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To us in North America, a “family-friendly” restaurant means one that caters to children. The friendliness to the adult members of the family consists of keeping the kids content enough not to disturb and/or embarrass them. In Europe, things are different — at least at Bamkraxler in Vienna. This is a family beer garden, and reviewers say the beer is pretty good.
Bamkraxler is listed among the child-friendly restaurants at wien.info, which describes it as large, with indoor and outdoor play areas and other kids’ amusements available, like games, both board and electronic. For example, there are cartoons during family brunch on Sundays. So far, so familiar — then you run into a review on TripAdvisor that doesn’t mention any of the kids’ stuff but raves about the beer. This place really does have something for everyone in the family.
What does it, more specifically, have to eat? That’s mainly Austrian food with a touch of international (okay, American). You’ll find goulash, schnitzel, and classic kinds of sausages, for example, plus vegetarian risotto and several other meat-free main dishes. Adult entrées are mostly under € 10 (with some a little over). There’s also a Kleiner Hunger (small hunger) selection, mostly sandwiches, which seem to count as a mere snack in Austria, all € 6.60 and under. And yes, you can just get a burger and fries.
So can the kids, of course. A child’s burger is € 6.50 and comes with fries. Other kids’ dishes (which are given names from popular culture, everything from Darth Vader to Teletubbies) are pasta with meat sauce, child-size schnitzel, and hot dogs.
Being in Vienna, your family should leave room for dessert. White and dark chocolate mousse, homemade apple strudel with whipped cream, and both chocolate and apricot pancakes are on the menu, all € 5.90 or less.
Bamkraxler’s family brunch (which is called by its English name on the menu, for some reason) is served on Sundays and holidays, September through June, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It features hot and cold buffets that can include everything from lasagna to pork Wellington, with plenty of desserts of course. Brunch costs € 23 per adult, but it’s free for children under a meter tall. Once they hit a meter’s height, it’s € 10 plus € 0.10 for every centimeter over.
If you’re tall enough to have a beer, the house specialty is Augustiner Holz’l from Salzburg, which the menu calls “mild and invigorating” with “natural carbon dioxide.” A small cask is opened every day at 5:00 PM. There’s a full selection of other drinks, with and without alcohol.
Bamkraxler is at Kahlenberger Strasse 17, in the Nussdorf district near the end of tramline D. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:00 PM to midnight, and Sundays and holidays from 11:00 AM to midnight.
Editor’s Note: There are a lot of cultural activities in Vienna to enjoy with your family. Check out this article for some great ideas.
