Best Cafés in Vienna: 10 Must-Visit Coffee Houses & Patisseries

A Few Things to Know Before We Get Started

This guide starts with our 10 favorite cafés in Vienna and ends with a few more recommendations. As you will see, Vienna is filled with cafés, from famous establishments such as Demel and Café Sacher, to smaller hidden gems.

If that sounds like a lot to choose from, I read from one source that there are over 600 coffee houses in Vienna.

Most of these cafes are open all day, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. So, it’s possible to dine at three cafés a day, and even sliding another quick visit in, to try a pastry or even a slice of the famous Sacher Torte, if your goal is to visit as many cafés as possible.

Most of these cafés take reservations. For the best experience, plan on making your reservation in advance, because you can literally save yourself an hour or longer wait in line. Café Central and Café Sacher make the list of the longest stand-by lines in Vienna. We provide the links to the official websites to make your planning easier.

10 Best Cafés in Vienna

Below we list 10 of the best cafés in Vienna. For many of them, a reservation is recommended. I provide the link to their websites, so you can check hours, pricing, take a look at the menu, and make a reservation. For the location of these restaurants, they are all labeled on the map near the end of this guide.

1. Demel

Location: Kohlmarkt 14
Website: demel.com
Reservation: Reservations are not accepted

Opening in 1786, this is one of the oldest cafes in Vienna. It’s also one of the most famous.

In 1888, the café moved from its original location to Kohlmarkt, where it still stands today. During the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, big names in royalty, such as Empress Elizabeth (Sisi) and Princess Pauline von Metternich, were customers at Demel.

Step inside its elegant interior and dine on Sachertorte, apfelstrudels, and savory treats.

Once inside, you will see that Demel is massive. Spread over multiple levels are numerous rooms for dining. To be seated, join the line and it moved quicker than we expected, being seated almost right away.

Demel in December

We tried the Sachertorte (our personal favorite in Vienna), apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce, and homemade nougat dumplings with butter crumbs and berry ragout. They also serve more savory foods, such as goulash and croissant sandwiches.

If you just want a quick snack, place an order at the outside takeaway stand.

2. Café Central

Location: Corner of Herrengasse and Strauchgasse
Website: cafecentral.wien
Reservation: Highly recommended

Café Central

This is another famous café in Vienna. Opening in 1876, it was a meeting place for Viennese intellectuals such as Leon Trotsky, Peter Altenberg, Alfred Adler, Leo Perutz, and Theodor Herzl. Other patrons include Sigmund Freud and Stalin.

Café Central closed at the end of World War II and later reopened in 1975.

This is one of Vienna’s most popular cafes to visit, with its history and elegant interior attracting visitors from around the world. If you do not make a reservation, there is a chance you could be waiting in line an hour or longer to get a table.

We dined here during our first visit to Vienna and were amazed at the massive pastry case and the beautiful interior. Café Central is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

3. Café im Kunsthistorisches Museum

Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum
Website: khm.at
Reservation: Recommended

Located inside the dome hall of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, this gorgeous café is the perfect place to take a break and have cup of coffee, a pastry, or lunch.

The view from our table

The menu has an extensive list of coffees, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic beverages as well as snacks and pastries. I indulged on a Kaffee Mozart (double espresso with cherry brandy, whipped cream, and pistachio brittle) and the rest my family were boring (and healthy) and had green tea. Everything was served on a silver platter.

Before leaving, don’t miss the view from the windows overlooking Maria-Theresien-Platz.

This is another popular spot so be sure to make a reservation in advance.

4. Café Sacher

Location: Hotel Sacher, Philharmonikerstraße 4
Website: sacher.com
Reservation: Highly recommended

The main reason to visit Café Sacher is to have a slice of the Original Sacher-Torte.

The Sacher Torte is a famous chocolate cake: two layers of cake separated by apricot jam and covered in chocolate icing. The cake was “invented” by Franz Sacher at the request of Prince Wenzel von Metternich for some of his special guests.

Café Sacher serves the cake made with the original recipe, which is what makes this café so famous. However, you will see Sacher Torte on the menu at other cafés in Vienna, which are made with a slightly different recipe (such as Demel’s version, which only has one layer of apricot jam, rather than two).

Café Sacher has a line out the door from morning to evening. Be sure to make your reservation far in advance.

The original Sacher Torte

5. Café Schwarzenberg

Location: Kartner Ring 17
Website: café-schwarzenberg.at
Reservation: Recommended

Café Schwarzenberg

The Klimt torte

Café Schwarzenberg is the oldest café on the Ringstrasse. Operating since 1861, it gets a nice mix of locals and tourists.

With its vaulted ceiling, elegant chandeliers, tall windows, and framed art adorning the walls, Café Schwarzenberg is perfectly decorated for a café located among 5-star hotels.

We ate breakfast here, opting for omelets and espressos and ending with a Klimt torte, but they also serve Viennese breakfast and have a case of decadent pastries to choose from.

This is one of our favorite cafés in Vienna. We loved the local vibe, the classy but not overly done interior, and of course, the food and coffee.

6. Gerstner K.u.K. Hofzuckerbäcker

Location: Kartner Strasse 51
Website: gerstner-konditorei.at
Reservation: Highly recommended

Sitting across the street from the Opera House is another famous Viennese institution. Serving customers since 1847, this is yet another historic café.

With the slogan “pleasure on three levels,” a patisserie and confectionary sit on the ground level, a small restaurant and bar sits on the first level, and a restaurant sits on the second level. This café is beautifully decorated and has the honor of being the Imperial and Royal Court Confectioner.

