Vapiano Magazin

Something feels different the minute you walk into Vapiano Moulin Rouge in Vienna. An enormous chandelier with countless crystals bathes two floors in light. Huge neon letters spell out Moulin Rouge outside. “This place is steeped in history,” explains Benjamin Staden, Operations Manager who manages four of Vienna’s seven Vapiano restaurants. The building was originally built as mews in 1884. There used to be thin walls between all the slim pillars that separated individual stables. The room’s former structure is still evident. But over the last century, its history was a much more colourful one. “Even today, this is a place for night owls,” Benjamin Staden adds.

The chequered past of Vienna’s unique Vapiano

During the Second World War, the building was home to the Schiefe Laterne cabaret with the Rio Rita Bar adjacent. Cabaret and striptease were the main attractions. “Sometimes older visitors who still recall what it was like back then pop in to see us,” says Benjamin Staden. “Initially some are shocked the place is now a restaurant, but then they usually end up sampling our pasta and pizza and reminiscing about the good old days.”  The gilded gold stair banisters and the opulent chandelier are original pieces. Vapiano has been serving its fresh dishes in Moulin Rouge since 2012 and the opening was just as grand as the building itself. “We hosted a motto party with burlesque dancers, jugglers, flame throwers all dressed in outfits from the 1920s!” Staden remembers with a grin.

Moulin Rouge – At the heart of Vienna
The main tourist attractions in Vienna’s 1st district are all just a stone’s throw from Vapiano Moulin Rouge. “The famous Sacher hotel is only around 100 meters from here,” says Staden.