Fritz von Stuwer runs a retro gin bar from Sebastian-Kneipp-Gasse 2 in Vienna's Stuwerviertel, the second-district pocket between the Prater and the Danube. Falter and The Vienna Review both file it as a 1970s-styled soul and jazz bar built around gin, rum and cocktails. The pitch is a warm, record-led room with a garden, the kind of neighborhood bar that doubles as a late kitchen.
The room
The space leans into a 1970s soul-jazz look, with seating for 36 indoors and 46 in the garden, per the bar's own listing. The record-led soundtrack sets the mood over a designed retro fit-out rather than a sleek cocktail counter. Indoors it runs warm and close, and the garden opens the room up once the weather turns. The Stuwerviertel setting keeps it among quiet residential streets near the Prater, away from the tourist routes, which is part of the local draw. The soul and jazz records set a slow tempo, and the fit-out leans into the period look rather than a modern bar aesthetic. The garden roughly doubles the seating in summer and shifts the mood from a warm interior to an easy outdoor evening.
What to order
Order from the gin and rum selection the bar is built around, or take a cocktail or longdrink from the list, and pair a drink with the small plates the kitchen runs, the toast and stews that keep a late session going. The format suits a slow evening over a quick round, and the staff steer toward the spirits range. Prices sit reasonable for central Vienna. Ask which gins are on, since the selection is the headline and the staff know the shelf. The cocktails and longdrinks fill out the list for anyone who wants more than a neat pour, and the small plates are built to keep a session going rather than to anchor a meal. Prices keep a long evening manageable for the second district.
Who it is for
Fritz von Stuwer fits a gin drinker after range and a retro room, a couple who want a calm second-district night, and anyone who rates a record-led bar over a loud club. Skip it if late-night volume is the plan, since the room runs warm and relaxed rather than rowdy, and it closes on Sundays. It rewards drinkers who come for the gin list and settle in with a plate. Warm-weather visitors should ask for the garden, which is the seat to take. Anyone after a loud, late club night should look elsewhere, since the appeal here is the unhurried pace.
Best time to go
Monday through Saturday cover the week, with Sundays dark, and the kitchen runs from the 5pm open for an early plate. Warm evenings in the garden are the headline, when the 46 outdoor seats open up. Weekends run busiest, so a weeknight buys a calmer table indoors. For the full mood, come for the records and the gin on a quiet evening, when the room is at its most relaxed. Saturdays run busiest, so a midweek table is the easy way in, and the early hours after the 5pm open suit a quiet first drink before the room fills.
The bottom line
Fritz von Stuwer is the Stuwerviertel's retro gin bar, a 1970s soul-jazz room near the Prater with a deep gin and rum list, small plates and a garden for 46. Falter and The Vienna Review both back its standing. Come for the gin, take a garden seat in summer, and stay for a plate. It is the quiet second-district pick for a spirits-led night away from the crowds. For a calm, spirits-led night near the Prater, it is the quiet alternative to the busier first-district bars.
Keep exploring with our best cocktail bars in Vienna guide, the full Vienna bar guide, and our edit of cocktail bars worldwide. Pair Fritz von Stuwer with Spelunke in Vienna, Franz von Hahn in Vienna, and Melete in Vienna.
Sources: Falter (fritz von stuwer); The Vienna Review; Vienna Würstelstand; Fritz von Stuwer official site (fritzvonstuwer.at); Google Maps reviews.
