The Cappuccino Originated in This City With 40 Coffee Specialties

More than just a place for coffee and cake, the coffeehouse in the Austrian capital serves as a unique social gathering spot or “extended living room” — a place to meet friends, gossip, catch up on news and exchange ideas, with rarely a laptop in sight. Vienna café culture, in fact, is so essential to being Viennese that UNESCO put it on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list for Austria in 2011.

Since the first cafe opened in 1685, this capital of European coffee culture has welcomed those seeking a steaming cuppa along with a tasty tort, tart, or flaky strudel, an Austrian creation. Over time, coffeehouses became legendary meeting places for poets and philosophers, artists and actors, writers and revolutionaries, including Klimt, Freud, and Trotsky. Musicians Mozart, Strauss, and Beethoven once performed in them. The term Kaffeehausliteratur (“coffee house literature”) even describes the literary works scribbled in these genteel, venerable establishments.

Today, coffee culture percolates along as practically a religion here. A whopping 2,400 venues of all kinds grace every street corner, from traditional coffeehouses and pastry shops with their own cafés, to espresso bars and mini roasteries. What makes a Viennese coffeehouse so unique is its distinct welcoming atmosphere, with no pressure to order anything beyond a single cup. Linger as long as you like and breathe in the deep sense of Gemütlichkeit — that quintessential Viennese coziness — along with the heady aroma of a fresh brew.

Related: The Top 10 International Cities for Coffee, According to the Experts

Certain design hallmarks define the traditional café: small marble-top tables, oversize windows, velvet banquettes, elegant chandeliers, and Thonet bentwood chairs (with curved backs, round seats, and flared legs). Pianos are common and a glass pastry case groaning with housemade artisanal delicacies is de rigueur. Bow tie-wearing waiters and a wide array of neatly laid out newspapers — yes, newspapers! — which often include The New York Times International Edition, complete the picture.

What’s more, coffee is always served in a standard way: on a small silver tray, accompanied with a tiny glass of water. A spoon is placed upside down on top of the glass to show that the water is fresh or perhaps to show its stamp, a remnant of Hapsburg etiquette.

In a city with so many choices, we’ve selected eight great traditional coffee shops worth a visit.

Café Weimar

A classic Viennese coffeehouse dating to 1900, Café Weimar is a visual feast. Old World elegance competes with head-swiveling pastries. Elaborate crystal chandeliers vie with French ballet skirt lampshades. Framed wall art and bric-a-brac set off the old-fashioned coffeehouse furniture. It makes sense that opera audiences and artists flock here from the nearby Volksoper.

At least a dozen housemade cakes and pies arrayed in a large glass case are the real stars. The bestseller is a divine Esterházy Torte, hazelnut- and cognac-infused buttercream sandwiched between four layers of almond meringue dough and glazed with decorative fondant. You can also order such classics as Tafelspitz (Austrian boiled beef) and Schnitzel, of course. Follow them with a decadent Maria-Theresia coffee named for the Hapsburg empress: double espresso with apricot liqueur and whipped cream. And pretend you’re back in imperial times.

Café Schopenhauer

Bohemian meets traditional at this lovingly renovated Old Viennese coffeehouse that doubles as a bookstore. A true neighborhood hangout in a quiet residential area, “it’s a little bit like a village,” waiter Daniel Burger tells me. You’re as likely to find nose-pierced hipsters as ladies who lunch.

Though the décor ticks all the turn-of-the-century boxes — brass lamp fixtures, gold-framed mirrors, marble tables, and velvet-covered banquettes — informally T-shirted waiters and big easy chairs make it feel more casual. Felt-topped tables await card players, while eclectic books beckon from shelves and display stands. Café Schopenhauer is named for 19th-century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and even the breakfast dishes have philosopher names (Friedrich Nietzsche, anyone?).

While the pastries are limited, even the menu fuses old and new: avocado toast and soy milk matcha alongside bestselling beef goulash and egg dumplings. Either way, settle in with a good book and while away a pleasant afternoon.

Café Central

Yes, it’s touristy and you’re likely to find long lines out the door. But enter this historic emporium dating to 1876 and you’ll quickly see why. Stare slack-jawed at the cavernous room with soaring vaulted ceilings, ornate marble columns, and massive draped windows housed in the Palais Ferstel, a palatial Venetian-style mansion. Then tuck yourself into a cozy red velvet upholstered nook and imbibe the throwback vibe. You can even nurse your cup of Joe beneath the watchful eyes of Hapsburg Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth, whose oversized portraits adorn a rear wall. No wonder Freud and Trotsky (and likely even Lenin and Stalin) once sipped their brews at Café Central.

Black vested, tie-wearing waiters discretely roam the gleaming parquet floors, serving from the extensive breakfast-to-dinner menu. It includes all the Viennese greatest hits: Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte (rich chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate icing), Kaiserschmarrn (fluffy sugared pancake strips), and Wiener Schnitzel. Two house specialties stand out among the 20 eye-popping works of art in the large vitrine: Café Central Schnitt, puff pastry with vanilla cream, and Café Central Torte, chocolate-orange layer cake with marzipan, Grand Marnier, and chocolate ganache. Order a cappuccino-like Weiner Melange to accompany your dreamy slice of cake.

Café Goldegg

Away from the city center on a quiet corner, you’ll find Oriental rugs, black marble tables, Art Nouveau wood-paneled walls and snug green velvet booths. Jugendstil mirrors and brass light fixtures enhance the fin de siècle flair at Café Goldegg. “This is a traditional Old Viennese coffeehouse with so much history,” owner Jutta Scheuch tells me on a buzzing Sunday morning. “It’s in the original wood ceiling covered in years of smoke.”

