Austrian Food & Drink in Graz: Restaurants, Bars & Cafes

When travelling, I enjoy eating out and having a beer to break up the sightseeing, and Graz in Austria was no different. We enjoyed visiting a few restaurants, bars and cafes in Graz, all of which were dog-friendly. My two favourites over multiple visits for food were Gösser Bräu and Gasthaus Lendplatzl.

I particularly enjoyed the local beers, especially Marzen, which perfectly suited my taste. Marzen is similar to German Helles, with subtle differences.

Tried & Tested Austrian Restaurants in Graz

My favourite restaurants that we enjoyed while sightseeing in Graz.

Gösser Bräu

One of my favourite restaurants for food on my visits to Graz is Gösser Bräu. This is a beer hall-type place with indoor seating and a beer garden. Their menu focuses on Austrian cuisine and Gösser beers. For drinks, we enjoyed a few of their house specials, which hit the spot.

For food, we had Frankfurters with mustard and horseradish for starters. Our main courses were homemade beef goulash with bread dumplings and Roast pork with crackling, sauerkraut, and bread dumplings. All the dishes tasted great, and the portions were big.

Gasthaus Lendplatzl

Overlooking Lend Market is Gasthaus Lendplatzl, a pleasant restaurant. Gasthaus Lendplatzl has a lovely beer garden, where we dined. They specialise in Austrian cuisine and have many old favourites on the menu. For drinks, we enjoyed coffee and beer with Henry, who also got a bowl of dog water.

For starters, we tried their Styrian garlic soup with toasted dark bread croutons, which was tasty and would make a good light lunch. Wienerschnitzel and Bauernpfandl were our choice for mains, both of which were hearty and tasty. Bauernpfandl consisted of pork, roasted potatoes, and green beans wrapped in bacon.

Glöckl Bräu

Glöckl Bräu is a good place to eat out or enjoy drinks in their beer garden. They are in a 17th-century building, which is rather nice. As a bonus, their beer garden is in full view of the Glockenspiel, which sounds every 15 minutes, but at 11 am, 3 pm and 6 pm the clock plays multiple songs. They serve food daily from 10 am until 10 pm, which was handy for me for an early lunch.

Glöckl Bräu have a big selection of Austrian and European beers, including some in-house brews. I had a few glasses of Glöckl Bräu, the restaurant’s namesake beer, which was a good warm day drink.

They have a good menu with Austrian classics, beer garden snacks, slaada and a vegetarian menu including celery schnitzel. I ate Rindsbraten, which is sous-vide-flanched beef and roasted in dark beer sauce with buttered vegetables and bread dumpling. The beef was very tender and flavourful and hit the spot paired with the house beer.

Altsteirische Schmankerlstub’n

In the centre near the main square is Altsteirische Schmankerlstub’n, a pleasant restaurant for Austrian food. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and a few tables in the tunnel entrance where I sat.

For drinks, I enjoyed some Puntigamer beer, a delicious and refreshing drink. Their food menu has some great options, and I chose their Ofenfrischer Schweinsbraten. This was Roast pork with cabbage, served with a bread dumpling, and it tasted delicious. I enjoyed dining here, and the food was filling.

Zur Steirerstub’n

In the Lend district is Zur Steirerstub’n, a hotel and restaurant with a terrace overlooking the main square. We visited for drinks once and dined out on a subsequent visit. Zur Steirerstub’n has a menu with many Austrian dishes and a daily menu with specials. I had some sort of mixed grill with pork, chicken and sausages with fries and a sauce. For drinks, I had the house beer.

Bars & Cafes For Austrian Beer and Coffee

Café König

A lovely place we visited for beer and coffee with the dog was Café König. Café König is rather a posh place and looks pretty formal inside.

They specialise in cakes and coffee, but they also have a decent selection of beers. My wife and I enjoyed a few coffees and beers, while Henry enjoyed some water.

For beer, I tried their Murauer Märzen, which was delicious.

Leiner’s

A very nice place where we enjoyed drinks was Leiner’s, which is in the square to the side of Franziskanerkirche. They have a nice inside and seating in the square with sheepskin rugs. The server here was friendly, and we enjoyed coffee and a Puntigamer beer.

Café-Konditorei Aida

Next to the main train station in Graz is Café-Konditorei Aida. Café-Konditorei Aida is dog-friendly and ideal for a drink while waiting for a train. We enjoyed a few visits for coffee and some local Reininghaus beer while sitting outside here. The beer was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They also serve a variety of lunchtime sandwiches and cakes.

Starks In Lend

Stark’s is a nice bar that also specialises in burgers in the Lend area of Graz. The venue was near our hotel and had a backdrop of the local markets. I enjoyed a few Tegernseer Bavarian beers here on a sunny day with the dog. They provided at-the-table service and were quite efficient. We found it to be a bit of a heat trap, so we had to find some pleasant shade for Henry.

English Pub The Running Horse

Near the Kunsthaus in Graz is the English pub, The Running Horse. English Pub The Running Horse is a lovely place for a drink. During my visit, I enjoyed sitting on their outdoor terrace and taking in the local scenery. I opted to enjoy a few Murauer Austrian beers during my visit. The pub provided at-the-table service, and the server was quick and friendly.

Lenz im Lend

Near the market square is Lenz im Lend, a nice cafe bar that opens early. I popped in for a house beer while walking Henry before the market got busy. The beer was good and service very friendly. This is outside seating only, and the people-watching opportunities were good.

Other Places To Eat Out

In addition to Austrian cuisine, we visited a few other places for food, including Italian, pizza, and Middle Eastern food.

The Italian Graz Hauptbahnhof

Near the main train station in Graz is The Italian Graz Hauptbahnhof, a nice place for food while waiting for a train. We had a few hours to wait before catching the train to Budapest, so we parked up on their terrace. They had a diverse drinks menu, including coffee and Beers. For food, I tried their house special burger, which had Italian elements, notably the cheese.