The true residents of Vienna, the Viennese themselves, take immense pride in their classic local coffee culture. And that’s despite many visitors claiming the local coffee could use some improvement! Regardless, a whole cultural world developed around Viennese coffee houses centuries ago, serving as meeting and creative places for various artists and creators. Successful writers, talented musicians, and other artists would gather in the city’s coffee houses for discussions, games, and creative work. These gatherings led to many different works that became famous both in Austria and beyond.
A visit to Vienna wouldn’t be complete without stepping into one of its classic Viennese coffee houses. Keep in mind that Viennese coffee houses don’t necessarily have to be as grand or touristy as Café Central or Café Landtmann. Some might be relatively simple, with a sleepy atmosphere and old-fashioned furniture. It’s also important to remember that in some of these coffee houses, you might encounter the typical Viennese service – a bit cool and not overly friendly. It’s also wise to expect to pay in cash only. This is all part of the authentic experience, so please arrive mentally prepared. Fortunately, many of the city’s oldest and most important coffee houses are located in the 1st district, which is the heart of the city and home to the Old Town. Within a short walk, you can visit and taste authentic Austrian delicacies, especially a wonderful variety of desserts. In the most touristy coffee houses like Café Central or Landtmann, you can expect long queues at the entrance, but usually, you won’t wait too long at other coffee houses. It’s worth checking the websites of popular coffee houses to see if you can book in advance, and if so, do it even a few months before your arrival.
Types of Coffee Drinks in Vienna
As part of Vienna’s pride in its local coffee culture, the names for coffee in Vienna aren’t the same as what you might be used to elsewhere in the world. On the menu, you’ll find names like Großer Brauner, Verlängerter, and Wiener Melange, and kleiner Schwarzer. Sometimes, the word Mokka is also used to refer to Turkish coffee. To save you unnecessary confusion and prevent the waiter from getting tangled up explaining in English, here’s a quick translation for all the types of coffee drinks you’ll encounter in the local coffee houses:
- kleiner Schwarzer – Short espresso
- großer Schwarzer – Double espresso
- kleiner Brauner – Short espresso with milk or cream on the side
- großer Brauner – Long espresso with milk or cream on the side
- Verlängerter – Espresso with added hot water
- Einspänner – Espresso topped with whipped cream
- Kapuziner – Double espresso with whipped cream
- Wiener Melange – Espresso with frothed milk. Similar to a cappuccino.
21 Viennese Coffee Houses – Local Recommendations
In this section, you’ll find a brief overview of 21 recommended classic Viennese coffee houses that locals absolutely love. Of course, most of them have become quite popular with tourists, but they still retain the charm and style of the past. It’s definitely worth having a meal or just coffee and a pastry at one or more of these coffee houses. Some offer a full meal from the best of Austrian cuisine, while others focus more on coffee and desserts. These coffee houses are beloved by locals and aren’t just for tourists.
If you don’t want to read all the detailed descriptions, here’s the concentrated list of Viennese coffee houses that locals recommend:
- Café Am Hof
- Café Central
- Café Diglas
- Café Dommayer
- Café Eiles
- Café Gerstner
- Café Goldegg
- Café Hawelka
- Café Imperial
- Café Jelinek
- Café Landtmann
- Café Mozart
- Café Museum
- Café Prückel
- Café Ritter
- Demel K. & K. Hofzuckerbäcker
- Café Sacher
- Café Schwarzenberg
- Café Sperl
- Café Korb
- Kaffee Alt Wien
Now, let’s briefly detail each of the places on our list of recommended Viennese coffee houses:
1. Café Am Hof
Café Am Hof at the Park Hyatt Vienna hotel draws inspiration from the charming 19th-century coffee house culture and offers the finest homemade desserts, Viennese coffee, and the option for a light breakfast. Through the large windows, you can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the vibrant shopping street nearby.
Essential Information:
- Address: Am Hof 2, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.cafe-amhof.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 – 18:00
2. Café Central
This is Vienna’s famous traditional coffee house. It’s located in a palace building called Palais Ferstel. Since its opening in 1876, it has been a meeting place for great poets and thinkers of their time. Here you’ll find typical Viennese dishes, traditional coffee variations, and a variety of excellent desserts. Expect queues at the entrance almost all year round.
Essential Information:
- Address: Corner of Herrengasse / Strauchgasse, 1010 Wien
- Website: https://cafecentral.wien (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 21:00, Sunday and holidays from 10:00 to 21:00
3. Café Diglas
This authentic traditional Viennese coffee house on Wollzeile (the first branch of this chain) offers breakfast, a diverse Viennese menu, homemade pastries, and a fine glass of wine with gentle piano music in the evening. Since 1923, prominent figures in Austrian culture have regularly frequented this coffee house.
