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Kaffeehousekultur is Best in Vienna From elegant shops along pedestrianized Kärntner Strasse, Kohlmarkt, and Graben to gourmet temples and cozy “beisels”—what the Viennese call bistros—the area around St. Stephan’s Cathedral is the heart and soul of Vienna. It’s also the area with the most concentration of coffee houses, the city’s oldest and most traditional establishment. So how did the exotic coffee bean, the backbone of the coffee house, find its way to Vienna? Numerous legends abound, but the version that seems to be most plausible concerns Georg Franz Kolschitzky (some name him Franciszek Jerzy Kulczycki), who served as a scout between the two opposing camps during the unsuccessful Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683. At the end of the siege, Kolschitzky supposedly asked for and received large bags of green beans as a reward for his services. After some experimentation, he roasted and brewed the beans, added some sugar and milk, and the Viennese coffee tradition was born. He eventually opened one of the city’s first official coffee houses. The new drink was well received, and coffee houses began to pop up rapidly. In the early period, the various drinks had no names, and customers would select the mixtures from a color-shaded chart. But the heyday of the coffee house was the turn of the 19th century when writers like Peter Altenberg made them their preferred place of work and pleasure. Many famous artists, scientists, and politicians of the period, including Leon Trotsky, were constant coffee house patrons. In Prague, Budapest, and other cities of Austro-Hungarian Empire, coffee houses based on the Viennese model sprung up there as well. With the rise of the Nazis and their prohibition of modern or “degenerate” art, the zenith of the coffee house came to an end. From 1950, the period of "coffee house death" or “Kaffeehaussterben” began, as many famous Viennese coffee houses had to close, perhaps due to the popularity of television or the appearance of modern espresso bars. Fortunately, tourism and a renewed interest in their history have prompted a comeback, and there are an estimated 2,000 coffee houses in Vienna today. When I visited recently, I was on a mission-of-sorts, determined to visit as many of these legendary cafés as possible as part of a cultural and culinary exploration. I was not disappointed—overwhelmed perhaps by their variety and charm (known in Vienna as gemütlichkeit)—but not disappointed. For example, unlike some other café traditions around the world, I discovered that it is completely normal for a customer to linger alone for hours reading a book or newspaper—perfect for a solo traveler like myself. Along with coffee, which arrives on a small silver platter, the Ober (waiter) will serve an obligatory glass of cold tap water with a spoon balanced over it. During a long stay, he will often bring additional water without being asked, with the water, I’m told, symbolizing the establishment’s desire to let you know your are welcome to stay indefinitely. The furnishing of a Viennese café, I found, can vary from plush and comfy to coldly modern and stylish, although most that I visited were of the classic variety, with racks full of local and foreign newspapers, Michael Thonet bentwood chairs, marble tabletops, elaborate chandeliers, and wall coverings ranging from announcements of literary soirées and lectures to precious 19 th century murals. In many classic cafés, such as Café Central and Café Prückel, piano music is played in the evening; Café Korb has a miniature bowling alley in the basement; Café Sperl has billiard tables; and in warmer months, many coffee houses have a Schanigärten, an outdoor space similar to a sidewalk café. In addition to coffee, most offer light fare like soups and würsts, and many have full menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But if you just want coffee and cake, Vienna is the place to have it, even though you must never simply ask for “coffee” or “cake.” Instead, you must specify how you want your coffee served, what size you want, and whether or not you want any additions. If you want a small black coffee, you have to ask for a kleinerschwarzer, and if you want a large, order a grosser schwarzer. If you want it with milk or cream, you ask for a brauner. but you can also add gekürst (shortened), if you want it extra strong, or verlängert (stretched), if you want it a bit weaker. If you don’t have a phrase book handy, I think you can’t go wrong with a respectable melange (a mild roast with steamed milk) in the morning, a decadent kaffee mit schlag (coffee topped with whipped cream) in the afternoon, or a Maria Theresia (coffee with orange liqueur) in the evening. And for the second act—the cake—nearly all coffee houses serve apple strudel (apfelstrudel) and have a pastry case overflowing with an assortment of fruit and nut- laden cakes, buttercream-filled tortes, and chocolate-laced concoctions. You only need to point to your choice, sit back, and prepare yourself to be wowed! If you’re planning your own examination of kaffeehousekultur during a visit to Vienna, don’t miss these downtown gems: Café Mozart (Albertinaplatz 2, phone 241-000; www.cafe-wien.at) is the site of the first classic “Schanigarten” in Vienna, a sidewalk café started here in 1825. The bustling café played a major role in the legendary film '”The Third Man,” which was written by British author Graham Greene, who lived across the street at the Hotel Sacher and loved to have his coffee at the Mozart. A perfect stop on your way to or from the Albertina Museum, the café also serves five varieties of hot chocolate. Café Landtmann (Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 4, phone 241-000; www.cafe-wien.at) opened 125 years ago as “the most elegant café locality” in the city. Located next door to the Burgtheater, across from the University and City Hall, the lavishly decorated Landtmann reflects the splendor of bygone days along with the affluence of today. The café’s marble cake (Marmorgugelhupf) is legendary, although I loved the Emperor‘s Pancake ( Kaiserschmarrn ), a raisin-studded pancake, torn into bite-size pieces, and generally topped with plum sauce and whipped cream, familiarly known as schlogobers or schlog. Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse 6, phone 512-8230), opened in 1939, is one of the more bohemian enclaves in Vienna, with its owners Leopold and the late Josefine personally meeting, greeting, and seating its patrons. In the 1960s, it was a central meeting place in the art scene of the time, and its walls remain covered in artwork, poster, and notices. Café Hawelka’s signature dish is its Buchteln buns, which arrive hot from the oven each night around 10 p.m. Café Prückel (Stubenring 24, phone 512-6115), opened in 1903, is one of the few remaining coffee houses built in the style of the Vienna Ringstrasse. Located across from the Museum of Applied Arts and Vienna’s City Park, the café is a meeting place for sophisticated Viennese who appreciate its Fifties interior, large selection of international newspapers, and delicious home-made pastries. Café Central (Herrengasse 14, phone 533-3764; www.palaisevents.at) is a stunning marble-columned emporium located in the Palais Ferstel, a neo-Gothic building now filled with elegant shops. Perhaps the most splendid of the city’s coffee houses, the Central was once the meeting place of writers and free thinkers, most notably Peter Altenberg, who gave it as his mailing address. The café serves excellent pastries and gourmet meals and has a separate pastry shop (konditoreien) around the corner. Café Sperl (Gumpendorfer Strasse 11, phone 586-4158; www.cafesperl.at), in the city’s Mariahilf neighborhood, is worth the short walk outside the fist district. Ornate stained glass, Rococo ornamentation, and iron filigree fill the registered landmark, as do several billiards tables— diversion, if you need it—from enjoying the gracious, old-world atmosphere and renown Sperl Torte, a delectable combination of chocolate cream and almond paste. Though not coffee houses in the traditional sense, pastry shops known as café- konditoreien are delectable places to sample coffee and cake and are nearly as plentiful as the originals. Most also serve meals throughout the day. Legendary Demel (Kohlmarkt 14, phone 535-1717; www.demel.at) is a “must” visit as is Café Sacher (see “Where to Stay”), home of the original Sachertorte. Others of note, all with several locations throughout Vienna, are Oberlaa ( www.oberlaa-wien.at); Gerstner ( www.gerstner.at); and Aida ( www.aida.at).
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When the Viennese tell you to go “downtown,” they always mean the first district—the area inside the Ringstrasse, the great circular boulevard built on the orders of Franz Joseph and completed in the 1880s. It separates the Stephansdom and Hofburg Quarters from the suburbs and includes the center of the old city, the place for walking, shopping, mingling, eating, and drinking.
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