Coffeehouse Culture, Food & Wine

The Viennese coffeehouse has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2011 — and rightly so. It is not just a café — it is a way of life: a place where you sit for hours, read newspapers, write, discuss, dawdle, and watch life go by. The Herr Ober (never "waiter"!) brings the coffee on a silver tray with a glass of water — and no one urges you to leave or order more. "The Viennese don't go to the coffeehouse to drink coffee — they go to be in the coffeehouse."

The Most Important Coffee Varieties

• Melange: Vienna's standard coffee — espresso with frothed milk. Similar to cappuccino, but more Viennese.
• Kleiner/Großer Brauner: Espresso (small) or extended espresso (large) with a dash of milk.
• Kleiner/Großer Schwarzer: Espresso without milk — pure and strong.
• Einspänner: Double mocha in a glass, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The name comes from the one-horse carriage drivers who could drink the coffee with one hand.
• Fiaker: Black coffee with rum or cherry brandy and whipped cream. Named after the Fiaker carriage drivers.
• Kapuziner: Black coffee with a hint of whipped cream — the color of a Capuchin robe.

The Legendary Coffeehouses

• Café Central (Herrengasse 14): Freud, Trotsky, Peter Altenberg, and Karl Kraus sat here. Vaulted ceilings, marble columns, and a figure of Peter Altenberg at the entrance. Touristy, but irresistible. Melange: approx. €6.
• Café Sperl (Gumpendorfer Straße 11): The favorite café of Viennese intellectuals — more authentic than the Central, fewer tourists, patinated velvet benches, and the best atmosphere in the city. Sundays: Live piano music.
• Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse 6): The legendary bohemian pub — narrow, smoky (formerly), crammed with art and history. Famous for the Buchteln (filled yeast cakes) served in the evening from 10 p.m.
• Demel (Kohlmarkt 14): The k.u.k. court confectionery — no Melange, but cake: Sachertorte (the other one!), Dobos cake, punch cake. The display case is a temptation in chocolate and sugar.

The Viennese cuisine is a reflection of the multicultural Habsburg monarchy — Bohemian dumplings, Hungarian goulash, Italian influences, and Austrian basic virtues merge into a unique cuisine that is hearty, refined, and irresistible.

The Most Important Dishes

• Wiener Schnitzel: THE Austrian national dish. Veal (not pork — that would be a "Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein"), thinly pounded, breaded in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter. The breading must "soufflé" — detach in waves from the meat. Served with parsley potatoes and cranberries. In a good restaurant: €16–24. The reference: Figlmüller (Wollzeile 5) — Schnitzel that hangs over the edge of the plate. Reservation required!
• Tafelspitz: Boiled beef with apple horseradish and chive sauce — Emperor Franz Joseph's favorite dish. He supposedly ate it every day. Best at Plachutta. €18–28.
• Gulasch: The Viennese version of Hungarian gulyás — slowly braised beef in paprika sauce with bread dumplings or spaetzle. In a Beisl: €12–16.
• Sachertorte: Chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate glaze — invented in 1832 by Franz Sacher for Prince Metternich. The dispute between Hotel Sacher and Demel over the "real" Sachertorte is Viennese folklore. Slice: €8–9.
• Kaiserschmarrn: Torn pancake with raisins, powdered sugar, and plum compote. Named after Emperor Franz Joseph (another legend). As a main dish or dessert. €10–14.
• Apfelstrudel: Paper-thin strudel dough (you should be able to read the newspaper through it!), filled with apples, raisins, cinnamon, and breadcrumbs. Best served warm with vanilla sauce. Slice: €5–7.
• Käsekrainer: The Viennese sausage with melted cheese — served at the sausage stand with mustard and bread. The Viennese institution for 2 a.m. €4–5.

Beisl — Vienna's Soul

A Beisl is Vienna's version of a pub — a simple, often family-run tavern with dark wood, a regulars' table, a handwritten daily menu, and honest Viennese cuisine. In a Beisl, you eat Schnitzel, goulash, and Tafelspitz at fair prices — and experience the Wiener Schmäh (the subtle Viennese humor, which is affection disguised as an insult). Lunch menu: €9–14.

The Heurigen are Vienna's most unique culinary tradition — and the reason why Vienna is the only metropolis in the world with 700 hectares of vineyards within the city limits. A Heuriger is a Buschenschank (wine tavern), where the winemaker serves his own new wine (the "Heurigen") — recognizable by the Buschen (pine branch or straw wreath) above the entrance.

How does a Heuriger work?

You sit down — often under grapevines in the guest garden, with a view over the vineyards — and order wine (quarter = 0.25l, from €3.50) and food from the buffet: cold platters with Liptauer (spiced cream cheese), Verhackertes (bacon spread), roast pork, ham, salads, and bread. You get the food yourself, the wine is brought to you.

The Best Heurigen Districts

• Grinzing (19th District): The most famous Heurigen village — touristy, but atmospheric with views of the vineyards. Bus line 38A from Schottentor.
• Nussdorf (19th District): Quieter and more local than Grinzing — Vienna's oldest wine village with excellent Heurigen like Heuriger Mayer am Nussberg.
• Neustift am Walde (19th District): Price-performance champion — fewer tourists, same quality. Fuhrgassl-Huber and 10er Marie are institutions.
• Stammersdorf (21st District): On the other side of the Danube — the largest wine-growing area in Vienna, the least touristy. Perfect for an authentic evening.

Viennese Wines

• Grüner Veltliner: Austria's leading grape variety — fresh, peppery, versatile. Served as open wine at the Heuriger.
• Gemischter Satz: Viennese specialty — various grape varieties grown, harvested, and fermented together. DAC (protected designation of origin) since 2013. Vienna's own wine.
• Sturm: Freshly fermented must — only in September/October. Cloudy, sweet, deceptive (the alcohol content is higher than you think). A must in the Heurigen season.