Coffee in Vienna is serious business and drinking coffee at a traditional Viennese coffeehouse is one of my favourite things to do in the Austrian capital city. Even if you’re not a coffee lover, DO NOT miss out on this amazing cultural experience.
My Other Videos From Vienna:
Vienna's WOW Factor: bit.ly/2HflOGy
The Christmas martyr tradition in Vienna: bit.ly/2JZI9Fw
See the MAGICAL Christmas markets in Vienna: bit.ly/2Je1OR7
Why Vienna has my favourite Christmas market: bit.ly/2HyQ6Dk
Cafes are so essential to Viennese culture that UNESCO included them on their list of intangible cultural heritage and described them as places "where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill." I think that sums it up! There are traditional coffeehouses as well as modern cafes that are part of the so-called ‘third wave’ of coffee.
Café Sperl is one of the classics. Established in 1880, it was a place for architects, artists, musicians, actors, singers, and VIPs like Archduke Josef Ferdinand to gather and discuss matters of the day. Fun fact: it was built according to the design of the same architects that built Vienna’s famous ring road. Even though it’s very grand feeling inside, it’s also a warm and cozy place for children to play and locals to read the newspaper while they sip a hot coffee. We ordered a popular Austrian cake called Sachertorte and traditional style coffee called a mélange (doesn’t that sound beautiful?) which is a mocca with foam. One of my favourite parts of coffeehouses in Vienna is the presentation. Hands down. Coffee always comes on a silver tray with a spoon and a little glass of water. It makes the ordinary ritual of having coffee feel like a special occasion. I love how coffeehouses in Vienna manage to be both grand and casual at the same time. Elegant yet approachable.
My absolute favourite coffeehouse in Vienna is Café Hawelka. I’ll always have a special place for it in my heart because I visited when I was 18 on my first trip to Austria. I couldn’t wait to bring Marc back to make a new memory with him. Café Hawelka feels authentic and worn in the best possible way. The space isn’t very big and that, combined with the dim lighting, makes it feel intimate in a way that larger, more fancy coffee houses can’t duplicate. Hawelka was started by a couple named Leopold and Josefine Hawelka. Leopold lived to be a hundred years old and Josefine until age 91. I got the chance to meet Josefine on my first visit there. She was still serving coffee and taking care of customers at over 90 years old. I had a coffee and Marc had hot chocolate and we just enjoyed sitting on the sofa and taking in the moment.
There’s a restaurant in Vienna that is so unique that I’ve ever never heard of another place like it: an ICELANDIC restaurant. Not so common! Marc and I met in Iceland, and our families both have Icelandic heritage, so it’s special for us. We were so excited to eat there and have a taste of Iceland. The restaurant is called Home which is exactly how it felt. Our meal was very simple but total perfection: homemade bread with salted butter, some greens, and the best fish soup I’ve ever had. This will go down as one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had travelling. When we were leaving we thanked our waiter in Icelandic (takk!) and he was so surprised and happy to be able to speak some Icelandic. It was really nice for us to have that connection in Austria of all places.
I’d love to hear about one of YOUR most memorable meals or coffee experiences. Please leave a comment and tell me what and where it was!
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