Best Restaurants in Graz 2026 | Restaurants for Kings

Q: What Styrian dishes should I order in Graz?

Start with anything dressed in Steirisches Kuerbiskernoel, the PGI pumpkin-seed oil that defines the region. Order the Backhendl, the Styrian fried chicken, at Landhauskeller; the cold-smoked lake char with mustard caviar at Eckstein; and a Kaeferbohnen (scarlet runner bean) salad almost anywhere. Drink Schilcher, the sharp West Styrian rose from the Blauer Wildbacher grape.

Graz sits ninety minutes south of Vienna and draws a fraction of the visitors, which is the first thing in its favour. This is the capital of Styria, the farmland province Austrians call the country’s green larder, and the city has spent two decades branding itself the Genusshauptstadt — the capital of culinary delight. The case for that title is not made by stars Graz does not have. It is made by pumpkin-seed oil pressed forty minutes away, by Schilcher wine from the West Styrian hills, and by a handful of rooms that cook the region honestly rather than dressing it up for tourists.

How Graz Eats

Start with the rating system, because it is not the one most travellers expect. Austria has no national Michelin guide, so the benchmarks in Graz are the Gault&Millau Hauben (toques, awarded in points) and the Falstaff Gabeln (forks). A two-Hauben room like Der Steirer or a 14-point toque like Eckstein is the local equivalent of a star, and reading menus through that lens saves you from chasing credentials that do not exist here.

The regional pantry is non-negotiable. Steirisches Kürbiskernöl (Styrian pumpkin-seed oil, a PGI-protected product) goes on salads, on vanilla ice cream, into mayonnaise for the fried chicken. Käferbohnen (scarlet runner beans) turn up in salads dressed with it, Vulcano ham comes from a single estate in the south of the province, and the house pour is Schilcher, the sharp rosé made from the Blauer Wildbacher grape that grows almost nowhere else.

Practical rhythm: Austrians dine earlier than the Mediterranean. Lunch (Mittagessen) is still the serious meal for many, dinner service opens around 18:30, and most kitchens stop by 21:30. Many rooms keep a Ruhetag (a fixed weekly closing day), usually Sunday or Monday, so check before you walk over. Tipping is by rounding up or adding five to ten percent, handed to the server in cash with the total stated aloud rather than left on the table. Booking is relaxed by capital-city standards: a few days’ notice covers most tables, a week secures the Hauben rooms, and the markets at Kaiser-Josef-Platz and Lendplatz run mornings if you want to see where the kitchens shop.

Best Neighbourhoods for Dinner

Altstadt (Innere Stadt). The UNESCO-listed old town around Hauptplatz and the Glockenspielplatz holds the two most historic tables in the city: Landhauskeller in its 1590 cellar on Schmiedgasse, and the Mehlplatz institution Eckstein with the centre’s best beer garden.

Schlossberg. The wooded clock-tower hill above the centre is reached by funicular or the lift cut into the rock. At the top, Aiola Upstairs serves modern Styrian–Mediterranean plates from the terrace with the widest view in Graz.

Lend. The west bank of the Mur is the design quarter, anchored by the Kunsthaus and the Saturday Lendplatz market. Der Steirer on Belgiergasse is the room that defined the district’s modern-Styrian wave.

Geidorf. The leafy university quarter north of the ring is where students and academics eat. Parks Graz on Zinzendorfgasse is the daytime bio café that anchors the morning crowd two blocks from the University of Graz.

The Graz Top 5

1 Aiola Upstairs · Schlossberg · Modern Styrian / Mediterranean · €€€
The rooftop with the best terrace view in the city, and a kitchen that earns the climb rather than coasting on the panorama. Book the sunset slot.
2 Der Steirer · Lend · Modern Styrian / Bistro · €€ · 2 Gault&Millau Hauben
The Belgiergasse bistro that wrote the city’s modern-Styrian playbook: pumpkin-seed oil, Alm-ox beef, and a Schilcher-heavy list served without ceremony.
3 Landhauskeller · Altstadt · Austrian / Styrian Classic · €€€
Dinner inside a 1590 vaulted cellar beneath the provincial parliament. Order the Backhendl and let four Renaissance stone rooms do the rest.
4 Eckstein · Altstadt (Mehlplatz) · Austrian / Styrian · mains €16–€28
Relaunched in 2021 by Daniel Marg and Gernot Büttner-Vorraber, it keeps its 14-point toque, its cold-smoked char, and the centre’s best beer garden.
5 Parks Graz · Geidorf · Bio Café / Vegetarian · €12–€18
The Geidorf room Graz works from rather than celebrates from: Falstaff 89, a porridge bowl at €12, and a cheesecake worth crossing the river for.

The Graz List

Five editorial picks, ranked by the only filter that matters: why you are dining.

€ Casual Styrian bistros €€ Modern Styrian, chef-driven bistros €€€ Panoramic terraces, serious kitchens €€€€ Destination fine-dining

Proposal

Graz — Modern Styrian / Mediterranean

Aiola Upstairs

Modern Styrian / Mediterranean €€€

The rooftop restaurant on the Schlossberg, looking down across Graz's red-tiled roofs to the Kunsthaus and the Mur valley — the definitive view in the city.

Graz — Modern Styrian / Bistro

Der Steirer

Modern Styrian / Bistro €€

The modern Styrian bistro on Belgiergasse that defined the city's new wave — pumpkin-seed oil, Alm-ox beef, and a Schilcher-heavy wine list served without ceremony.

