Vienna's Coffeehouse Culture

Vienna's coffeehouse culture has been around since the 17th century and continues strong today.  There are historic fancy coffeehouses and new modern ones throughout the city.  As we continue our time here, I will update this post with the places we visit.  After just a couple of days here, what we have noticed is that you can order a cup of coffee and hang out for as long as you please.  I have heard that in some of the more famous (aka touristy) coffeehouses, they do limit your time.  Café Central is one of the most famous so if you do want to go, I've been told you should get there very early to avoid the queue and enjoy a little of the quiet before the storm.  As we are not super early risers, I'm not sure if we will make it but if we happen by and there isn't a queue, we will pop in.

Café Demel is located on Stephansplatz with views of St. Stephen's Cathedral and was our first stop.  We tried Vienna's famous Sachertorte and their Truffle Cake.  The Sachertorte was first made at the Sacher Hotel and is chocolate cake with apricot filling topped with a chocolate ganache.  The cake is known for being a little dry so it is traditionally served with whipped cream.  Both cakes were good and not overly sweet which was surprising as they looked very decadent.  LuLu had an Americano and I went for the Einspänner...espresso with whipped cream.  Again, the whipped cream was not overly sweet...just enough.

Gerstner's main location is across from the Vienna Opera House but we went to the one at Schonbrunn Palace though we do plan to visit their main location as I've heard it is quite spectacular.  Here we tried Vienna's apple strudel (Wiener Apfelstrudel in German (with ice cream and it did not disappoint.  The server said it came with either ice cream, whipped cream or vanilla sauce but when I asked which was best she quickly responded "ice cream".  As it was toasty day, we asked her about an iced coffee and she recommended the Wiener Eiskaffee (espresso with ice cream and whipped cream)...surprisingly not super sweet...again, just enough.  

We've seen a few Aida around town and popped in for a coffee after our cooking class as one was just around the corner.  I had a Wiener Melange (double espresso, warm milk and topped with foam...similar to a cappuccino) and LuLu had an Americano.  Whenever you order a coffee in Vienna and you are enjoying it at a table, it is served on a silver (metal) tray with a little glass of water.

Right outside of our apartment is Le Café Pierre.  In the evening, they are a French restaurant but in the day, a nice little coffee house. Pain au chocolat and a Viennese Melange was our snack of choice.  The best part is they served it with a very large glass of water!

As I mentioned earlier, Gerstner's main location is across from the Vienna State Opera so we popped in after our tour as we were a little peckish.  We split a couple apps so we'd have room for kasierschmarm (translates to Emperor's Mess) which is a cross between bread pudding and cobbler. The ground floor has a take-away bakery, the 1st floor is more of a modern coffeehouse and the 2nd floor is an old-school traditional coffeehouse.  One of the things we've noticed here is how when they bring the utensils (aka cutlery) to the table, it is usually presented on a plate or a decorative box.

We've passed by Kaffemik several times and finally popped in for a drink.  They had an iced hot chocolate on the menu so we gave it a try.  It was a light and refreshing drink and perfect for the hot day.  As a bonus, the barista gave us a recommendation for one of his favorite places.  We asked him where he likes to go for lunch as we were a little sausage and schnitzeled out.  He told us about Hoang Long Vietnamese and we have plans to check it out.

Café Mozart offered up a nice view of the Albertina Museum while we enjoyed apple strudel with vanilla sauce and chocolate truffle cake.  On the day of our visit, we actually had what we would consider a nice breeze, however, the restaurant went into full panic mode and started shutting down the outdoor seating because it was a little windy.  Granted we come from an area where we don't notice wind until it is 75mph but it really wasn't that windy and given the extreme heat we've had since arrival, it was a welcome change.

Not only do the coffeehouses have coffee and sweets, most also offer a full menu which is what we ordered from at Café Sperl.  We enjoyed a delicious truffled risotto with a salad which surprisingly was very nicely priced.  One of the things we've noticed since arriving is how much more expensive is in comparision to our beloved Porto.

Our dear Brazilian friend's family came from Austria and his last name is Korb so how do we not go into the Café Korb.  Here we had another one of those yummy Viennese Iced Coffee and tried the chocolate pancakes (aka crepes).

Ströck would be similar to Starbucks but you still get your coffee served on a tray and water...they also give you a little cookie on the side.  While have enjoyed our Wiener Melanges and Einspänners, we were really jonesing for a big ol' cup of coffee so we both got a large Americano.

Turns out we were early risers one morning and were able to get to Café Central when they opened at 8:00am and we could see if it lived up to the hype.  The cafe opened in 1876 and has been quite popular for almost 150 years.  It is not as decorative as Gerstner's but the service was very good.  Our server, Leo, was originally from Croatia and had a great sense of humor and checked on us regularly.  While we enjoyed a Weiner Melange, Americano and croissants, we were entertained by some Spielberg wanna-bes as they shot the cafe, their food and drink.  It was all about the angles and making the cake (with some weird gelatinous topping) look sexy as they cut into it.  While during our visit, it was filled with nothing but tourists, it was fun to think about what it was like in its heyday.