Kaffeehaus, Vienna

Everytime I am in Vienna, I won't miss my favourite Oberlaa hot chocolate or heiss schokolade (I'm a smart-ass sometimes) in the city centre. You can also enjoy a selection of good set lunches of local & international dishes (but don't expect fusion or oriental, just european)

During my last trip, I went to the Kurpark Oberlaa in the area around the Laaer Berg. In this area thermal sulphur springs were discovered in the 18th century and so they built a place where you can soak in the hot water (great in winter). Later, have a nice lunch at their restaurant with its namesake

Apart from hot chocolate, you can also have lunch but the best is the selection of wonderful cakes including the sacher torte.

Favorite Dish: Hot Chocolate, coffee and cakes

Shortly after Mozart's death in 1791 this Coffeehouse was established in his name.

Favorite Dish: Today it is a classic Viennese Coffeehouse and restaurant, offering not only snacks but also main courses.

Location Innere Stadt (Inner City)


Metro: U1, U4, U2
Station: Karlsplatz

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God, this place is a garish, pink nightmare! I must've had one too many pints of beer last night because the bright, feminine colour which decorates everything from the menus to the wicker chairs to the awnings at Aida Café, is really doing my head in. It's 9:30 AM and I'm supposed to meet my travel group across the street at the Opera House in about an hour.
My American friend, Kristi, recommended this coffeehouse chain to me. Come to think of it, I think she actually made me promise that I would visit one. Now faced with a massive array of puff pastries, cakes, strudels, tortes, and chocolates on display behind the counter, I'm at a loss when the woman asks me what I'd like to order. There's enough sugar in here to make Willy Wonka himself blush. Personally, I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and I can't for the life of me remember what Kristi said I should get, so I shrug and point to the most stereotypical-looking pastry in the case--a very flaky item loaded with whipped cream, a custard filling, and dusted with icing sugar. I ask for a coffee to go along with my morning dessert, pay for for everything, and I'm told that they'll bring my order to my table. I point towards the patio and the woman nods.
I sit down at an empty table outside and a few minutes later a cute, young waitress appears carrying my coffee and sugar delicacy. She has pale blond hair tied in a ponytail, creamy arms and calves with a touch of thigh showing, bright blue eyes, and is wearing a vintage diner-style pink uniform. I glance down and notice her matching pink bobby socks and white sandals. Cripes, she looks like a yummy, edible pastry herself! I'm left speechless as she sets down the trays. It's a strange revelation to have so early on a Sunday morning that I might have a fetish for pastel bobby socks... The good people of the world are in church right now and here I am like a weirdo comparing a young girl to a frosted confection. Initially I want to ask to take a photo of her, but then become shy at the thought.
I place a forkful of the cream-leaden pastry in my mouth. Woah, it's extremely sweet! ...And rich! I'm glad that a glass of water was delivered with my coffee, because I'm definitely going to need it to wash this down. As I eat, my eyes shift back and forth between my sumptuous dessert and the waitress as she flits gracefully around the different patio tables. This is getting to be too much and I feel like the Big Bad Wolf eyeing up Red Riding Hood--"Big teeth? All the better to eat you with, my dear..." I must be quite the sight right now--a tall, hungover, old Canadian punk rocker with black spiky hair sitting in a glossy pink chair eating a giant, fancy puff pastry with whipped cream? Ridiculous! I'd better leave now while I still have at least a shred of dignity and get to my meeting spot early before I go completely mental.
I step inside Aida's again for a moment to take a second look at all the items inside the glass display cabinet. There aren't any cookies. I'd told Kristi that I'd bring her some cookies from here when we meet up in a few days in Poland. I decide that a cake or strudel wouldn't last 3 days stuffed in a backpack and leave the pink restaurant empty-handed, with a massive caffeine/sugar buzz, and my tail between my legs. ...Bad wolf!