Graz — Austrian / Styrian Classic

Landhauskeller

Austrian / Styrian Classic €€€

The 1590 wine cellar under the Landhaus — Graz's most historic dining room, still serving classical Styrian cooking under the vaulted Renaissance arches.

Graz — Modern European / Park Dining

Parks

Modern European / Park Dining €€

The park pavilion restaurant in the Stadtpark — bright, modern, garden-facing, and the Graz lunch of the design community.

8Food

9Amb

Best for Closing a Deal

Graz business dinners run quieter and earlier than Vienna’s, and the room matters more than the menu. You want stone walls, separable tables, and a server who lets the conversation breathe. The four-room cellar at Landhauskeller’s vaulted dining rooms handles confidential talk best; the Lend bistro Der Steirer on Belgiergasse works for a relaxed mid-tier sit-down; and Eckstein on the Mehlplatz is the easy central default for a larger party. See more power tables for closing a deal worldwide.

Best for a First Date

The trick in Graz is a room warm enough to lean into without forcing a three-hour commitment on a first meeting. The Schlossberg terrace at Aiola’s rooftop buys you a view that does the talking; the candle-lit 1590 cellar under the Landhaus is the atmospheric choice; and the unfussy modern-Styrian bistro in Lend keeps the night light and conversation-easy. More ideas in our first-date restaurants guide.

Best for a Team or Group Dinner

Group bookings need seats, a kitchen used to large parties, and a menu that suits mixed appetites. Eckstein’s beer garden seats more than 150 and is the city’s most reliable big-table room; the Renaissance cellar on Schmiedgasse can give a private vaulted room its own corner; and the lively Belgiergasse bistro handles a noisy dozen without losing the kitchen. See more team-dinner restaurants worldwide.

Best for Solo Dining and Working

Graz is a counter city in the daytime, and a solo diner is never out of place. The Geidorf bio café Parks Graz is the working-morning default, with reliable wifi and a thirty-seat front room; the bar at the Lend bistro takes walk-in solo seats at dinner; and the Mehlplatz garden is an easy single table on a warm evening. More in our solo-dining restaurants guide.

Graz Dining: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best restaurant in Graz?

By our 2026 scoring, Aiola Upstairs tops the city for its Schlossberg terrace and a modern Styrian–Mediterranean kitchen that earns the climb. Der Steirer is the locals’ choice and our number two, holding two Gault&Millau Hauben for the bistro that defined Graz’s modern-Styrian wave. Pick Aiola for the view, Der Steirer for the cooking.

Where should I eat in Graz tonight?

For a same-night table, Parks Graz takes walk-ins through the day in Geidorf and Eckstein accepts day-of reservations for its large Mehlplatz room and beer garden. Der Steirer and Landhauskeller fill faster, so call ahead, but a few days’ notice is usually enough even for the Hauben rooms. Aiola’s terrace books out on warm evenings, so aim earlier.

How much does dinner cost in Graz?

Graz is gentle on the wallet next to Vienna. A daytime plate at Parks Graz runs about €18 a head with coffee. Eckstein’s mains sit between €16 and €28, with the Styrian ox fillet at the top. The €€€ rooms, Aiola Upstairs and Landhauskeller, land roughly €45 to €70 a head before wine. There are no €300 tasting menus in this city.

Which Graz restaurants have Michelin stars?

None, and that is not a knock. Austria has no national Michelin guide, so Graz is rated by the Gault&Millau Hauben and the Falstaff guide instead. Der Steirer holds two Hauben, Eckstein keeps a 14-point toque on the Mehlplatz, and Parks Graz scored 89 points from Falstaff in 2025. Read those credentials the way you would read stars elsewhere.

Do I need a reservation for restaurants in Graz?

Less than you would in a capital. A few days’ notice covers most tables and a week secures the two-Hauben rooms on a weekend. Parks Graz does not take reservations at all, running on walk-ins to its thirty-seat front room. Many kitchens keep a fixed Ruhetag on Sunday or Monday, so confirm the closing day before you set out.

What is the best neighbourhood for restaurants in Graz?

The Altstadt holds the most history, with Landhauskeller’s 1590 cellar on Schmiedgasse and Eckstein on the Mehlplatz. Lend, the design district on the west bank of the Mur, is the modern-Styrian centre thanks to Der Steirer. For a view, take the funicular up the Schlossberg to Aiola Upstairs; for a daytime room, head to leafy Geidorf and Parks Graz.

What Styrian dishes should I order in Graz?

Start with anything dressed in Steirisches Kürbiskernöl, the PGI pumpkin-seed oil that defines the region. Order the Backhendl, the Styrian fried chicken, at Landhauskeller; the cold-smoked lake char with mustard caviar at Eckstein; and a Käferbohnen (scarlet runner bean) salad almost anywhere. Drink Schilcher, the sharp West Styrian rosé from the Blauer Wildbacher grape.

Where do locals eat in Graz?

Locals favour Der Steirer in Lend for modern Styrian cooking and Parks Graz in Geidorf for the daytime, both fuller with residents than tourists. The morning markets at Kaiser-Josef-Platz and Lendplatz are where the city’s kitchens shop and where Graz itself eats breakfast. Eckstein’s beer garden is the central crossover, busy with both locals and visitors.

Nearby Cities

Plan a Styrian or Alpine route with our other guides: best restaurants in Vienna, where to eat in Salzburg, dining in Maribor across the Slovenian border, and the Ljubljana restaurant guide. For the cooking style itself, see our fine-dining guide worldwide.