„You don´t need a silver fork to eat good food.“- Paul Prudhomme; Limon
It’s already mid-August (!), and I was starting to feel like summer had simply left us behind this year. But no – it came, late, but it did. And when you catch that rare time when you can sit outside in Vienna at sunset, the warm wind in your face, Aperol in your hand, and watch the city sparkle below – then you want the full package. Pure summer vibes.
So: Rooftop!
I don’t know about you, but I love being influenced. Honestly: I scroll through Instagram, see a new restaurant, a few photos of cool drinks, pasta dishes, and fairy lights – and that’s it. That’s what happened to us this time, too. Limon is the name of the place, up on the roof of the Grand Ferdinand Hotel right on Schubertring. A rooftop restaurant in the middle of the city – sounds like the answer to all my summer nights in Vienna dreams, right?
First impression:
kitschy, but somehow just right.
We arrived on a balmy evening with friends – a mix of „we need an evening together“ and „let’s try something new.“ Even the elevator up to the Limon had that „something’s about to happen“ feeling. Once at the top: boom. The view is deluxe.
The terrace is truly designed for a „summer night in Vienna.“ A little kitschy, yes – fairy lights, plants in pots, white tablecloths, a bit of a „we want to give you a Tuscany feeling above the rooftops of the Ringstrasse.“ But you know what? It works. When you’re sitting there with friends, the sun slowly disappears behind the rooftops and Vienna glows golden – then you think to yourself: yes, that’s exactly the vibe you want in summer.
Service:
okay, but room for improvement
Now comes the reality: the service. I don’t want to be unfair—the waiters were friendly, no question. But for a location that boasts so much, you somehow wish for more. More attention, more lightheartedness, maybe even a bit of that „we’ll make the evening perfect for you“ feeling. You know what I mean? Instead, it was more like this: correct, trying hard, but not really charming.
And honestly: when you’re sitting on a rooftop, the drinks cost 14 euros, and the pasta isn’t exactly bargain-priced, you want to feel like you’re paying for more than just the view.
The appetizers
– small, fine, and perfectly balanced
Let’s get to the food. The menu at Limon isn’t extensive, but I actually liked that. It’s better to have a few dishes that hopefully fit the bill, rather than these endless menus where you end up only believing half of them anyway.
We sampled our way through the appetizers:
Octopus Carpaccio: beautifully presented, fresh, light – just right for summer.
Burrata: yes, burrata always works. Creamy, delicate, well-combined.
Tuna-something – worked, but it wasn’t a wow moment.
Parmesan, Pasta
& a Bit of Disappointment
And now comes the main course, which caused a bit of a drama for me: pasta from a Parmesan wheel.
Normally, it’s an absolute spectacle: the waiter comes, sets the wheel down, maybe flambés it, scrapes out the perfect amount of Parmesan, and you feel like you’re at a little show, while you’re already drooling inside.
Here? Well. The Parmesan was there, but there was no real show. No input, no „tell me how much cheese you want.“ Instead, just throw in the pasta, and that’s it. And the taste? Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I’d hoped for.
Instead of tasting intensely of Parmesan, the whole thing was more creamy. On top of that, the linguine looked more like spaghetti—and the pasta was slightly overcooked.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what you’d expect when you’ve already got that iconic Parmesan wheel on the table. The court still has plenty of room for improvement.
Carbonara Raviolo & more
My husband had the carbonara raviolo, and that was another really nice idea. A single large raviolo filled with runny egg yolk that oozes out when you cut into it. It looked great and tasted really good, too.
Our friends had the truffle pasta – as did I. They also had the mussels, which, as I said, are called „cozze“ here.
Fun fact: I looked it up later – cozze is simply the Italian word for mussels. But when you read it on a menu in Vienna, it sounds twice as fancy.
The conclusion
More show than substance?
All in all, it was a lovely evening. We had fun, we laughed, the view was dreamy, and that alone makes going to Limon worthwhile. But if we’re honest, the food and service lag a bit behind the venue.
It’s one of those places you visit because you want the experience – rooftop, summer evening, Instagram spot. And Limon definitely delivers. But if you’re really coming for the food, you might think: hmm, there are better options in Vienna.
But you know what? Sometimes that’s all you need: an evening with friends, good drinks, a view you won’t soon forget – and a bit of summer kitsch that you just have to take with you.
The conclusion
If you go to Limon, go with the right expectations. Think of it as a rooftop bar with food, not a fine-dining hotspot. Drink an Aperol, order a snack or two, enjoy the view—and then you’re safe. For the perfect dinner, you might go elsewhere, but for the vibe, Limon is just right.
And let’s be honest: when you’re sitting in the middle of Vienna, almost above the trees of the Ring, the sun slowly setting, and the city glowing golden—then in the end, it might not matter so much whether the pasta was perfectly al dente or not.
Personal summary in one sentence:
The Limon is like a summer romance: beautiful, exciting, a bit superficial – but still exactly what you sometimes need in Vienna in August.
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