Viennese coffee – Alan x the World

For: @monytodoterreno

The Viennese have a whole culture of coffee, such that in the city there is a wide variety from Coffee to go, mobile espresso, cafeterias, restaurants, to the Donauturm, which is a revolving cafe at the top of a tower, there will be time to talk to you of those unique and special corners of Vienna, however today I feel compelled to write to you about the traditional “Kaffeehaus”.

These cafes are characterized by their history, as they preserve the atmosphere and style of the 19th century in which they were inaugurated. Visiting a traditional Viennese cafe will allow you to learn a little about the culture and essence of the Viennese.

Here I share some of the traditional coffees:

Cafe Sperl

Open since 1880 in café Sperl time stands still, listed as an Austrian Historic Site, the charm of the place is its authenticity, past and present favorite of major artists, singers, writers, painters, actors and military figures, among its most frequent visitors were Archduke Josef Ferdinand and Karl Ferdinand. In 2011 scenes from the 1907 film “A Dangerous Method” were filmed on the site, the scene depicts a conversation between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The Vienna Philharmonic has also performed at the venue.

The cafe has undergone renovations, however, it retains the original architecture, so the toilet is not accessible for people in wheelchairs, the entrance is free of stairs.

Café Korb

This cafe is the favorite of many local people, the service in this cafe as is typical of the Viennese cafe is provided only by adult men with a sense of chivalry, this is the ideal place to try the typical Sachertorte and Apfelstrudel. The Sacher cake is a chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle and usually accompanied with whipped cream on the side. Apple strudel is a typical dessert of Viennese cuisine, this is a thin roll of baked puff pastry, filled with applesauce, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, breadcrumbs and served with a dusting of icing sugar. In Café Korb you can taste the Apfelstrudel as it has been prepared for generations, Austrian mothers and grandmothers mention that the puff pastry must be kneaded to a point so fine that it can be read through, also that the apples used must not be completely ripe so that the dessert has an acid touch.

The place is very crowded and there are several tables, so moving around with the wheelchair can be complicated, it is also not possible to enter the toilet and there is a step at the entrance. The best option to visit if you are a wheelchair user is in spring-summer, because as in all cafes, they have outdoor tables, due to its location in the 1st district of Vienna, as well as in Café Central (visited by Trotsky, Lenin and Sigmund Freud), you will be able to see the “Fiaker” pass by, which are horse-drawn carriages like in the old days.

Café Wortner

With more than 140 years of service, Café Wortner is ideal for breakfast, lunch or dinner traditional Austrian food, this café has a classic touch, in the evenings there is live piano music.

In my opinion it is an elegant place, its versatility is that it is ideal for a romantic dinner or just to have a coffee and enjoy quiet music. Drinking coffee or drinking Spritzer at their outdoor tables is sensational, it is also possible to enter the rooms with a wheelchair, unfortunately the toilet is very narrow and its beautiful entrance is obscured by its limited functionality for wheelchair users.

Other traditional cafes in Vienna are Cafe Jelinek, Hawelka, Schwarzenberg, Landtmann, among others, in total in Vienna there are 1060 Kaffeehäuser, of which 958 are still active. Among all those coffees, finally I want to tell you about my favorite until today.

Café Eiles

It is a combination of the new and the old without losing the essence of the Kaffeehaus, in this place it is usual to see adults reading (as they did in the past) the “Der Standard” which is the main newspaper in the country; and at another table find a young woman working on her laptop, Café Eiles is a very lively and crowded place, her work team provides fast, friendly and cordial service, their diverse personalities leave you with a pleasant memory.

Open since 1821, it is an example that the architecture of the past is not at odds with the modern and functional, because the reason for being one of my favorites is that it is 100% barrier-free for people in wheelchairs, from the entrance, tables, service and most importantly, the toilet.

In this place with high rooms, I get together with friends and my partner without worrying about anything other than enjoying a good coffee. This cafe has witnessed unforgettable moments for me, its excellent service has also given it appearances in several magazines.

I spend a lot of time sitting in my chair and when traveling there are places that are difficult for me to access, but what a nice surprise Vienna has given me that to get to know it a little it didn’t ask me to make any effort, just pause and enjoy a good coffee.

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