Vienna Entertainment

Café Central

#5 of 694 things to do in Vienna

#1 of 534 café entertainment in Europe

4 reviews | Write a review

Good for: atmosphere, food, Groups, Solo Travellers, Stereotypical tourists

Not good for: Young, Young and independent traveler

  • Address
    • Herrengasse 14
  • Transport
    • U3 Herrengasse
  • Phone
    • 01 533 37 64 26
  • Price
    • cakes €4
  • Hours
    • 7.30am-10pm Mon-Sat, from 10am Sun

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Lonely Planet review for 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.

 

Traveller reviews for Café Central (4)

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    desserts are good

    bandblair recommends this,

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    Too touristy

    distanceguy7 does not recommend this,

    If you're looking for an authentic coffee house in Vienna, I would recommend something like Cafe Hawelka, Hummel, or Prückel over Cafe Central. The waiters speak English before German and it is chock-full of tourists.

    Good for: Stereotypical tourists

    Not good for: Young, Young and independent traveler

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    Warm, regal and friendly

    shanezzz recommends this,

    This great cafe has become an institution and rightly so. You are greeted by a seated statue of Trotsky, (in better times), as you enter. You may find yourself standing awkwardly for a few moments before you realise there's none of the usual formalities of waiting to be seated.
    It's obvious the place plays on it's reputation, but it's not all in your face like a number of these tourist hotspots. Instead there's a laid back elegance to the whole affair. Uniformed waiters, ancient coat stands, a central piano and an old style dessert display. Highly recommended is the club sandwich, a triple deckered, calorific feast. Just the thing to see you through a whole day of museums, u-bahns and sight-seeing.

    Good for: atmosphere, food, Groups, Solo Travellers, service

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    Cafe Central - Delightful Retreat from the Heat

    nindubsar recommends this,

    Dessert and coffee are the order of the day at Cafe Central - surrounded by ornate marble architectural detail and uniformed waitresses this place is a must for relaxation and taking in Vienna even if there are quite a few tourists. The Irish coffee comes with some much needed water, and the apple strudel is even richer, but worth the calorie points for any diet. From here wander to the close metro stop or meander along the street to the open markets.

    Good for: Romance, atmosphere, food, Groups, Solo Travellers

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