Cafés · Our pick in Vienna
The Viennese coffee house: the back story
The back story
About The Viennese coffee house: the back story
Viennese coffee house culture is on Austria’s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage, kept under the UNESCO convention. The form has hardly changed: marble-topped tables, bentwood chairs, newspapers on wooden holders, a waiter in a black jacket and a coffee that comes on a silver tray with a glass of water. You can stay for hours on one Melange.
How to order
A Melange is the house coffee with milk and foam; a Brauner comes with a little milk; an Einspänner is a black coffee in a glass, topped with whipped cream.
The great houses
Café Central, under the vaults of the Palais Ferstel, is the grandest. Café Landtmann on the Ring faces the Burgtheater; Café Sperl, in business since 1880 in its own words, keeps its billiard tables; Café Prückel looks out over the Stubenring; Café Hawelka is small and dark-panelled.
Sit down and wait to be served; the waiter will bring you water, and you pay at the table.
The Konditoreien
Demel on the Kohlmarkt, once purveyor to the imperial court, sells its cakes from a dark-wood counter.
Sachertorte
The Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam, is served at Café Sacher, which calls it “the original since 1832”.
Our advice: go to the famous houses early, before the queues, and to the quieter ones in the afternoon.
Why it's on our list
- How to order
- The great houses
- The Konditoreien
- Sachertorte
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Viennese coffee house: the back story before you go.