When Jon and I travel, I’m usually the one to jot down a few restaurants or bars we need to try in order to really hit the ground running. That’s because I primarily think about food every chance I get. But before the food, especially on vacation, I think about daytime cocktails. I know you do too! (ed note: but no seriously, daytime cocktails are the best) 

There’s this freeing feeling when you’re wandering around a town you’re not familiar with and you have no office to report to, no emails to answer and you’re like, “Hey babe, let’s grab a beer at 2pm on this Wednesday because we CAN.”

So, in my research of “must do” places in Vienna, Austria, I wrote down Loos American Bar. We dropped our bags off at the hotel and headed out for our first day drink and the chance to sit down and come up with a Day 1 touristing extravaganza!

This bar is located on Kärntner Durchgang (no, I can’t pronounce that) in the center of Vienna, steps away from Stephensplatz, the main square. Open from 12pm-4am, (5am on weekends, but let’s be real, I’m way past snoozin’ by then) we sat down at the bar made of what all fancy bars should be made of - rich mahogany (I hope you say that in your best Anchorman voice), and Jon asked for a beer. “No, no, no, what do you think of...?” said the bartender, insisting he take a cocktail menu. So, here we are at Vienna’s finest cocktail joint and Jon has already failed at being a customer. Way to go, honey. 

We’re in an American bar and the bartender thinks we’re a couple of American idiots. Smiling it off with that cute smirk of his, Jon orders an Old Fashioned while I start with a Moscow Mule and from there we order drink #2 in which bartender man wearing suspenders serves me a Gin-something that was out-of-this-world refreshing and he looked at Jon and said, “for you, a Hemingway.” Appropriate for a writer he didn’t even know? Hell yes, and I love him to this day for making us feel so welcome, teaching us the fine art of mixology and basically saying, “NO BEER FOR YOU.”

I don’t want to overload you with the ambience description because you totally need to see for yourself, but it’s 290 square feet of art-deco inspired interior with mirrored walls and green and white chessboard style floors. The great Adolf Loos completed it in 1908. I had to Google him of course, and I can tell you he was a pioneer of modern architecture in his day. You really do step back in time entering this place and if you don’t mind the cigarette smoke (as of right now, there is no smoking ban in Vienna), it is the perfect escape for a beverage or two. I believe I read its capacity is 20-30 people, so take that into consideration as well and time your visit appropriately. It’s forever one of my favorite travel memories spent with Jon, and we both highly recommend it if you’re in the Austrian capital. 

If you’re in the US, check out The Third Man in NYC, because apparently it’s a more rustic version of this sweet Viennese spot. Haven’t been yet but it’s on the list. Cheers!

Must order: Sounds way too typical, but The Moscow Mule because if it’s hot outside the refreshing mint sprigs and ginger beer with fresh squeezed lime will cool you down in that crisp, copper mug. And if it’s cold outside, you’re sipping on vodka which will surely get that blood flowin’ and bonus: I told you you’re holding a MUG. If I could remember what that Gin-something was, I would tell you all about that but sadly, I was having too good a time to remember.