Under the Radar Eats in Innsbruck

It’s no secret that any "Old Town" in a medieval European city is most likely going to be swamped with tourists. Cobblestone streets, historic buildings, intertwining alleys leading to quaint shops and cafes with outdoor seating- it's the perfect area for out of towners looking for an authentic experience. Innsbruck is no different. A beautiful place that although the times have changed, a corner of town still remains left behind in earlier days. People come from all over and swarm in the Marktplatz, gawking at their surroundings while nearby cafes fill up with tourists looking to people watch and sit amongst history and culture. Although this romantic notion is one of my own favorites, it can get exhausting at times and stepping away from the crowds seems almost necessary. Whether youre looking to escape the crowds, explore a new area of town orrr just wanting to find incredible eats, check out these 4 under the radar places listed below. Close enough to walk from Old Town, but far enough that English menus aren't displayed on the tables, these places are gems definitely worth a visit!

Immerland

Known for their waffles, Immerland is the place to go for an awesome breakfast that won't break the bank! Delicious food, cute cafe, incredible service and cheap prices- what could be better? Nothing. Seriously, the answer is nothing. Take Maria Theresa Street up from Old Town to the Triumphal Arch. The road then turns into Leopoldstrasse. Follow this until just shy of Wiltener Platzl and you'll find Immerland on your left hand side. With under 10 tables inside, and just a few outside, the place gives off a cozy teahouse feel. Mismatched tables and chairs add to the funky style while pillows and cushions thrown atop random seats emphasize a relaxed and comfortable vibe. Homemade cakes are displayed on the countertop, while teacups of varying shapes and sizes stare back at you from above the espresso machine behind the counter. The walls are decorated with maps and wooden pallet-like shelves housing old teakettles and bottles, tying into the teahouse feel.

If the mention of waffles got your attention, scan over the checklist on your table for toppings and start marking away! I couldn't resist a waffle with fresh fruit and belgian chocolate. And of course they topped it with a wonderful amount of powdered sugar too. Benjamin was feeling sweet anddd savory, so he opted for a waffle and a dish of eggs and bacon. I definitely recommend this if you're a savory breakfast person- he didn't stop talking about the bacon for two days. The restaurant prides itself on using fresh, local ingredients and you can defineitely taste the difference! In addition to waffles and egg dishes, Immerland also has a variety of bread and spreads- including avocado coco-cream- WHAAAAAT?! Still mad I didnt try this. 

But yeah, the food and ambiance is pretty freaking stellar! And what makes it even better, (..I know- it's already too good) but the staff is incredible too! When we initially walked in and realized there weren't any English menus on the table, we were a bit hesitant. Even though we immediately loved this and knew we found a great spot, we really try to avoid being the toursits that expect or need special attention. Luckily, this wasn't the case at all. Our server was quick to bring over English copies of the menu checklist for us and didn't even seem bothered at all. (Phew!) Not sure if they were freshly printed for us, but considering how welcoming and sweet she was, I wouldn't be surprised. She went out of her way to talk to us, telling us about their use of quality ingredients and just really made our experience all the more enjoyable.

Pizza Crocodiles

It doesn't matter where I am in the world, pizza always somehow becomes a "must have" meal for me. Innsbruck was no different. Pizza Crocodiles is located right off of Maria Theresa Street, tucked down a side alley just before you see The Breakfast Club. Upon entering, a giant pizza oven sits behind a glass case, separating customers and pizza genius, and giving the feel of a real New York pizzeria. Empty pizza boxes are stacked high atop the glass shelf waiting to be stuffed with fresh, piping hot pies and taken home to be devoured. With an indoor-outdoor concept, a wall opens up, allowing a few tables from outside to flow into a small, casual eat-in area. We sat alongside a table of locals playing dungeons and dragons while feasting on their pizza and sipping on beer, which I couldn't help but love. The restuarant has no wifi, no English menus and is pretty much the real deal.

Being the intelligent people we are, we decoded the word "fungi" and ordered our mushroom pie. No idea what else was on it, but there were other words in the description. (Looked and tasted mostly like mushroom though). Either way, it was delicious! Nice crisp, thin crust, but still chewy in the right places! They even cut it in half and served us each a plate with half a pizza on it. A lot of Europeans eat their pizza with a fork and knife so of course, we stuck out each cutting our half pie into triangle slices, folding each piece over and shoveling it into our mouths with our hands. Hey, I'm from Jersey- I can't help it. Our pizza disappeared within minutes, washed down with delicious beverages, an Aperol spritz for me and a Zipfer beer for Ben. 

Kater Noster Cafe & Bar

Whether you're looking for a pick me up, coffee orrr stiff drink, Kater Noster Cafe & Bar is the place to go! This place has an awesome ambiance and it's a great spot to recharge. If you work remotely, don't forget to bring your computer. I had originally planned on doing a little bit of writing and ended up loving the space so much I stayed for three cappuccinos. The front windows open up like a wall, letting natural light in and brightening up the mid-century decor and adding fresh air into the cafe. Seating consists of a mix of shelf-like benches and stools, comfy armchairs and unique loftlike jungle gym type spots with pillows thrown about. With its minimalistic style, but fun setup, this place is just really cool.

The bar itself is full service and is as nice to look at as it is to drink at. The back wall, covered with a backsplash of white subway tiles contrast beautifully against the assortment of liquor bottles and garnish jars. They serve food as well, which I'm bummed we didn't get to try. I'm assuming its got to be dynamite though. There only seemed to be one person working while we were there, but that wasn't a problem at all. Server, barista, bartender, she did it all. And super friendly too! 

Olive

This is the place to go for a vegetarian dinner. Although Ben and I aren't strictly vegetarian, we love healthy, veggie-packed meals. And after eating typical Austrian food for a week, we were very ready for something that didn't weigh us down. It's located right across the street from Immerland, down Maria Theresa Street. We actually noticed it when we came out for breakfast and knew we had to give it a try.

We got in without a reservation, but it was a Monday, so if you plan to head over during a weekend evening, maybe call ahead. The place is small and cozy, making our dinner feel more intimate, which I thought was nice. We started with two soups, one sweet potato, and the other cauliflower and they were honestly the highlight of the dining experience. Absolutely DELICIOUS. So many flavors going on and the homemade pumpkin seed bread/tortilla/cracker thing (It's a good thing I'm not a food critic..) that came alongside the soup was pretty killer too. For our mains, we shared a vegetarian burger and something similar to a veggie quesadilla. Instead of a tortilla though, it was more of a crisp cracker shell. The burger was nothing like I had expected and was actually layered vegetables that had been roasted and placed in between a bun with a thick slab of feta. So obviously it was drool-worthy. The quesadilla type dish was really good as well. Sauteed vegetables and a mild melted cheese that complimented the vegetables without overtaking the dish. I loved the nice crunch that the cracker-like shell provided.

As you can probably guess from my excellent food descriptions, nothing was in English. Our server was helpful and thankfully translated as much as she could for us, but we still had no idea what to really expect.  We were just grateful that she gave us the time and made us feel super welcome. Although we sat in the dining room, the first room has a bar top, which I love taking advantage of when I'm traveling alone. 

Although the food and ambiance were amazing in each of these places, the part that probably blew me away the most was the incredible customer service. As English speakers with zero knowledge of German, we really didn't expect everyone to be as overly friendly and helpful as they were. I actually couldn't believe how accepting everyone was. Not only did they all take the time to explain the menu, but they each went out of their way to ask us where we're from or start a small conversation.