Essential Information:
- Address: Wollzeile 10, 1010 Wien
- Website: https://www.diglas.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 to 22:30, Saturday 9:00 to 22:30. Closed on Sundays.
4. Café Dommayer
This old Viennese coffee house is designed in a typical Biedermeier style and is located in Vienna’s 13th district, near Schönbrunn Palace. It belongs to the well-known Viennese patisserie chain called Oberlaa. It offers excellent Viennese and international cuisine, Viennese coffee, a wide range of breakfast options, and homemade cakes and pastries. Locally made ice cream is served during the summer months.
Essential Information:
- Address: Dommayergasse 1, 1130 Wien
- Website: www.oberlaa-wien.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 7:30 to 20:30
5. Café Eiles
An ancient coffee house that has been operating for almost 200 years. It has been operating under its current name since 1901. It offers typical Austrian home cooking.
Essential Information:
- Address: Josefstädter Straße 2, 1080 Wien
- Website: www.cafe-eiles.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 7:00 AM to midnight. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 8:00 AM to midnight.
6. Café Gerstner
The traditional Gerstner coffee house is known for its exquisite cakes and excellent strudel. The coffee house’s confectionery has a long-standing tradition, founded in 1847. Since 1873, it has even supplied sweets to the imperial court. This is a place you simply cannot miss when visiting Vienna.
Essential Information:
- Address: Kärntner Straße 51, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.gerstner-konditorei.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 to 23:00
7. Café Goldegg
The classic Art Nouveau coffee house Goldegg was founded in 1910 and served as a meeting place for trade unionists and revolutionary socialists who were persecuted during the Nazi era. The interior design is impressive and unique.
Essential Information:
- Address: Argentinierstraße 49 / Ecke Goldegggasse, 1040 Wien
- Website: www.cafegoldegg.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00. Saturday and Sunday 9:00 to 20:00.
8. Café Hawelka
Café Hawelka has been around since 1936 and is one of the favorites among Viennese locals. In the 1950s and 60s, it was a popular coffee house for artists. The design is quite dark and old, but it certainly provides a different experience that matches the Viennese coffee world of the last century. The coffee house offers its own roasted coffee.
Essential Information:
- Address: Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Wien
- Website: https://hawelka.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 24:00, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 to 1:00 AM, Sunday from 9:00 to 20:00.
9. Café Imperial
Café Imperial is located in the hotel of the same name and is one of Vienna’s most important coffee houses. Many famous guests have characterized this coffee house since its founding in 1873. Here you can enjoy Viennese delicacies, excellent local coffee, and also the Imperial Cake produced on-site.
Essential Information:
- Address: Kärntner Ring 16, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.cafe-imperial.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 7:00 to 23:00
10. Café Jelinek
An authentic coffee house with Austrian cuisine and a variety of desserts. A cute and sleepy place. It almost feels like time has stood still here – the walls are yellowed from cigarette smoke (until a few years ago, smoking was allowed inside restaurants and coffee houses) and next to the bar, you can see the old wood-burning stove.
Essential Information:
- Address: Otto-Bauer-Gasse 5, 1060 Wien
- Website: cafejelinek.steman.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 9:00 to 22:00
11. Café Landtmann
Probably Vienna’s most elegant coffee house: vibrant, stylish, and charming. In this coffee house, which has been operating since 1873, tradition thrives and modernity is welcomed. The design is special, and the furniture creates a pleasant classic atmosphere. It’s a popular and touristy spot to enjoy Viennese coffee and a variety of desserts.
Essential Information:
- Address: Universitätsring 4, 1010 Wien
- Website: https://www.landtmann.at/de/cafe-landtmann.html (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday from 7:30 to 22:00
12. Café Mozart
The coffee house is located behind the opera house and a short walk from the Albertina Museum, and has been around since 1794. Famous personalities, artists, and cultural figures often visit here. The food offered is classic Viennese, and there’s also an opportunity to try a variety of desserts and, of course, Viennese coffee.
Essential Information:
- Address: Albertinaplatz 2, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.cafe-mozart.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 8:00 to 23:00
13. Café Museum
Immediately after its establishment in 1899 in Vienna’s first district, the coffee house became a regular meeting point for renowned artists. Artists such as Gustav Klimt, Peter Altenberg, and Adolf Loos were regular guests here. The coffee house is characterized by simple elegance and a pleasant atmosphere. Excellent Viennese cuisine and local coffee.
Essential Information:
- Address: Operngasse 7, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.cafemuseum.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 8:00 to 21:00
14. Café Prückel
Café Prückel was founded by the Jewish athlete Maxim Lurion, who was a European cycling champion in the 19th century. Lurion was considered a colorful and particularly interesting personality, and so was this coffee house. Two years after its establishment, the coffee house was sold to the Puckel family, after whom it is named to this day. After World War II, the front part of the coffee house was redesigned by Oswald Haerdtl, one of Vienna’s most important designers and architects of the 1950s. This design has been preserved to this day.
