Located just a few blocks north of the Stephansplatz in the inner city of Vienna, Mel’s Crafts Beers & Diner is a craft beer bar with pub-style food. The bar feels a bit off the beaten path as it’s away from some of the more touristy areas of the inner city, making it much more of a local hangout than an area for visitors to go to. Mel’s resides in the first floor of a typically beautiful Viennese building with lovely accents, arched windows, and a curved facade. Half of the pub is located along a stone-paved pedestrian thoroughfare, making for a more intimate atmosphere and allowing for quite a bit of outdoor seating. Inside, the long room has the feel of a subway tunnel with dim lighting and brick arches along the ceiling, although it should be noted that the many windows along the facade would probably make it a lovely, light-filled room during the day. The pub is sparsely decorated, with wood panels along the wall opposite the windows. Booth seating lines both sides of the rooms with tables and chairs in front of them. At the far end sits the bar, behind which sits row upon row of beers bottles, highlighted by some strategic lighting.

Mel’s menu is rather large, featuring mostly varieties of burgers, including a couple vegetarian options. The menu also containing salads, artisan open-faced sandwiches, more traditional sandwiches, and some pub-style entrees. Our food was very good, and we enjoyed eating a nice meal in a cozy, relaxed setting. We particularly enjoyed eating while sipping some nice beer, which Mel’s has plenty of. The pub has a nice tap list, along with a lengthy bottle list. Austrian breweries are well-represented at Mel’s, but there are plenty of beers from around the world. Since we were visiting Austria, we tried several Austrian beers and enjoyed each of them.

Mel’s was a lovely place. It was comforting and offered nice beer and food. In fact, we liked Mel’s so much that we returned a couple days later. It was the only place in Vienna we went to twice, demonstrating just how much we liked the pub. If you visit Vienna, we highly recommend checking out Mel’s.