The Griechenbeisl is mentioned as an inn called 'Zum Gelben Adler' The Yellow Eagle) in old chronicles as early as 1500. Since then it has frequently changed names, being known as 'Zum Roten Dachl' (The Little Red Roof), and then 'Zum Goldenen Engel' (The Golden Angel), but it has always been an inn and, like Vienna, it went through many happy but also grim and turbulent times.

The Turks stormed the much-damaged walls of the house, and earthquakes and fires, floods and plagues swept though the city, leaving a trail of fear in their wake. The spirit of the Viennese won through every time, and found its truest expression in the world-famous song of the ballad singer Augustin, 'Oh du lieber Augustin, alles in hin' which he composed and sang at the Griechenbeisl in the mid 17th Century.

Vienna was flourishing once more. Trade with the Orient was on the increase and Greek and Levantine traders came and settled at the Fleischmarkt (meat market).

The Griechenbeisl (Greeks' Inn) became their local hostelry. They were followed by cloth dealers from Reichenberg, thus the inn ultimately became known as the 'Reichenberger Griechenbeisl'.

In 1852, Leopold Schmied, innkeeper at the time, introduced the then brand-new Pilsner Urquell beer, and it was from here that this incomparable beer set off to conquer the world. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Griechenbeisl became a meeting place for many prominent artists, academics and politicians over the years:

Beethoven, Schubert, Wagner, Strauss, Brahms, Waldmuller, Mark Twain, Grillparzer, Nestroy, Schwind, Chaliapin, Lueger and Graf Zeppelin to name but a few, all of whom felt the eternal spirit of centuries past whilst eating and drinking in blissful reverie.