A long weekend brought us to Vienna and we used it for the usual sightseeing on the one side and for trying out the culinary qualities on the other. But we were not interested what Michelin and Gault Millau were thinking, instead we wanted to experience the things Vienna is known for: the “Wiener Schnitzel” and the coffeehouses.
When we arrived in Vienna, first thing we did was looking for a café where we could have some breakfast. But we didn’t have any specific place in mind; we just started on foot and entered the first nice looking café we found. Without knowing it, we entered one of the well known, traditional Viennese coffeehouses, the Café Prückel. The first impressions when we entered the café from the ring were lots of light, high ceiling and comfortable. Since it was already pretty crowded at this time of the day, we just took the first table we could find at one of the windows on the ring side of the café and didn’t take a closer look at the entire café. We let the atmosphere sink in while we drank coffee, hot chocolate and eat some Strudel. The ceiling was covered in dark wood which also was used along with large mirrors for the walls. The armchairs and sofas are real comfy and together with the lamps and the rest of the interior you get the impression as if since the last redecoration decades ago nothing has changed. What I realized by hindsight when I did some further research for writing this entry was that if we had entered from the other entrance or walked into the other wing, we would have seen the traditional side of the café with stucco ceiling and all the bells and whistles. But I’ll probably see that on my next trip to Vienna.
Since the weather was everything but inviting we visited in the next couple of hours and days a few more coffeehouses. One of the must sees is of course the Café Central, which has an appropriate location in the Säulensaal – the column hall – of the Palais Ferstel. For me this place emanates something which I link to my view of the typical coffeehouse. The Säulensaal is just impressive and it is hard to believe that it survived the war more or less havocked. The rebuilding started at the end of the 1970s and brought it back to old splendor. Since the café is so well known, it of course attracts a lot of tourists. While we enjoyed our coffee a few tourists entered and hauled their trolleys along. Maybe this might be attributed to being the Sunday during carnival season and maybe not. However, it is definitely worth to take a look inside. The ambiance is great. This panorama might give you an idea, what awaits you.
If you are already visiting the Café Central and you love chocolate, you might also want to take a look at the Xocolate chocolate store in the passage of the Palais Ferstel. There you will find an eclectic selection of chocolate, pralines and cocoa - just everything concerning the cocoa bean. I’d take a look.
Our next stop of the trip took us to the Café Schwarzenberg. For me it most typically represents Viennese coffeehouse culture or let’s better say what I imagine it to be. The café is well kept with lots of light, Art Nouveau elements and a great atmosphere. You will find people who are there for a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper or for meetings. I didn’t get the feeling to be surrounded by tourists and it was that fact I enjoyed. The typical flair I hoped to find. Even though it is considered as one of the coffeehouses, it also calls itself a teahouse and offers therefore a selection of teas. In short, I really liked it there and it is my personal favourite of the classic coffeehouses I know.
After strolling over the Naschmarkt – Vienna’s largest and probably most interesting market, we looked for a café to get warm again and find cover from the rain. And we found a real nice café – the Mocca Lounge – at the Linke Wienzeile 4. It is a cosy place decorated in colonial style with lounge music playing in the background. The menu offers a wide variety of drinks, but we just had eyes for the warm drinks – coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Beside the usual coffees like Latte Macchiato and Wiener Melange, you’ll find a section for special coffees. A lot of different coffees from around the world are offered as espresso and if you’ll like it, you can also buy a pack of 250g of these coffee beans for the price shown on the menu. It is also not possible to just order a hot chocolate. You have to choose from a selection of different types with different percentages of cocoa. They don’t use coca powder but couverture and the result is real tasty. My wife liked “Ghana” most. One real positive thing is how they serve their tea. You’ll get the cup with the tea strainer in it and a timer ticking down reminding you beepingly to please remove the strainer. But it is not a one for all, but the time is matched to the tea. For some it is two and a half for others three minutes. During my research I found out that the place once was the well known Mocca Club, but as far as I found out this café was run down. But since September 2008 the place is run by somebody else and I think they are doing a good job. Nice atmosphere, friendly waiters. I would give the Mocca Lounge a definitive yes. For this reason, we have been there more than once during our short trip.
This can only be a short excerpt from what Vienna has to offer concerning coffeehouse culture, but on the other hand, less than 72 hours is not even close to enough time to explore Vienna. The best thing is, you visit it yourself.
