Exotic Foods on Offer at Vienna's Rathaus Film Fest
The Iranian food offerings include pitas with zesty grilled vegetables and a creamy sauce.
When the Rathaus Film Festival is underway, people flock to the food in addition to the films. Filling more space on the city hall plaza than the viewing screen and seating, the smörgåsbord of exotic food stalls draw a sizeable dinner crowd. Foods from all over the world are represented, including American hamburgers and fries, Spanish paella, and Viennese spaetzle. The Iranian, Indian, and Thai selections are among the best, but a peek at any of the available foods will tantalize the tastebuds.
The beverages for sale are also a treat. The Raspberry Punch (Himbeer Bowle) is out-of-this-world good, and the white wine spritzers (Weiss Wine Gespritzt) are a refreshing choice for summer. The Ottakringer Brewing Company even has a separate stand near the viewing screen with a wide variety of beer for sale. The Red Zwickl (Rot Zwickl) is a popular choice. There are small dining tables dispersed throughout the food stall area for comfortable eating and drinking. The small sun deck near the street is particularly nice. Also, about an hour or so before the scheduled film showing, classical or opera music is played over speakers, creating a lovely background for an exotic outdoor meal.
The festival runs through the first week of September in front of Vienna's Rathaus city hall. To get there, take the U2 metro line to the Rathaus station. For more information about the film festival, see this post.