We dined here for breakfast and weren’t overly impressed with the service or the food. The service was incredibly slow and while the cakes look nice in our photos, they were dry. We sampled the Rotunda (the 150-year world’s fair anniversary cake) and the Gerstner Torte (alternating layers of sponge cake and Viennese genoise mixture, Parisian cream, and Gerstner glaze).

However, the view out of our window to the Opera House was very nice.

We recommend making your reservation in advance to be seated right away. This is another café where you could have a long wait in line, although not quite as long as Café Sacher or Café Central.

7. Kurkonditorei Oberlaa

Location: Multiple locations, we dined at Neuer Markt 16
Website: oberlaa-wien.at
Reservation: Recommended

Kurkonditorei Oberlaa

This is a newcomer to the Viennese café scene, opening in the 1970’s. There are multiple locations in Vienna. The most convenient location for tourists is the Neuer Markt 16 location, located in the historic heart of Vienna just a short walk from St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

The kitchen is open all day. It is worth stepping inside to see the amazing display case that is filled with Viennese cakes and pastries, chocolates, macarons, truffles, and other decadent treats. They also serve seasonal specialties and homemade ice cream in the summer.

We tried the zitrone torte, a lemon meringue torte, which was delicious.

8. PARÉMI Boulangerie – Patisserie

Location: Backerstrasse 10
Website: paremi.at
Reservation: Not accepted

PARÉMI Boulangerie – Patisserie

Most likely there will be a line to get in, as PARÉMI does not accept reservations. But it’s worth the wait (we waited outside for 30 minutes in the snow…stepping inside to the warm, cozy café was well worth the wait).

This French café does not have the same history as some of the other Vienna cafes on this list. They simply serve really good food in an unpretentious atmosphere.

The service is fast and attentive. You can indulge on perfectly baked French breads, croissants, and pastries, dine on healthier options such as fruit, granola, and yogurt, or have something savory, such as warm sandwiches. Everything we had was delicious and this is a café we will return to on a future visit to Vienna.

If you are a chocolate lover, don’t miss the PARÉMI chocolate shop which is located next door to the restaurant.

9. Backerei Öfferl

Location: Wollzeile 31
Website: oefferl.bioe
Reservation: Recommended

This bakery, with its modern industrial interior, has a much different vibe than many of the cafes on our list. Offerl specializes in perfectly baked breads but has a fair amount of sweet and savory pastries on the menu as well.

We ate lunch here, dining on onion soup with an amazing grilled cheese sandwich, sourdough focaccia with kimchi, a ham and cheese sandwich, and a cinnamon apple strudel with vanilla cream. One of my favorite parts about dining here was watching the loaves and loaves of freshly baked breads being pulled from the ovens.

This is a great spot to visit for lunch or dinner, if you want to have an experience that is different from the opulent, historic cafes. Make a reservation in advance.

10. Café Landtmann

Location: Universitatstring 4
Website: landtmann.at
Reservation: Recommended

Opening their doors in 1873, this is another café with a long history in Vienna. It’s famous for its list of notable patrons, including Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, and Emmerich Kalman being regulars here. It also gets a mention in James A. Michener’s novel Poland.

Café Landtmann is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On the menu are Viennese pastries and classic Austrian cuisine, such as Wiener Schnitzel and goulash.

More Cafes in Vienna to Visit

Aida

This pink café has multiple locations in Vienna. The best one to visit is at Singerstrasse 1, a prime location next to Stephensplatz, just steps away from St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It is a popular café to visit, because of it is pink interior and decorations and second level seating with views over the city streets.

It gets mixed reviews, with slow service and a mediocre menu, but if you are passing by and want to take a break in a colorful café, pop into Aida.

Aida Cafe

Joseph Brot

This artisanal bakery has multiple locations in Vienna. We dined at the Wien Bio Bäckerei at 6 Führichgasse, near the Albertina.

This bio-focused bakery offers takeaway and table service. We tried a variety of sweet and savory pastries, with the cream cheese filled bread being our favorite. This is a great place to grab a quick snack or sit down to breakfast or lunch, if you will be near the Albertina or Opera House.

Joseph Brot

Conditorei Sluka

This traditional café and pastry shop has several locations in Vienna, one near the Vienna town hall and a second location at Kärtner Strasse 13, near St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

We visited the location next to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It looks small on the outside but really opens up once inside. They serve a variety of cakes and pastries and the kitchen is open for lunch.

To learn more, visit the official website to see the menu and to check their hours, as this varies by location.

Conditorei Sluka

Café Diglas

Located in the Wollzeile, just a short walk from Stephensplatz, this cozy café is another classic Vienna coffee house. Their pastries are made in their 140-year-old patisserie and delivered to their cafes every day (there are multiple locations in Vienna).

Cafe Diglas

Best Cafes in Vienna: On a Map

Best Cafes in Vienna: Our Recommendations

If you want to visit Vienna’s most historic cafés, put Demel, Café Central, and Café Sacher on your list. Be aware that these will also have some of the longest lines, so make a reservation for Café Central and Café Sacher far in advance of your trip, or be prepared to wait in line.

Our favorite cafés are Demel (for its history and the pastries here are some of the best we had in Vienna…we prefer the Demel sachertorte over the Original Sacher Torte at Café Sacher), PARÉMI Boulangerie & Patisserie (very good food and service), Café Schwarzenberg (a traditional Viennese café with great food that is less touristy than others on this list), and Kurkonditorei Oberlaa (the pastry display case…wow!).

If you have plans to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum, make a reservation for its café. Sipping on a fancy coffee is a great pick me up while touring the museum.

If you have any questions about the best cafés in Vienna, or if you want to share your favorites, let us know in the comment section below.

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