The Grand Hotel Vienna serves a Sunday “family brunch”, which offers free childcare service for the duration of the brunch. Let’s see how it fares from the parent’s perspective.
November 2023 update: The Grand Hotel Wien now serves the “East meets West brunch”, which is a lot better than the Family brunch we reviewed some years ago.
East meets West Sunday brunch at Grand Hotel Vienna, Austria (five-star hotel) ★★★★★
Sunday Brunch buffet price: 110€/person;
Beverage refills: Yes (Incl’ coffee, tea & sparkling wine..)
Food refills: Yes (buffet & stations)
The first Sunday of each month from 12 pm to 4 pm in the 1870 Restaurant & Lounge
The Setting ★★★★★
This monumental building sits on the Ringstraße, the boulevard which circles around Vienna’s old town. It was designed by Carl Tietz, a very prolific architect who was involved in 36 luxurious buildings built in the Ring’s vicinity.
The Grand Hotel Wien opened its doors in 1870 as Vienna’s first luxury hotel. It was immediately a big hit with the Viennese aristocracy and was the hub of the Viennese social scene for half a century. The building housed Soviet troops from 1945 to 1955 and served as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters until 1989.
All Nippon Airways bought the building and performed 100 Million euros worth of renovations, with the aim of blending the hotel’s traditional history with modernity. The “ANA Grand Hotel” was inaugurated in June 1994 until it was bought by JJW Hotels & Resorts in 2002, who renamed it the “Grand Hotel Wien”.
The 1870 Restaurant & Lounge ★★★★★
The Sunday brunch is served in the 1870 Restaurant & Lounge, on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Wien. The venue is gorgeous and gives off an intimate feeling.
The view from the terrace is amazing and I bet this brunch gets tremendously better in summer.
The Beverage Selection ★★★☆☆
There are about 10 teas and infusions to choose from, as well as the usual selection of coffees. It’s a decent hot beverage selection overall though I would have been happy to see a few more teas on offer, as well as a proper beverage menu.
This is a Bubbles brunch so sparkling wine is free-flowing. However, fruit juices and smoothies are not included in the price and neither was the water (+10€ per person for refillable mineral water).
The à-la-carte dishes ★★★★☆
Guests may order a few dishes straight from the kitchen until 13:30, which is why I strongly recommend arriving at 12:00 to make the most of the whole brunch.
The selection is classic such as eggs benedict/florentine, the signature dish (poached egg with avocado & ham), shakshuka, etc…
Guests may also order a few savoury dishes (gold bass, mini steak, etc…) and two desserts (chocolate fondue & blueberry shredded pancakes).
The West buffet ★★★★☆
There are more than enough cakes, pastries, sweets and yoghurts to satisfy your appetite. Pictures below:
The East buffet ★★★★☆
There are more than enough cakes, pastries, sweets and yoghurts to satisfy your appetite. Pictures below:
Service ★★★★★
The staff is welcoming and competent. We sat in a fairly isolated corner and yet they were always checking in on us and making sure we didn’t lack anything, be it drinks or food!
Conclusion & Overall Mark ★★★★★
The Grand Hotel Vienna “East meets West” Sunday brunch is the most generous in Vienna in terms of food. The combination of Western dishes and Japanese Sushis I unique in Vienna and well worth a try!
It’s a pity that the drink selection is a tad underwhelming when compared to the Hyatt Vienna brunch (another top contender) but I’m nitpicking here 🙂
+: Great location
+: Intimate venue
+: The view from the 2870 terrace
+: The West
+: The East
+: Excellent service
-: Served only on the first Sunday of the month
-: No juices and smoothies included
-: Quite expensive (110€/person)
Sunday brunch manu (in German)
Phone: +43 1 515 80 – 9104
E-Mail: 1870@grandhotelwien.com
Address: Kärntner Ring 9, 1010 Wien
