By Maggie Childs

Visitors to Vienna are usually presented with a hefty list of destinations that take them deep into the bowels of the city: The Imperial Crypt and the Third Man Tour through the city sewers are staples of most Vienna travel guides. However, you and I both know that to really get to know a city you have to experience it after dark, when another sort of subterranean city emerges from the shadows. The (literally) underground clubs and late night restaurants come to life, so read carefully because here’s your chance to be party to some of Vienna’s best-kept secrets.

FLEX

One of these hidden pleasures is right out of sight downstairs from Schottenring, on the Danube Canal. The pulsating bass-pumper FLEX is an institution. Once a paradise for squatters, the joint has matured into slick and well-run club. It boasts an incredible body-moving sound-system, which has been rumored as being one of the best in Europe. The new Flex Cafe extension is clean and modern, replacing the longstanding picnic table and beer bottle decor. Regardless, the Flex is still massive and well worth a visit.
www.flex.at

Another hotspot hang-out for locals is further out of town through the 9th district to the half circle Viadukts (Stadtbahnbögen) under the U6 Subway line. These stone archways house numerous bars, nightclubs and cafes and an explosion of energy into the late hours.

Q[KJU:]

One popular dance and cocktail location Q(kju) bar attracts a bouncy young crowd out for a good time. House beats pound out onto the Gürtel and the place gets rammed on weekends, but it’s popular with good reason. Bar tenders mix cocktails with considerable visual flair and every night girls and guys hit the dance floor with true Red Bull- fired engines. Not the most stylish of Vienna bars, true, but in terms of party spirit, one that wins hands down.
www.kju-bar.at

B72

For the more alternative palette the live music venue B72 is a good bet for a laid-back evening or jump around concert fun depending on seating and performers. The 2-story layout allows for uninhibited band enjoyment on the ground floor and a quieter area to relax upstairs.
www.b72.at

CHELSEA

Another similar but more established joint is Chelsea, with international bands and an impressive dj line-up, they are also a great venue to get a taste of local musical talent. In the three-room club that takes up two arches of the Stadtbahnbögen they also serve a wide array of English beer and whisky brands.
www.chelsea.co.at

FLUC

For the underground feeling without having to venture too far out of the center of town, the sub-highway club Fluc Wanne shakes it up at the entrance to the Prater amusement park. The club is situated in a former underground pedestrian passage, underneath the traffic between Praterstern and the park itself. Mostly electro-acts, but also occasional live musicians take over the stage at this grungy but instantly cult club.
www.fluc.at

OST KLUB

Another venue close to town is Ost Klub, right off Schwarzenbergplatz, next to the Russian war memorial. This establishment has based its philosophy on Vienna’s history as the center of a multi-cultural Empire – a melting pot of orient and occident. The musical offering is a wonderfully eclectic mixture of styles from central and Eastern Europe, which have found great resonance with the Viennese audience. The club claims to have made a significant contribution to the creation of so-called Balkan Beats, Gypsy-Swing, Klezmer-Punk, Speed-Folk and Turbo-Polka. Need I say more?
www.ost-klub.at

ESTERHAZYKELLER

Dancing for hours can work up a decent appetite and there are some very special and authentic restaurants hidden underground, one is a hop skip and a jump from Stephansplatz. The Esterhazykeller has been around since 1683 and it’s a great place for good Austrian food and wine both a la carte and from the typical Heuriger-style buffet kitchen at the entrance. The network of caves and long rooms give it a very personal feel despite it’s hugeness so it can cater large parties or more intimate dining – a central alternative to Heuriger dining in the vineyards, however they close at 11:00 p.m.
www.esterhazykeller.at

SHANGHAI TAN

If you’ve just been shopping on Mariahilferstrasse, the cellar of Shanghai Tan is a great place to re-fuel on Thai, Chinese or delicious sushi or just have a few or their enticing cocktails. The room is lit by red lamps and candlelight and set up in two rows of low tables, one for larger groups of 3 or more and the other for couples. As in an opium cave, the tables rest on “beds” for a relaxed or romantic meal or drink á deux.
www.shanghaitan.at

Goodman´s

As an absolute last resort, but a good choice as such, there is the legendary Goodman’s on the Naschmarkt. They serve food until 10 a.m. and the downstairs club is perhaps the most notorious after-hour location in Vienna. (Rechte Wienzeile 23, Wien 1040)

Thus, our notes from underground. On a rainy day or just to be an insider for an evening, it’s worth the plunge. It’s bound to be a night to remember.