Bockshorn gets the Muvamo Award for the coziest, quirkiest whiskey hideaway in central Vienna.
Bockshorn – A True Irish Pub in the Heart of Vienna
To understand the appeal of Bockshorn Irish Pub, it helps to look beyond the beer taps and whiskey shelves and consider the story of its creation: a small-scale love letter to Irish pub culture in the heart of Vienna. The pub first opened in 1991, founded by Austrian pub enthusiast Hans Ungersböck, who had an unwavering vision to recreate a truly authentic pub atmosphere – the kind of intimate, character-filled place you’d stumble upon in a quiet lane in Galway or Dublin.
Its name, ‘Bockshorn,’ means ‘ram’s horn’ in German. Fittingly, the pub lies tucked away on Naglergasse 7, a narrow, somewhat curved lane in Vienna’s old city center, which perhaps lends itself to the ‘horn’ reference in its name.
From its early days, Bockshorn set itself apart by doing very little – deliberately. There was no attempt to scale up, modernize, or chase passing trends. No loud music. No television. Just rows of bottles, and the warm hum of conversation.
Over the years, the pub became a kind of insiders’ favorite – not just for Irish expats longing for a taste of home, but for Viennese locals, too, who appreciated its sincerity and scale. What it lacked in square meters, it more than made up for in spirit. While Vienna’s bar scene grew flashier and more experimental, Bockshorn has deliberately stayed traditional and changed very little over the years.
Its whiskey selection, carefully curated over the years, has earned quiet admiration from connoisseurs. The Guinness here is famously reliable, poured with the respect it deserves. And because it’s so small, guests often find themselves part of the experience, not just observers: a few stools at the bar, a few small tables, and a room full of stories.
Today, Bockshorn stands as a rare example of how timelessness can be intentional. In a city of grandeur and spectacle, this little pub proves that authenticity, intimacy, and warmth still have their place – and that sometimes, the most memorable discoveries are the ones found just off the main path.