Essential Information:
- Address: Stubenring 24, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.prueckel.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 8:30 to 22:00
15. Café Ritter
Café Ritter opened in 1867 and is one of the most traditional of Vienna’s coffee houses. Regular guests included famous Austrian artists and writers such as Friedrich Adler, Ludwig Anzengruber, Peter Rosegger, Rudolf von Alt, and Gerd Jonke. The interior design of the coffee house dates from the years between the world wars and is considered rare and special.
Essential Information:
- Address: Mariahilfer Str. 73, 1060 Wien
- Website: www.caferitter.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 7:30 AM to 22:00, Sundays from 9:00 AM to 21:00.
16. Demel K. & K. Hofzuckerbäcker
The Demel family’s coffee house and patisserie has been operating for over 200 years in the heart of Vienna’s Old Town, and it was a supplier of pastries to the imperial court during the empire (hence the “K. & K.” in its name). The large display windows showcase delightful sweets, attracting passersby on the main street to come in and taste the best of Austrian desserts. This coffee house was a favorite of Empress Sisi.
Essential Information:
- Address: Kohlmarkt 14, 1010 Wien
- Website: http://www.demel.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 10:00 AM to midnight.
17. Café Sacher
If you haven’t heard of the famous Café Sacher yet, it’s time! This coffee house in the heart of Vienna became famous for the original Sacher Torte served there. There’s no doubt it’s a very touristy coffee house, but a visit there is an excellent experience to enrich your trip to Vienna.
Essential Information:
- Address: Philharmonikerstr. 4, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.sacher.com (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily 8:00 to 20:00
18. Café Schwarzenberg
In the oldest coffee house on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, you can enjoy relaxing hours with a variety of traditional Viennese coffee, exquisite pastries, and delicious delicacies. Since its opening in the 19th century, the coffee house has been a popular meeting place for Viennese locals and visitors.
Essential Information:
- Address: Kärntner Ring 17, 1010 Wien
- Website: www.cafe-schwarzenberg.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 to midnight. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 to midnight.
19. Café Sperl
Café Sperl opened in 1880 and is considered an important place visited even by members of the imperial family. The coffee house serves a variety of homemade cakes, as well as the original Sperl cake.
Essential Information:
- Address: Gumpendorfer Str. 11, 1060 Wien
- Website: www.cafesperl.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 7:30 to 22:00. Sunday from 8:30 to 22:00.
20. Café Korb
Café Korb opened in 1904 and is located near St. Stephen’s Square. Here you can eat breakfast all day and also an excellent Wiener Schnitzel. The design at Café Korb is interesting and artistic, definitely enhanced by the many pictures from the life of the owner, actress and artist Susanne Widl. Various artistic events are held almost every day at the coffee house.
Essential Information:
- Address: Brandstätte 9, 1010 Wien
- Website: https://cafekorb.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to midnight. Holidays from 10:00 to 23:00. Closed on Sundays.
21. Kaffee Alt Wien
This old Viennese coffee house is a short distance from Vienna’s central cathedral. It has been operating for about 100 years and offers the best delicacies from Austrian cuisine, especially steaming goulash. The design is simple but authentic.
Essential Information:
- Address: Bäckerstraße 9, 1010 Wien
- Website: https://www.kaffeealtwien.at (opens in new tab)
- Opening Hours: Daily from 9:00 to midnight.
Conclusion
Coffee houses in Vienna are an experience in themselves. The Viennese coffee world is incredibly developed, and the various coffee houses on the list above are diverse, showcasing the evolution of this world over the past centuries. Make sure to take the time to visit one of these places, taste the local coffee, order an apple strudel with vanilla sauce, or treat yourself to goulash or Wiener Schnitzel. Remember to take everything lightly, even if the waiter isn’t friendly – that’s part of the experience in classic Viennese coffee houses (the Viennese can sometimes be a bit grumpy!) and don’t forget to bring cash just in case. If you want to enrich your trip even more culinarily, you can join a culinary experience in Hebrew where you can taste a wider variety of local foods and visit several culinary and cultural centers in the city.
In addition, after breakfast or lunch at these coffee houses, you’ll surely want to continue to an interesting cultural event. You can read about a variety of recommended classical concerts in Vienna. For those who want to go out and celebrate, we’ve put together some recommendations for luxurious and cool bars in the city, as well as information about Vienna’s “Bermuda Triangle” – the area where pubs, bars, and restaurants are concentrated.
If your travel itinerary isn’t yet perfect, read a variety of recommendations and detailed planning in our article which includes a detailed itinerary with the best attractions, restaurants, and activities. This itinerary is especially suitable for 3 intensive days in Vienna, but you can, of course, split it into several additional days for a more relaxed pace.
