English pub or Irish pub in Vienna: what's actually the difference?

Look for a pub in Vienna and you will mostly find Irish ones. English pubs are harder to come by, and plenty of people couldn't say what sets them apart. A pub is a pub, isn't it? Nearly. The two traditions are related and the line between them is blurry, but an evening in an English pub still feels different from one in an Irish pub. Here is how you can tell.

What they have in common

"Pub" is short for "public house", a place where the neighbourhood meets. That holds in England as much as in Ireland. You order at the bar, you stay longer than you meant to, and nobody asks why you came on your own.

Where they differ

The beer. In an Irish pub a lot revolves around stout, Guinness above all, and Irish whiskey. The English pub traditionally stands for ale, bitter and the pint. These days the line is blurred: plenty of English pubs pour lager and craft beer on draught, and nobody blinks.

The music. The Irish pub lives on traditional live music, the sessions where several musicians play together. In an English pub conversation comes first, with music from the speakers, or, at ours, an open acoustic night.

The food. Pub grub is an English habit: fish and chips, sausage and mash, pies, a Sunday roast. Irish pubs tend to serve stew and the like. Both are honest food that goes with beer.

The rituals. A pub quiz and football on the screen belong to the English pub. Gaelic games, rugby and the evening music belong to the Irish one. It isn't a strict rule, but it is a fair guide.

The look. The Irish pub is copied in many countries to a fixed pattern: dark wood, flags, signs. An English pub looks less like a concept and more like a local.

So what is Beavers Pub?

We call ourselves an English pub, and there are concrete reasons. The kitchen cooks pub classics such as fish and chips, sausage and mash and a gourmet Scotch egg, plus burgers and wings. Every Wednesday from 7 to 9 pm there is the pub quiz in English. Sport is on the screen, and if you want to know whether your game is on, give us a ring. And every Sunday from 7 pm there is an open stage: if you play an instrument, bring it.

On the taps we do our own thing: six rotating craft beers, plus bottles from other independent breweries. More in our piece on craft beer in Vienna.

How to pick the pub that suits you

Ask yourself what you want from the evening:

• To talk and eat: an English pub with pub classics and a table you can stay at.
• Live music and a crowd: an Irish pub with a session.
• A pint and a match: either, but check beforehand that your game is on.
• To win a quiz: Wednesday, 7 pm, Schönbrunner Straße 98.

Last word

The difference lies less in rules than in habit: what you drink, what you eat, what happens in the evening. If you miss an English pub in Vienna, come and see us. We open Tuesday to Thursday from 6 pm and Friday to Sunday from 5 pm, and the kitchen is open until 10 pm. Book a table.