Some restaurants are so unique they stick in your memory for years after you’ve visited. Vienna Restaurant and Historic Inn is within comfortable driving distance of Boston, but it’s not a place you’re likely to stumble across on your own. This hidden gem is tucked away in the town of Southbridge, a little more than an hour from the city.
You may have been out this way on a day trip to Old Sturbridge Village, but Southbridge is still a little off the beaten path.
The town is best known for optical manufacturing. The American Optical Company (A.O.), once the world’s largest optical business, was based here until the 1990s.
Southbridge’s Optical Heritage Museum pays tribute to the role that optics play in our world, from glasses to microscopes, to the anti-reflective coatings we use on tech devices.
The highlight of Southbridge, however, is the Vienna Restaurant, a place that specializes in Viennese cuisine.
The dining room has a subtle elegance and the service here is beyond reproach. Definitely consider the Vienna if you’re looking to impress someone special over a leisurely dinner.
In warmer weather, dine outside in a space that is patio meets beer garden. Admire the flowers by day; soak in the warm glow of the fire in the evening.
Begin your meal with an appetizer of kettle-fried Camembert cheese, rosti, or the ever popular Hungarian goulash. Although this restaurant excels at crafting Austrian food, the menu also incorporates dishes from Hungary, Switzerland, and beyond.
While the appetizers promise delicious things to come, the entrees more than deliver. The classic Wiener Schnitzel is perfectly crispy and accompanied by lingonberry jelly.
