A tour of Vienna coffee houses

Old Jan 23rd, 2011, 01:20 AM
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A tour of Vienna coffee houses

A Viennese tour guide gives a video tour of the city's coffee houses:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/vid...ee-houses-cafe

(it's only 7 minutes, she can't show you all of them, of course)

FWIW, while I like the atmosphere of Cafe Sperl, I thought its coffee was dreadful, burnt and thin.
She includes Demel, but I still prefer Oberlaa. And Cafe Kafka is my favorite winter cafe, it's tiny and quiet, and best of all, on frigid days it keeps a warm fire burning brightly in its wood-burning stove. Perfect for a late afternoon beer after wandering around in the cold and snow. Another thing I like about it is that they frown mightily on people disturbing other patrons by yakking on their cell phones.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2011, 04:12 AM
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I love the NO CELL PHONE suggestions in vienna cafés.
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Old Jan 24th, 2011, 05:33 PM
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Will watch this later, thanks for posting FoFo!
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Old Jan 24th, 2011, 05:39 PM
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Thanks for sharing!
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Old Jan 24th, 2011, 09:11 PM
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Ohhhh, I loved the video. I am now so much more looking forward to my visit this summer!
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Old Jan 25th, 2011, 01:06 PM
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I went to Demel each morning during my trip a few months ago. Vienna made me feel old-world civilised. Love the coffee houses.
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Old Jan 29th, 2012, 10:24 AM
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I'd usually not resurrect a year old post, but as this is a bit more generic and timeless topic, here's my own few finds.

While I have been to several of those mentioned in the video, almost all of them are in the 1st district - and are usually quite pricey and often quite overrun.

Here a few more, all of them outside the famous Ringstrasse, though.

Café Savoy and Café Drechsler are both found along the Naschmarkt at Linke Wienzeile.

The Savoy has the biggest mirrors in Europe (except for those in Versailles) and huge ceiling and chandeliers and is decorated in a more old-fashioned, old world style.

The Drechsler has probably the oddest opening hours, which are from 3am till 2am, so it is indeed open 23 hours. As in many establishments that are called a "Café", you can have much more there than coffee and cake. The Drechsler is in fact much more a Café-Restaurant, where you can have as little as one coffee or a glass of wine or a full meal (at modest prices) at any time. The sausage menu is also a specialty there, with anything from plain Frankfurter to Berlin-style Currywurst or Käsekrainer.

The possibility to have a small snack or a decent meal also exists at Café Berg, a stone's throw away from the Sigmund Freud museum at Berggasse in the university neighborhood.
In contrast to the aforementioned coffee houses, the Berg has a more modern interior and more modern "cuisine". Still, you find a lot under €10 to fight your hunger.

The Café Westbahn is located right opposite of the Western railway station. The interior is somewhat dated and the place obviously not among the "Top 10", the mix of travellers popping in for a quick last coffee or snack makes it an interesting place for people watching.

By the way, the Savoy and the Berg fly the rainbow flag, but are frequented by a very mixed clientele.

In general, it's a shame that many tourists still mistake the coffee house for the "Café Konditorei" establishments. While the latter are indeed more for having the afternoon coffee and pastry or cakes, many other coffee houses are places to relax all day (and often most of the night), from morning breakfast, midday lunch, to late night wine and beer.
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Old Jan 29th, 2012, 10:38 AM
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after living 8 years in Vienna, i can say my all time favorite Cafe is Cage Hawelka, on Dorotheergasse, a few steps away from Graben.
Fabulous not snobbish atmosphere ( unlike Landtmann , or Demel.. even though Demel is more a tourist attraction..)
What i liked best about the Cafe Hawelka were the owners, Mr and Mrs. Hawelka ( both passed away) but i am happy to see that waiters still have the same very friendly and cool attitude....
You often have to share your table with others, and that was the best way to meet interesting people and interact with foreign visitors.
I would absolutely recommend it !!
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