The 6 Oldest & Coziest Coffeehouses in Vienna

Grand palaces and concert halls, moving musical symphonies and art movements – Vienna is regularly touted as an artistic and architectural Mecca.

But besides sight and sound, Vienna is also a pioneer in another sensation – taste!

Stroll down any street in central Vienna, and there’s a high chance you’ll walk past a good old Viennese coffeehouse.

Typically lined with wooden, spacious furnishings along with marble tabletops and counters, these cafes offer exquisite coffee blends, delicious desserts and most of all – a welcome space to lose yourself in a good book for hours!

Viennese coffeehouses supposedly began their long and illustrious history after the 17^th-century Siege of Vienna, when Viennese Georg Franz Kolschitzky opened the first coffeehouse with coffee beans left behind by the retreating Ottomans.

However, another theory states that courtier and spy Diodato was actually the first to open a coffeehouse in 1685.

Whatever the case, these coffeehouses have since fuelled the city’s intellectual and artistic denizens, providing a refuge for minds such as Freud, Klimt and Trotsky to contemplate and exchange ideas.

So, which one of these coffeehouses are the cream of the (melange) crop? Read on to find out!

Café Sacher

Although they’re called coffeehouses, most actually offer a fine selection of desserts and light meals for patrons.

But if you ask any self-respecting Viennese, then the Sachertorte or “Sacher chocolate cake” takes top billing. Supposedly whipped up at the last minute by pâtissier Franz Sacher for the Austrian Prince Metternich, this fluffy sponge cake is topped by a simple yet tasteful chocolate layer that hides a layer of tangy apricot jam within.

And where better to get a slice than the hotel-café opened by Sacher’s son himself?

Located just opposite the Vienna State Opera, this fancy café is part of the respected Sacher Hotel that’s more than a century old. Inside, the red and white décor give it a classy and rose-tinted atmosphere.

A serving of Sachertorte chocolate cake. Photo: Luke Wang

However, its star attraction has to be its Sachertorte cake, which is still handmade according to the recipe handed down by Franz Sacher himself! Make sure to savour the cake with the traditional dollop of whipped cream!

Of course, Café Sacher’s menu also offers traditional coffee fare such as Sacher Melange or Kleiner Brauner along with soups, meals and even alcohol.

If you’re planning on visiting, try booking a table at its website beforehand since the nearby opera house is a tourist magnet that frequently swamps the café!

Hotel Sacher Vienna / Café Sacher
Philharmonikerstraße 4, A-1010 Wien
Tel: +431 514 560
Website: https://www.sacher.com/en/restaurants/cafe-sacher-wien/

Open daily from 0700 – 2300
*reservations available

Looking for less cream and sugar? Then the rice flour and bean paste of Japan’s traditional wagashi desserts might interest you!

Demel

Fancy enjoying some pastry while you journey into a land of fables and fairytales? Then Demel welcomes you with open arms.

Established by eccentric nobleman Federico von Berzeviczy-Pallacivini, Demel would come to be known not just for its pastries, cakes and coffee, but also for its inviting and imaginative store displays and packaging. Less mass pop culture Akihabara, more Cinderella coffeeshop.

One of Demel’s famous shop displays. Photo: Gerd Eichmann

Bipedal cats in tuxedoes and dresses, a leotarded mannequin riding a glittering horse, elegant ladies drawn with exaggerated lines – these are just a few of Federico’s whimsical visions that welcomed both frequent customers and window shoppers alike.

Still, Demel’s lavish decorations are a side dish to its “bread and better” – pastries and desserts! Rotating with the seasons, you will find Easter or Valentine chocolates, Christmas cakes, Sachertorte and so much more here.

Caffeineheads, don’t worry! Vienna’s full coffee roster is available here too, with the highlights being Einspänner – an espresso capped by a thick layer of whipped cream – and a wide range of flavoured hot chocolate.

Demel
Kohlmarkt 14, 1010 Wien Austria
Tel: +43 (1) 535 17 17 – 0
Website: https://www.demel.com/en
Open daily from 1000 – 1900
*no reservations

Café Central

At the crossroads of history and caffeine lies the grand old Café Central.

Since 1876, every patron who has passed through the doors of the stately Palais Ferstel building will have encountered Central’s signature vaulted ceilings and Roman columns, which seem more at home in wine cellar or a cathedral.

Here, the who’s who of European literature, philosophy and politics have haunted its cozy and spacious marble-white interior for almost a century.

Peter Altenberg still occupying a table, in statue form. Photo: Andreas Faessler

Before you order, say a greeting to the café’s most honoured guest – the pioneering Modernist writer Peter Altenberg, who occupies a tiny, exclusive table even after death with a commemorative statue.

As you sit down with a cup of foamy Vienna Melange or smooth Verlängerter, take in the fact that you are most likely sitting and sipping in the same spot where Trotsky, Freud or Lenin have done before you.

Sure adds a little spice and depth to that cup of coffee, doesn’t it?

A plate of Kaiserschmarrn. Photo: Kobako

If you’d like to stew in the café’s top-notch atmosphere some more, then order one of Central Café’s many Viennese specialties such as goulash beef stew and Kaiserschmarrn – a plate of pancake slices served with powdered sugar and apple sauce.

