Pickwick's is a Vienna institution — part English-style pub, part bookshop, part late-night cocktail bar, all crammed into a cozy space on Marc-Aurel-Straße just steps from Stephansplatz. The book-lined walls and international crowd give it a lived-in, cosmopolitan charm that's increasingly rare in the Innere Stadt. Come for a well-made cocktail, stay for the pub quiz nights and the genuinely warm service.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, solid cocktails, and a warm international crowd — Pickwick's is Vienna's most charming late-night pub.
Go on a Thursday evening for the pub quiz — it draws a fun, international crowd and fills up fast, so arrive by 7pm to grab a table.
A bookshop-pub that actually delivers on cocktails
Pickwick's has been holding it down on Marc-Aurel-Straße for years, and it's the kind of place that doesn't try too hard — which is exactly why it works. The bookshop-pub concept sounds gimmicky on paper, but in practice the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves give the space a warm, slightly cluttered charm that makes you want to settle in for the evening. The crowd is a genuine mix of locals and expats, and the staff are known for being friendly and fun — one reviewer described their server as "très chaleureux et marrant," which about sums it up.
The cocktails are the main draw and they're consistently good — not avant-garde, just solid, well-balanced drinks made by people who care. They also do pub grub and bar snacks if you need something to soak it all up. With 1,700+ Google reviews at 4.3 stars, the consensus is clear: this is a reliable, unpretentious spot that delivers on what matters. The place hosts regular pub quiz nights and stays open until 2am daily, making it one of the better late-night options in the first district. It's not a craft cocktail temple or a speakeasy — it's a proper neighborhood pub that happens to do cocktails well, and Vienna is better off for it.