Drawing a mix of ages from neighborhood folks (including a dog or two) along with European tourists, Goldegg feels delightfully upbeat. That’s thanks to Scheuch, who warmly welcomes patrons every day to her 1910 Kaffeehaus. “I love my guests,” she says.

You can play pool, read an array of newspapers, or just eat, drink and be merry. Although many coffeehouses serve Vienna’s signature Sachertorte (invented at the Hotel Sacher), Goldegg’s takes the cake — moist, rich, and gorgeously presented with chocolate-drizzled whipped cream.

Vollpension

Who better to whip up a tasty dessert than grandma or grandpa? At this unusual second-floor café just steps from the center of town, a whole team of baking grandparents turns out daily cakes using tried-and-true family recipes, served with a side of life stories. Like granny’s parlor, it’s chock full of comfy mismatched furniture and countless framed photos on the walls.

Vollpension opened in 2015 to help reintegrate seniors, such as server Marianne Hofmann, age 80, into the labor market thereby reducing senior poverty and isolation. “I’m going to keep working,” the spry grandmother tells me. “I love it. I can earn something extra to supplement my pension, and I meet guests from all over the world.”

This is the place to try a Buchtel (as Hofmann suggests I do), a fluffy sweet yeast bun filled with marmalade and drenched in hot vanilla sauce. Or an Austrian specialty called Punsch-Schnitten, a nougat-and-jam-filled sponge cake soaked with rum. Want to learn the secrets of these and other local specialties? Take a half-day class at the Vollpension Baking Academy, the world’s first grandma baking school.

Café Sperl

Step back in time at the award-winning Café Sperl, a mainstay of Viennese coffeehouse culture since 1880. Over the years, it has welcomed archdukes, generals, architects, artists, and singers and musicians from the Theater an der Wien opera house nearby. Today, “there are lots of writers,” says waiter Franc Roskar. “One neighborhood regular orders a sparkling water with lemon and stays all day.”

Dark, rich, and ornate, Sperl oozes Victorian elegance with high stuccoed ceilings and mahogany wainscotting spotlighted by brass wall sconces. Three original billiard tables, flowery upholstery, and a stained-glass window complete the vintage vibe. No surprise that Sperl appears in the Vienna Blood period detective series on PBS.

Be sure to try the house specialty dating to 1880: Sperl Torte, a melt-in-your-mouth flourless chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut paste and meringue top.

Café Prückel

Breaking the classic mold, Café Prückel is a popular Ringstrasse coffeehouse with a 1950s design thanks to a revamp of its 1903 interior. Bright and airy, it stands out for its midcentury modern furnishings, formica tables, and clean, spare lines. “I want to preserve the tradition of the Old Viennese coffeehouse,” says new co-owner Thomas Hahn over lunch. “Some of the staff have been here for 30 years and are a big part of (that).”

Prückel draws an eclectic neighborhood crowd: dignified ladies and couples, elderly gents hunched over their newspapers, and the odd millennial or student from the nearby University of Applied Arts — shockingly! — tapping away at their laptops.

A full menu includes trendy dishes — risotto, quiche, and sophisticated salads — along with traditional fare. Among the homemade desserts, the Prückel Schnitte is the crown jewel: dark chocolate cake layered with white chocolate hazelnut cream topped with chocolate ganache and a single hazelnut. Accompany it with a Prückel Crème coffee (small espresso topped with a thin layer of cream and accompanied by a tiny pitcher of cream) and call it a day.

Café Diglas

Just 100 steps from St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the heart of the city, white-jacketed waiters have been quietly serving guests in this old-school setting since 1923. But look closely among the classic wood-paneled vaulted rooms, brass fittings, marble-top tables, and red velvet upholstery. Contemporary flourishes counterpoint the traditional design: ballet tutus as lampshades, contemporary black-and-white photos on the walls, and kitchen utensils whimsically hanging from the crystal chandelier.

The pastries and breads are delivered oven-warm daily from Diglas’ own 140-year-old patisserie, including such specialties such as the Scheiterhaufen (sweet bread pudding), still made like back in the day; the apple crumble tart; and the currant foam cake. Wash them down with a Mozart coffee: double espresso with Mozart chocolate cream liqueur and — what else? — whipped cream. And linger in the evening while a pianist softly tinkles tunes.

How to order coffee in Vienna

Vienna has birthed more coffee specialties — an estimated 40 — than anywhere else on the planet. They include the original cappuccino, which the Italians adapted from a similarly named 18th-century Viennese drink called a Kapuziner. Today, you can find at least 13 Java variations in coffeehouses around town. Here's what to order.

• Melange (or Weiner Melange): a shot of espresso and a splash of hot water, topped with steamed milk and foam. Similar to a cappuccino but made with milder coffee.

• Einspänner: espresso topped with lots of whipped cream (called Schlagobers), typically served in a tall glass with a handle.

• Fiaker: an Einspänner with a shot of fruit brandy or rum and served in a glass with a handle.

• Franziskaner: similar to an Einspänner but usually dusted with cocoa powder (named for a Franciscan monk).

• Biedermeier: black coffee with whipped cream and a shot of apricot liqueur.

• Verlängerter: an espresso diluted by hot water, hence the name, which means “extended one.”

• Wiener Eiskaffee: literally “Viennese ice coffee,” made with strong chilled coffee, vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, and sipped through a straw.

• Mokka/Mocha (or Schwarzer): a straight-up espresso.

• Kurzer: a mini Mokka (“kurzer” means “shorter”).

• Brauner: literally “brown one,” an espresso served with a small amount of milk or cream on the side.

• Kleiner Brauner: literally “small brown one,” a smaller Brauner.

• Häferlkaffee: literally “a mug of coffee” with lots of milk.

• Kapuziner: an espresso with a few drops of cream (named for a Capuchin monk, referring to the color of his robes).

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