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Normally I wouldn't extol the virtues of an obscure ice cream parlour like Lavazza Caffebarwien, but the two friendly teenagers serving me a beautiful beer called "Fitzer" since 9:00 AM, haven't even batted an eyelid and I'm on about my sixth pint. When I first arrived, straight from my flight from Canada, and the young woman behind the ice cream counter, a brunette with huge hazel eyes and whose name tag says "Sophie", told me they could serve draft at this hour, I was ecstatic! "No problem," she said. You would think they'd eventually ask themselves, "Why is this foreigner sitting alone out there, drinking beer, and getting himself tipsy so early on a Saturday morning? Is he some sort of homeless, drunk guy?" But they don't--whenever I walk in they just smile and chirp, "Another?" The truth is that I'm too exhausted to explore the city after 24 hours of travel to get to Austria, I'm staying at the Hotel Stefanie directly across the street, room check-in isn't until noon, the beer-buzz will help me sleep when I eventually do get in, and hell, it's technically only 2 or 3:00 AM back in Canada so it's still my Friday night.
Despite my drowsiness, I'm a very happy man right now--I'm on an outdoor patio in a foreign country, I have a cold beer and full pack of cigarettes, my feet up, my backpack in front of me, a Vienna travel guide open on the the table, and it's a sunny, warm, perfect Saturday morning. The orange awning over my table casts a serene, apricot colour down around me. A great first day of vacation!
The non-stop flow of people entering and exiting Lavazza changes over the course of the morning. It began with older Italian-looking men ordering crusty-bread sandwiches and espressos to jump-start their day. Now it's families ordering multicolour ice cream creations and fantastic, gooey banana splits. I watch as parents walking by with their children attempt distraction, hoping the little one won't notice the giant, plastic, novelty ice cream cone advertisement parked right in the middle of the sidewalk. This always fails. Tears and temper-tantrums quickly ensue and almost exactly one-half the time, the child wins this battle of wills. To my surprise, these parents approach the take-out window to place the order, but always buy a cone for themselves as well. A consolation prize, maybe?
Ice cream, gelato, and frozen yoghurt seem to be a big part of the Viennese culture and this little place serves one of the biggest name brands in town--"Zanoni & Zanoni". Frozen desserts are offered seasonally at many places, and this begins in the month of March.
Over the next four days, I find myself often sitting comfortably on the patio at Lavazza and daydreaming while having a morning coffee, afternoon beer, or evening nightcap. The service here is so good, there's never a wait time, always a place to sit down, and it's a perfect place to people watch. It's not a glamorous restaurant, an architectural miracle, a sea of tranquility, a trendy hangout, or anything else like that, but I'm so very glad to have found "my spot" in Vienna.

NOTE:
THIS RESTAURANT NO LONGER EXISTS SINCE APRIL 2010. THE PLACE IS NOW TAKEN OVER BY AUSTRIAN RESTAURANT.

This is an italian eatery serving antipasti (starters), pasta and desserts. They have good selection of italian wines, cheeses, and coffee. However, the pasta and desserts are just OK. Puccini's indoor decor is nice casual and there's another smaller room that has cosy couches and chairs facing shelves full of wines.

Puccini's soft ambience is good for meeting friends and having a few glasses or bottles of good Italian wines. They also sell other italian goods such as Lemon Soda, Pannetone bread, dry pasta noodles and pasta sauces.

If you need a place to hang out, to talk or chat, enjoy a few glasses of wine, then Puccini's is a nice place to be; it is definitely less crowded and less expensive than Wine & Co. (the other popular wine bar in Vienna). However, the service tend to be slow to very slow. I've been to this restaurant twice, and both times, it took 15-20 minutes to give/get your order. Then it took another 15 minutes just to ask for the bill. Anyway, if you are not in a great hurry and not so hungry, it's a nice place to go.

Favorite Dish: Italian wines with italian cheeses and cold cuts/parma ham. The antipasti (starters) and pastas are just OK (eatable). The espresso and cafe latte are also just OK.

Cafe Cortez is located just outside of the Kettenbrückengasse station, next to the Naschmarkt. This is a place I like to go to for coffee and sandwiches, especially on a cold day. The atmosphere is modern & cool and service is reliable. The prices are also quite reasonable so you can have a full meal under 10€

Favorite Dish: They make a mean cheeseburger and chicken sandwich

Cafe Westend is a traditional coffeehouse which is frequented by artists, students, journalists, creative types, as well as people simply waiting for a train in the nearby Westbahnhof. The cafe was established in 1895 and the decor seems 1950s/60s and has dark green chairs and benches, ornate chandeliers, and large windows. There is even a private room which is used by artists and political organisations for displays and talks. It can also be let out for events. The coffeehouse serves good food as well.

Refined coffee house by the Rathaus. The majority of the clientele appear to be ladies of a certain age - that complement perfectly this slightly tired but very well presented establishment.

They serve very good cakes which can also been bought through their website (below).
Melange costs 3.40 Euros.