Graz Restaurants

Not really a restaurant tip but more of a story.

There I was in 1993 enjoying my Big Mac and McBeer (awful) chatting away to Helga and her friend when this chap intruded on us with, "Hey are you Irish?" When I said, "Yes" he laughed and said, "Oh IRA". I said, "Yes" and made a gun-shape with my fingers. He stopped smiling, wolfed down his Big Mac and left faster than your insides after a strong laxative.

If you're on a tight budget and a non-existant exercise regime, then there's McDonalds for you. Off you go and indulge...

Favorite Dish: McBeer for the first time.

Rubbish taste!! Needed more mayo I think.

I ate here each time I've been to Graz and in 2004 I took Annemarie to sample it. It was still as lovely as ever. We sat in the afternoon sun drinking beer (Grosser) and both of us had pasta dishes. Very pleasant and I highly (pardon the pun) recommend this beautiful mountain top restaurant.

You have a choice of two ways getting to the top...1 is to walk. This is a good idea if you want to build up your appetite...2 is the mountian train. It climbs at a very steep angle from the bottom of right up to the restaurant. There is a small fee but it's well worth it.

Just watch the fecking bees during the summer!!

Favorite Dish: Carbonara. Generous helping and very well cooked. Really enjoyable. The view from the table overlooking the Hedgehog and the rest of Graz was amazing.

Here you find soemthing for everyone - from pizza, pasta until food from marokko for example. it is very good and I really like to eat there - even though I have two favorite dishes which I always eat ;)

It´s really close to the center and to the stadtpark - the biggest park in town.

Favorite Dish: risotto with chicken or
spinach spätzle

I went here with Wend one cold day for a bit of respite against the chill and to have a well earned rest. There's normally seating outside, which would be good in the summer as the cafe is on the main Hauptplatz but we grabbed a table indoors. Its a very small cafe but very cosy though, with a crowd gathered by the bar and by a standing area engrossed in conversation.
I had a strong local black coffee with a spirit (I can't remember what it was called). I loved the way it was presented with the milk in a jug, a little chocolate and a free glass of water. What a difference the atmosphere was. Back in England, the cafes have plastic seating and are full of old people who moan about the wheather and builders on the skive who sit there reading the Sun newspaper. The chat is normally about giro, football & phone in competitions.

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Wherever I am I try to eat the local food and it happened extremely seldom that I was disappointed and Lothar told me a lot of the great food one can get in Styria. So I was really curious, especially because the dinner we had on our first evening in Styria was cheaper than elsewhere in Austria but of course far from being anything special - but that was because it was the only place open in the forgotten village where we stayed overnight a 100 km north of Graz. Our stroll through Graz the next morning was very intense and rewarding and it was already quite late when we felt the wish for a good lunch. We went down from the Schlossberg and Lothar knows plenty of good restaurants about a kilometer from there but we did not want to take the risk to come too late. After passing the Murinsel we saw an obviously new restaurant at the other side of the Mur river which Lothar has never seen before. The name Opatija indicated that it must be Croatian and on the blackboard outside they offered Branzino. So Lothar could convince me to try this one instead of anything Styrian further away. The restaurant looked clearly more expensive than average.

Favorite Dish: We studied the menu which was displayed outside and it looked nice and interesting with prices more like in Tirol than in Styria. It was nice and warm so we sat down at the terrace and discussed our choice with the very friendly Croatian staff. They strongly recommended the Branzino which has arrived this morning from the not so far Adriatic Sea. It was of course our main choice. But all the dishes we got were nice and authentically Croatian. I still remember also the great fish soup. We had to wait quite a time for the Branzino so we joked that they have probably sold the last one and called to the Croatian coast to get a new one but finally everything came and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch which left no wish open. And the bill was only about two thirds of that what we would have paid for anything similar in Innsbruck or elsewhere in Tirol.

I went her with my brother and our mates on my first visit. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the restaurant. On my second visit it wasn't open and I cannot find a mention of it on the web, so it might have closed. Anyway i'll describe it in case it decides to re-surface. If you are looking for a cheap but thoroughly enjoyable evening then this is your place. The decor was a bit basic with wooden chairs and a seating plan that had all of us squeezed on one table, but sometimes a bit of informality makes for a great evening. One tip though, if they seat you at the front next to a closed glass door, make sure you are not the one with your back to it, as there is a cold draft coming through, as I found out!
The welcome was warm, enthusiastic and sincere, but then it always has been when I have met Greek people. It only seemed a small place but there was live music and dancing, which was thoroughly enjoyable and only added to what was a great night.

Favorite Dish: I had a fried seafood dish from memory, which was typical Greek. A little crispy on the edges but great value. This place isn't for the high maintenance but if you want a great, informal night out with friends or girlfriend then come here.

I went here on my second trip with Wend but i'm afraid that I cannot remember what it was called. It seems to be located where Eckstein & Maroni are but I do not recognise the interiors of them. Anyway this restaurant was extremely well refined with low, subtle lighting and soft music for a relaxing mood. The waiter service was extremely courteous and efficient. However this place was quite expensive and the clientele seemed a little reserved. By the way, they don't take switch cards, which was the only one I had at the time. Luckily I had enough notes, as I have heard of this, otherwise we would have been doing the washing up for the rest of the night. Always check the bill anywhere. I did here and found they added £15 worth. They apologises and removed it so no harm done but you never know whether it was a simple mistake or whether they were trying it on because you were from 'out of town'?

Favorite Dish: I had steak and it was so gorgeous i wanted to slip it into my pocket and take it home with me. You get what you pay for I suppose and this was more than average.

I really liked the old charm of this place. There is a small bar area with stools at the front of the building to the right of the entrance. The room is wooden panelled and very cosy. Sometimes I would go in there for a quick drink in the evening, even though I wasn't eating there. I ate there a couple of times during the day and there is a seating area to the other side on the ground floor. However, I preferred to eat upstairs. There is a good atmosphere here. Like most of the places in Graz though, not too frantic.

Favorite Dish: I remember having sauages with horseradish sauce, which I loved. The beer is great as well