Café entertainment in Vienna
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Café Central
Grand Central has a rich history – Trotsky came here to play chess, and turn-of-the-century literary greats such as Karl Kraus and Hermann Bahr regularly met here for coffee. Its impressive interior of marble pillars, arched ceilings and glittering chandeliers now plays host to tourists rather than locals, but it’s worth stopping in for a look. There’s live piano music daily from 5pm to 10pm, and the plaster patron with the walrus moustache near the door is a model of the poet Peter Altenberg.
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Café Gloriette
Café Gloriette occupies the Gloriette, a neo-classical construction high on a hill behind Schloss Schönbrunn, built for the pleasure of Maria Theresia in 1775. With sweeping views of the Schloss, its magnificent gardens and the districts to the north, Gloriette has arguably one of the best vistas in all of Vienna. And it’s a welcome pit stop after the short but sharp climb up the hill.
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Kleines Café
Designed by architect Hermann Czech in the 1970s, Kleines Café exudes a bohemian atmosphere reminiscent of Vienna’s heady Jugendstil days. It’s tiny inside, but the wonderful summer outdoor seating on Franziskanerplatz is arguably the best in the Innere Stadt.
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D
Café Hawelka
At first glance it’s hard to see what all the fuss is about: dirty pictures, ripped posters, brown-stained walls, smoky air and cramped tables don’t look too appealing. But a second glance explains it: the convivial vibe between friends and complete strangers. A traditional haunt for artists and writers, it attracts the gamut of Viennese society. You’ll be constantly shunted up to accommodate new arrivals at the table. Be warned: the organising elderly Frau seizes any momentarily vacant chair (curtail your toilet visits!) to reassign elsewhere.
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E
Café Drechsler
One of the liveliest coffee houses in town, Drechsler reopened with a smash after extensive renovations (Sir Terence Conran worked his magic with polished marble bar and table tops, Bauhaus light fixtures and whitewashed timber panels – stylish yet still distinctly Viennese). As well as the usual coffee-house suspects, its Gulasch (goulash) is legendary, as are the tunes the DJ spins, which seemingly change every few hours and always keep the vibe upbeat and hip.
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Café Prückel
Prückel’s unique mould is a little different from other Viennese cafes: instead of a sumptuous interior, it features an intact 1950s design. Intimate booths, aloof waiters, strong coffee and diet-destroying cakes are all attractions, but the smoke can at times be bothersome; thankfully there’s a non-smoking room at the rear. Live piano music is offered 7pm to 10pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Café Jelinek
Walk in from the street here and everyone looks up as if keeping a secret of something shocking that happened 20 years ago. Newspapers fill a ledge near the doorway, the wood oven is fired up in winter and the cigarette smoke clings to you long after you’ve gone. There’s food too, but drift across the street for Viennese nosh at Steman, run by the same people.
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Café Bräunerhof
Bräunerhof is an authentic coffee house of some standing among Kaffeehäuser aficionados. It remains little changed from the days when Austria’s seminal writer Thomas Bernhard frequented the premises: smoke-stained walls, tight tables, surly staff, and a huge newspaper selection. Classical music from the Bräunerhof features from 3pm to 6pm on weekends and holidays.
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Café Griensteidl
Griensteidl holds a prestigious position between the Hofburg and the Loos Haus, and was once the Stammlokal (local haunt) for Vienna’s late-19th-century literary set. It now caters mainly to tourists, but it still attracts with its Jugendstil lamps, wooden chairs and tables, and huge windows overlooking the comings and goings on Michaelerplatz.
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Café Alt Wien
Dark, bohemian and full of character, Alt Wien is a classic dive attracting students and arty types. It’s also a one-stop shop for a lowdown on events in the city – every available wall space is plastered with posters advertising shows, concerts and exhibitions. The goulash is legendary and perfectly complemented by dark bread and beer.
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K
Café Rüdigerhof
Rüdigerhof’s facade is a glorious example of Jugendstil architecture, and the furniture and fittings inside could be straight out of an I Love Lucy set. The atmosphere is homely and familiar and the terrace huge and shaded. On Saturday mornings it fills up quickly with Naschmarkt shoppers.
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Café Tirolerhof
A lovingly renovated Jugendstil decor from the 1920s and homemade Apfelstrudel help to make Tirolerhof an inviting Innere Stadt choice. Service is less tart than at other traditional coffee houses, and the location directly opposite the Albertina is a bonus.
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Canetti
Canetti is one of only a handful of eateries in Vienna with rooftop views. Perched on top of the Bücherei Wien, its vantage point provides a sweeping vista of Vienna to the south. Food is hit-and-miss, so come for a quiet coffee or cocktail with a view.
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Café Savoy
Café Savoy is an established gay haunt that has a more traditional cafe feel to it. The clientele is generally very mixed on a Saturday – mainly due to the proximity of the Naschmarkt – but at other times it’s filled with men of all ages.
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