The grand coffee houses of Vienna

Vienna is renowned for its coffee houses and café culture. Having read a great blog on The Austrian Adaptation recommending the best Viennese coffee houses to try and as the blogger is an Aussie expat, I took her advice seriously and I headed into the city with optimism. The iconic Sacher Torte was on my list of must try’s along with the never-ending search for a great coffee. To this end, I headed to Café Opera and Café Mozart.

Café Opera is part of the Vienna Opera House in downtown Vienna. An unpretentious doorway welcomes you into a long gallery with tables and booths down its length. Its tall ceilings and mirrors that seemed to date back to the turn of the century give off a classic ambiance. Tables were delicately dressed in white linen cloths and flowers.

It was here that I learnt that a latte in Austria is a very different drink from an Australian latte. In Vienna it is served in a tall glass with lots of milk and froth, so very different from the small glass of strong coffee with a light crema at the top. With a slice of warm apple streudel, looking too tempting not to try, I relaxed and thought of the Opera singers and musicians, the well turned out patrons of the Arts and others who like me, have enjoyed a visit to the Opera.

Café Mozart is a Viennese tradition. Only a block away from the Opera House in Albertina Square and next to the Hotel Sacher, Café Mozart has been serving coffee since 1899. With a famous clientele including Orson Welles, the café is mentioned in the Graham Greene novel The Third Man and during filming for the movie, the cast reportedly were frequent guests.

Two large Christmas trees flanked the entrance, each decorated solely with Mozart bauble decorations. Inside, politely welcomed by the maitre de, I was seated at a table which enabled me to people watch the length of the café. Chandeliers sparkled and I watched chic women drinking champagne with the remains of their lunch – elegantly coiffured hair and designer fashion on show. I now knowingly, ordered a flat white coffee and a slice of sacher torte. The coffee arrived and with it on a silver tray was delivered my long awaited chocolate cake. To be honest, I’m not really a chocolate nor a cake person. However, it seemed just wrong not to try this well lauded delicacy. The cake itself was dense but not overly sweet which was a surprise. Made up of layers of delicate chocolate sponge and crème, it was rich without being overpowering. I would certainly recommend to try it if you haven’t already.

sacher torte

cakes