In the Viennese Coffee House

I was in beautiful Vienna for a short visit over Easter. The weather was still cold and drizzly, so spending time in a cosy Viennese coffee house was often a better choice than a city tour.

The culture of Viennese coffee houses dates back to the 17th century and is now part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage. Even today, there is still a wide range of cafés offering a stylistic and gastronomic variety: from classic, cosy and plush cafés with high ceilings and vaults, chandeliers and mirrors, Thonet chairs and marble tables, to modern establishments with cool, stylish interiors.

Culinary specialities entice visitors with many types of coffee – Melange, Einspänner, Fiaker, etc. – and local dishes – including cakes, pastries (Buchteln!) and Schnitzel. Above all, coffee houses were and still are a place for travellers, intellectuals and artists to gather and linger for hours. Due to their great popularity, you should or must reserve a table in advance, depending on the day and time.

At all the places I visited, there was something special to discover. In Café Savoy, it’s the huge mirrors that visually expand the room enormously. With these, the microcosm of the “Viennese coffee house” can be observed even better. In Café Vollpension, it was primarily the vintage lamp above the table that caught my attention. I estimated the design to be from the 1960s; the “crystal” elements made of plastic reminded me of a lamp in my grandma’s former flat.