Vienna Coffee Houses

The coffee house or kaffeehaus is one of Austria’s most famous and well-established institutions, dating back from the sixthteenth century when the beverage was first introduced into the region.

It is the place where great writers, poets, philosophers, and composers gathered and spent their time. The famous journal Die Fackel by Karl Kraus is said to have been written in coffee houses to a large extent. Famous writer and poet Peter Altenberg even had his mail delivered to his favorite coffee house, the Café Central.

Today, these establishments are still present and are part of the everyday culture of Vienna. It can almost be said that coffee is rather a way of life in Vienna. For anyone visiting or staying in this impressive city, enjoying a fine brewed coffee is a must.

Types of Viennese Coffees

Coffee is considered to be the drink of choice in Vienna. This means there’s a lot more to a cup of coffee than just milk or cream. Many beverages contain liqueurs, sweeteners, syrups, along with a variety of flavors. Below are just a few of the most common types of Viennese coffees.

Einspanner – Sweet black demitasse, a strong black coffee, served in a glass with whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate powder.

Eiskaffee – Chilled coffee, vanilla ice cream, then topped with whipped cream and chocolate flakes.

Espresso - Black coffee from the Espresso-machine.

Fiaker – Mokka laced with a bit of cognac or rum and whipped cream.

Grosser Brauner – Large cup of coffee with a dash of milk or whipped cream.

Kaffee Maria Theresia – Mokka with orange liqueur and whipped cream.

Kapuziner- A small amount of coffee mixed with a large amount of milk.

Kurz – A single shot of espresso.

Kleiner Brauner – Small cup of coffee with a dash of milk.

Mazagran – with maraschino, spices and liquid sugar, served cold with ice-cubes in a special glass.

Melange – Half coffee and half milk with a frothy crown.

Schale Gold – Espresso with cream, served in a large cup.

Schwarzer – Plain strong black coffee. Can be large (Grosser Schwarzer) or small (Kleiner Schwarzer).

Cakes and Pastries with Coffee

Aside from great coffee, Vienna offers some of the finest desserts in the world. Here are just a few that are enjoyed with coffee.

Strudel – Sweet flaky pastry with apple, nut or sweet cheese filling.

Beugel – Pastry croissant with nuts.

Golatschen – Puff pastry with sweet cheese or jam filling.

Marmorguglhupf – Ring shaped cake marbled with chocolate.

Rehrücken – Chocolate cake.

Rosinenguglhupf – Ring shaped cake with raisins soaked in rum.

Sacher Torte – Dense chocolate layer cake with a thin apircot coating in the centre.

Zimtschnecke – Spiral-shaped pastry with nut filling and sugar-coating.

Well-known Coffee Houses

Below is a list of noteable coffee houses. Many of these establishments also serve light meals such as breakfast and lunch. It is not uncommon to see patrons linger for hours in these cafes. Along with coffee, a glass of water is often provided to ensure guests feel welcome and appreciated.

Café Bräunerhof
Stallburggasse 2
1010 Vienna, Asutria
www.braeunerhof.at

Café Central
1st District
Herrengasse 14
Metro: U3 Herrengasse
Tel: +43 (1) 533 37 6324
E-mail: cafe.central@palaisevents.at
www.palaisevents.at

Café Dommayer
Auhofstraße 2
1130 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 877 54 65 0
www.oberlaa-wien.at

Café Imperial
Kärntner Ring 16
1015 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 50110389
www.starwoodhotels.com

Café Frauenhuber
Himmelpfortgasse 6
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 5125353
cafe-frauenhuber.at

Cafe Hawelka
Dorotheergasse 6
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 (1) 512 82 30
E-mail: office@hawelka.com
www.hawelka.at

Cafe Landtmann
Dr. Karl Lueger-Ring 4
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 24 100 0
E-mail: cafe@landtmann.at
www.cafe-wien.at

Café Sacher
Philharmonikerstrasse 4
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 514560
E-mail: wien@sacher.com
www.sacher.com

Café Ministerium
Georg Coch-Platz 4
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 (1) 512 92 25
E-mail: office@cafeministerium.at
www.cafeministerium.at

Café Prückel
Stubenring 24
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 5126115
E-mail: prueckel@aon.at
www.prueckel.at

Café Mozart
Albertinaplatz 2
1010 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 24100220

Sperl
Gumpendorfer Straße 11
A – 1060 Wien
Tel: +43 1 5864158
E-mail: melange@cafesperl.at
www.cafesperl.at

Related posts:

1. Specialty goulash restaurant in Vienna
2. My travel photos: vanillecremeschnitte
3. My travel photos: the original sacher torte
4. Top 10 Things to See & Do in Vienna
5. Vienna Ice Dream 2011

Tags: Vienna, Vienna Coffee Houses

Category: Austria