Fun Fact: When you order coffee in Viennese coffeehouses, pristine tap water from the Alps is served as a complementary palette cleanser.

Café Central
Corner Herrengasse / Strauchgasse, 1010 Wien
T: +43 (1) 533 37 63-61
Website: https://cafecentral.wien/en/

Mon – Sat: 0800 – 2200
Sunday & Public Holidays: 1000 – 2200

*reservations available

Aficionados of local Malaysian history can travel back to the past with our 5 Obscure & Overlooked Merdeka Locations, our list of WWII Sites and Memorials or our Ultimate KTM ETS Travel Guide.

Café Schwarzenberg

Tired of fancy cafes? Want some fair-trade coffee? Then you might like a seat at Café Schwarzenberg.

Simple, down-to-earth and unassuming, Schwarzenberg was one of the first coffeehouses to grace the Ringstrasse – Vienna’s most iconic boulevard – and now stands as one of the last few.

Compared to its more famous peer Central, it was never as popular with the cream of the 20^th and 19^th century Viennese literati.

However, it still managed to serve multiple local legends such as celebrated architect and designer Josef Hoffmann and classical actress Adrienne Gessner.

Inside, a combination of wooden fittings, marble tabletops and leather seats create a cozy, pub-like atmosphere that encourages patrons to read and socialize in peace, much like some of the coffee places in hipster paradise REXKL.

What’s more, Schwarzenberg lets you have peace of mind with their coffee too! Sourced from Honduras, their Arabica coffee beans are organic and fair trade-certified, allowing both coffee farmer and you to enjoy the fruits of hard work fairly.

Fun Fact: When waiters refill your cup of water, they will leave an upturned spoon on the rim as an elegant reminder!

Café Schwarzenberg
Kärntner Ring 17, 1010 Wien
Tel.: +43/1/512 89 98
Website: https://www.cafe-schwarzenberg.at/en/

Mon – Fri: 0730 – 2400
Sat, Sun & Holidays: 0830 – 2400

*reservations available

Café Museum

Suspended shiny steel balls, striking red couches and elegantly simple wood tables and chairs – it’s time to enjoy the exhibits of the Café Museum!

First built by Adolf Loos before being renovated by Josef Zotti – a disciple of Josef Hoffmann – this café is a similarly intimate experience to Schwarzenberg. Its unique L-shaped layout also provides ample outdoor light for the pleasant interior.

Once you’re done appreciating the café and decor, sit down for a wide range of Viennese delights that will fill you right up at any time of day (at least until 9pm).

A few great picks are the veal schnitzel with potatoes, cranberries and salad or the minced veal meatloaf and the homemade apricot dumplings.

Though not an actual museum, Café Museum has hosted plenty of artists whose works have graced museums, particularly those of the Art Nouveau movement such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.

Plus, it’s located right next to a monument and work of Klimt’s – the Secession Building! Art nerds will appreciate the proximity and a chance to catch a breather.

Not content to sit with just art though, this coffeehouse also offers literature readings and spaces for cultural and personal events too, continuing to enrich the lives of everyday Viennese.

If you want to check out an actual stylish museum though, there’s always our list of 2024’s most stylish museums!

Café Museum
Operngasse 7, 1010 Wien
Tel: +43 1 24 100-620
Website: https://www.cafemuseum.at/en/cafe-museum/our-coffee-house.html
Mon – Sun: 0800 – 2100

*reservations available

Café Hawelka

Café Hawelka is almost a story of the Hawelka family itself.

Since Leopold Hawelka bought the rundown Café Karl in 1939 and renamed it to Café Hawelka, this family-owned coffeehouse has basically remained unchanged throughout three generations of the Hawelkas.

Though many of its peers have made compromises with modernity through airy interiors and minimalist décor, Hawelka is unflinchingly dedicated to keeping the café as it has been for almost 100 years.

Lit by tastefully restrained lighting, the café’s sepia-coloured wooden walls, chairs and floors are accented by rustic paintings and posters, giving patrons a cozy and timeless atmosphere akin to many Kinta Valley towns of the tin mining era.

Attracted by its conducive air, Hawelka would eventually become the hangout for the radical and experimental minds of the 1960s and 70s, which counted poets, photographers and composers among their ranks, turning it into one of the great postwar cafes.

The Hawelka’s faithfulness to their décor also extends to their coffee and food offerings.

Just like the good old days, Hawelka drum roasts and serves their own additive-free coffee. You can even pick up bags and capsules of their signature roasts, which include mocha, melange and Jamaican Blue Mountain.

For those curious about Viennese roasting, you can even book a tour or lecture at their roastery at Dorotheergasse 7!

Café Hawelka
Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Vienna
Tel: +43 1 512 8230
Website: https://hawelka.at/en/

Open:
Mon – Thu: 0900 – 0000
Fri – Sat: 0900 – 0100
Sun: 1000 – 2000

*no reservations available

Perked up from all that caffeine yet? If you need a place to walk off all that extra energy, why not check out some of Vienna’s must-visit spots while you’re here? If that still isn’t enough, then travelling further to Austria’s many historical and culturally rich cities will surely burn off that caffeine buzz!

Written with research assistance by Rin Matsumoto