, and instead left with mixed feelings about a restaurant whose main attraction I genuinely enjoyed.

Our Figlmüller Ratings

Our ratings reflect the December 2017 visit, including what the meal cost us then.

• 7.8/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 7.8/10
• 6.5/10
  SERVICE – 6.5/10
• 8/10
  PRESENTATION – 8/10
• 8.1/10
  FOOD – 8.1/10
• 7.5/10
  DRINKS – 7.5/10
• 8.1/10
  VALUE – 8.1/10

Our review of the Original Sacher-Torte covers another Viennese institution. For more of the city away from the table, Ian’s Wintertime in Vienna photo essay shares his photographs from our walks through the streets.

Price and Location

A pork schnitzel, Viennese boiled beef and a small mixed salad now come to €58.30 for two, before drinks. The table below gives a few individual prices from the Bäckerstraße menu, checked on August 28, 2026.

Salad is ordered separately with the pork schnitzel. These are current menu prices, not the bill from our 2017 visit.

For directions, use the Google Maps location from our original review. You can also open Figlmüller at Bäckerstraße 6 for navigation. The original restaurant is at Wollzeile 5; check which address you have booked.