The Grand Hotel Vienna serves a Sunday “family brunch”, which offers free childcare service for the duration of the brunch. Let’s see how it fares from the parent’s perspective.
May 2021 update: The brunch is not currently served, only breakfast.
Sunday “Family Brunch” Buffet at Grand Hotel Vienna, Austria (five-star hotel)
Overall Mark: ★★★★☆
Sunday Brunch buffet price: 59€/person;
for children from 6 to 12-year-old: 29.50€ (free for children up to 5)
Beverage refills: Yes (Incl’ coffee, tea, sparkling wine..)
Food refills: Yes (buffet & stations)
Every Sunday from 12 pm to 3 pm in The Grand Brasserie
The Setting ★★★★★
This monumental building sits on the Ringstraße, the boulevard which circles around Vienna’s old town. It was designed by Carl Tietz, a very prolific architect who was involved in 36 luxurious buildings built in the Ring’s vicinity.
The Grand Hotel Wien opened its doors in 1870 as Vienna’s first luxury hotel. It was immediately a big hit with the Viennese aristocracy and was the hub of Viennese social scene for half a century. The building housed Soviet troops from 1945 to 1955 and served as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters until 1989.
All Nippon Airways bought the building and performed a 100 Million Euro worth of renovations, with the aim of blending the hotel’s traditional history with modernity. The “ANA Grand Hotel” was inaugurated in June 1994 until it was bought by JJW Hotels & Resorts in 2002, who renamed it the “Grand Hotel Wien”.
The Grand Brasserie ★★★☆☆
The Sunday brunch is served in the Grand Brasserie, a large venue located on the first floor of the Grand Hotel Wien.
The venue is okay but also unremarkable compared to the quaint feeling Palais Hansen or the view from the Grand Ferdinand.
The Kid Zone ★★★★★
The Grand Hotel Wien brunch is marketed as a “family brunch” for a good reason: there is an entire area dedicated to kids. Here they can do arts and crafts as well as various activities, all under the supervision of a specialist.
It’s ideal for families with kids aged 3 to 12. The kids will have a great time while the adults can enjoy their Champagne brunch in peace.
Grand Hotel Vienna Vienna Sunday Brunch buffet
The Grand Hotel Vienna Vienna Sunday Brunch
The Beverage Selection ★★☆☆☆
The Hot Drinks (Tea, Coffee & Chocolate) ★★★☆☆
There are 11 teas and infusions to choose from, as well as the usual selection of coffees and hot chocolates.
It’s a decent hot beverage selection overall though I would have been happy to see a few more teas on offer, as well as a proper beverage menu.
The Cold Drinks (Juices & Sparkling Wine) ★★☆☆☆
This is a Champagne brunch so sparkling wine is free-flowing. However, neither fruit juices nor smoothies are included with the brunch. I’m pretty sure that the kids won’t be too pleased with this, considering this is supposedly a family brunch.
Not only is this highly unusual for a five-star hotel brunch but if you factor that the Sacher breakfast (among others) offers both freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, that alone is a deal breaker in my book.
The Savouries ★★★☆☆
Guests may order egg-based dishes straight from the kitchen. Once again, this brunch falls short in that area: eggs benedict aren’t even included.
Otherwise, the buffet offers the usual: soups, verrines, salads, cheese. The quality is good and there is a fair choice of savouries, albeit less than I would’ve expected for 59€ per person.
The Cakes & Sweets ★★★★☆
It’s not possible to order à-la-carte (e.g. pancakes or crêptes) but there are more than enough cakes, pastries, sweets and yoghurts to satisfy your appetite. The Gugelhupf is the best cake from the buffet.
Service ★★★★☆
The staff is welcoming and competent. We didn’t come with a kid old enough to try out the kid zone but I imagine it would be on par with the rest.
Conclusion & Overall Mark ★★★☆☆
The Grand Hotel Vienna Sunday brunch is decent but it still pales in comparison to its Viennese counterparts. The absence of juices and smoothies is probably the most disappointing aspect.
Its greatest asset is the kid zone: it’s fairly unique and I appreciate why some parents would love it, as much as their children would welcome the opportunity to have fun rather than stay at the table for some long hours.
Do consider it if you have kids that would love that. Otherwise, have your brunch elsewhere: it’s not worth the 59€ per person.
+: Great location
+: The kid zone
+: Free-flowing bubbly
+: The food selection
+: Good service
-: Average venue
-: No juices and smoothies included
-: Not that much choice overall
-: Few à-la-carte options (e.g. no eggs benedict)
-: Terrible value for money if you don’t go with kids
Phone: +43 1 515 80 – 9120
E-Mail: grandbrasserie@grandhotelwien.com
Address: Kärntner Ring 9, 1010 Wien
