I'll be in Vienna for 3 days next week, on my own one day and with my husband the other days. Any suggestions for casual lunch and nicer lunch/dinner places? Not enough time to eat all the sacher tortes, so which is your favorite cafe?

DEMEL!!! Their truffletorte is fantastic!

Truffletorte sounds better than Sacher torte, which I remember as rather dry. Thanks for the suggestion.

One of the best deserts in Austria IMO is Palatschinken. It's a thin crepe filled with either chocolate, ice cream or apricot jam, covered with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It is to die for.

You should definitely try to have lunch or coffee and pastry at Cafe Central. It is inside the Palais Ferstel and is truly beautiful. While this website is in German, it will give you an idea of what Cafe Central looks like:

http://www.palaisevents.at/cafecentral.html

Also, we enjoyed dinner at the Griechenbeisl. The food was good but the main attraction is the history of this place. It is Vienna's oldest inn and has been frequented by many famous people over the years. It is located on Fleischmarkt next to the lovely Greek Church.

http://www.griechenbeisl.at/

Uggh, we tried the Sacher torte at the famous Sacher hotel in Vienna and thought it was disgusting! We actually ended up calling it the "sucky torte" the rest of the trip! I was so disappointed - I had been looking forward to a lovely treat and instead got a dry, bland hunk of chocolate covered cardboard. So, I recommend skipping the sacher torte.

Ilona Stuberl(sp?) was a great Hungarian restaurant in Vienna. And the Loos American Bar was tiny, but also has a lot of history behind it...great for a drink, but not so much for eating.

Demel is over rated- over priced and over full of tourists.
In addition no longer an independent place but part of the Do and Co. company.

Sacher at the Sacher also overpriced and dry.
Many better places in Vienna.

Cafe Diglas with several locations in city center - very good

Cafe Oberlaa also several locations - excelent pastry and small meals too.

Cafe central as mentioned above - good- sometimes service is lacking and often overfull-
Try their smaller cafe just across the street on Herrengasse. Tourists do not know it exists.

The chain of Aida found many places including next to Stephansdom- goosd Sacher and many other pastries.

casual mid day meal-
Reinthalers-
on Dorotheergasse just off Graben- nice place and some tables outside too.

Bierhof and Hoferl on Naglergasse just a short walk from Julius meinl store

for Hopferl and Bierhof

www.bierhof.at

Yes, Cafe Central is often full, but it's still worth it. I second the Griechenbeisl - look for the Ottoman cannonballs on the walls outside and the signatures of Mozart and Schubert on the ceilings. Love Figlmüller for Winerschnitzl (two locations, just off St Stephen's square) and Zwölf-Apostelkeller (also nearby, Sonnenfelsgasse 3).

Skip the Sachertorte and go for the Esterhazytorte or Dobostorte; they are much less dry. Also, try a cremeschnitte if you can find some; they are delicious. (The top and bottom layers are a crispy puff pastry, and the middle is a soft, creamy filling; the top is dusted with powdered sugar.)

<i>Skip the Sachertorte and go for the Esterhazytorte or Dobostorte</i>

I've only seen the latter two in Budapest. Are they widely available in Vienna?

Another vote for Diglas - they have two locations in downtown. Excellent pastries and good atmosphere.

Like many others, I do not like Sachertorte either. It one of the world's great marketing tricks (like Tabasco).

But I hesitate to give you recommendations: just go and see. A proper Kaffeehaus has at least two dozen kinds of cake and pastry on display and you order at the counter, then the waiter will bring it to you. Selecting is part of the fun.

Most Kaffeehäuser offer small dishes too, so they are good options for lunch.

A typical Vienna specialty are very small, open faced sandwiches (this means, you eat several of them). This is the largest of these places:
www.trzesniewski.at

If you opt for a lunch in a restaurant, there are some three dozen "Beisls" in Vienna. Some of them have been mentioned, like Griechenbeisl. Zu den drei Hacken is another one - but, to be frank, it does not really matter which one you choose: the menu, the quality of food and the beverages are pretty much the same. Figlmülller is THE gathering place for American tourists (who have a strange liking for fat-dripping Wienerschnitzel which is not an original dish from Vienna).

The most authentic Vienna dining experience would be Tafelspitz and you get the very best at Plachutta.

Was so disappointed in sachertorte when I first had it some 40 years ago but AHHHH the eiscafe which I ordered with it. At that young age, who knew coffee, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream = heaven.

Another upscale and charming restaurant, IMO, "Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer," (The White Chimney Sweep) I've mentioned it before...in the old town not far from the cathedral.

yk,

Yes,Esterhazytorte and Dobostorte are widely available in Vienna. (Incidentally, when they were created Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.)

Descriptions can be found of these and other cakes at:
www.traveldk.com/vienna/topten/viennese-cakes

Thanks one and all for the delicious-sounding suggestions. I can't wait to start eating.

EastBayer:

have fun with all of your suggestions...they'll all turn out well...I've been to several...love The Central Cafe for it's authentic ambience...but since I first visited Vienna more than 30 years ago, The Griechen Beisel has been a favorite spot...mainly for the "feel" of 16th century Wien...and the food offerings never disappointed..they used to have some musical entertainment at night, but I haven't been back since
'99. Try the rest, but don't neglect a lunch or dinner at The GB...when you think of Vienna years from now, that's the one you'll remember with fondness...yes, that and the venerable Central. Enjoy. (By the way to get to the GB, you'll walk right past the Sacher (snub the torte!)and St. Stephens...do drop in...Fleischmarkt is just a short walk further on.

One other thing, while in Vienna, go to see The Hundertwasser Haus...it's a long walk or short taxi ride from the inner rings...but this "statement" by the exceptionally eccentric late architect is probably unlike any chunk of way out design you've seen, ...(gawd, the man was known to stroll around town buck-naked)...the nearby Kunst Haus is also a Hundertwasser design and usually has an attractive exhibit.

Stu T.

I agree that the Sacher torte at the Sacher Hotel wasn't up to much. My Safeway produces a torte as good or better. But I must say that the coffee there was the best I've ever tasted in my life.

many more than 3 dozen Beisls in Vienna and the one you choose does make a difference- both in price and quality.
the Griechhenbeisl in my opinion , much over priced for what you receive . It survives on tourists that pay the inflated price of their food, similar dishes of same or better quality elsewhere.

Esterhazy and Dobos can be found many places in Vienna. Diglas , Oberlaa etc. But some places do not offer the same pastry during the entire year and this can vary by season- perhaps this why some do not find everything when they visit.

molker, the people going to the Griechenbeisl ARE tourists. While I understand what you are saying and why you are saying it, when we lived in Vienna, our friends always enjoyed the historical aspect of the Griechenbeisl as well as some of the touristy heuriger in Grinzing.

I would rather have decent food in the "oldest inn in Vienna" than a great meal in a modern restaurant.

Just my opinion.