Coffeehouse walk through 23 districts
1st district: The café for bohemians
People don’t really go to Engländer for the coffee and cake, it’s more about being part of something. Artists, creatives and ad execs make up the clientèle. Genuinely a place to see and be seen.
2nd district: A taste of Georgia
A gem of a coffeehouse on the idyllic, treelined Praterstrasse boulevard with delicious Georgian cuisine. Lovingly designed by an architect, down to the last detail.
3rd district: For those in the know
A typical Viennese coffeehouse, yet somehow the opposite of its traditional first district cousins: quiet, slightly tucked away, a little careworn and only open during the week.
4th district: One for all the generations
Inside, it looks like a cool granny’s living room – with good reason: a group of grandmothers serve slices of homemade cake alongside their life stories.
5th district: A café with a garden
The Rüdigerhof garden is one of Vienna’s prettiest. The building itself is a monument to Austrian Art Nouveau and the worn yet charming interiors have an appeal all of their own.
6th district: Mirror, mirror on the wall
This beautiful historic coffeehouse is not only a popular hangout for gay men. The huge mirrors – the second largest in Europe after the ones in the Palace of Versailles – are real head-turners.
7th district: The hipster’s choice
A 1950s style espresso bar with original furnishings in the heart of hipster central: little tables, red leatherette banquettes and a curved bar. Guests who aren’t into coffee should try the milk frappé.
8th district: A real charmer
A traditional coffeehouse close to City Hall with a culinary and aesthetic spring in its step, following its recent renovation. Seemingly unchanged, yet everything’s new.
9th district: The former post office
A modern café with echoes of a bistro thanks to its eye-catching tiled floor. Breakfast is a trip around the world – just as it should be in a former telegraph office.
10th district: Social center
Between gallery sessions at the Brotfabrik, art fans can stop off for coffee at Magdas Kantine where people struggling to break into the labor market run the show.
11th district: Pomp and ceremony
An unusual location for a café, but perfect for a rest after a walk around the sights at the Central Cemetery – featuring treats from the famously delicious Oberlaa patisserie.
12th district: The suburban café
A classic café with lots of local color and a set lunch menu which the Viennese can’t get enough of. Yes, some typical Viennese coffeehouses serve food, too!
13th district: Well-heeled
The thirteenth district is a particularly well-todo, conservative part of town. Visitors love Café Dommayer, an attractive venue with a beautiful Biedermeier interior where everything is just so. Perfect after a trip to Schönbrunn.
14th district: Bike café
A hybrid experience in what was once the Gloriette Kino cinema: Velobis is a bike shop and café-bistro all rolled into one. A purist vibe – with bikes on the walls, yet still cozy.
15th district: The Retro Café
A cult café with a 1970s interior has been revamped and is now a trendy coffee house in the up-and-coming 15th district. There are also pool tables.
16th district: The Gürtel café with bowling alley
Café Weidinger is the last remaining coffee house on Vienna's Gürtel and really authentic. It is the polar opposite to the pompous Ringstrasse cafés. The bowling alley in the basement is a hidden gem.
17th district: Green with envy
This utterly charming café in a modern timber cabin occupies an enviable location in the Schwarzenbergpark, on the fringes of the Vienna Woods. It is accessible via the Stadtwanderweg 3 hiking trail.
18th district: The book café
The wonderfully refurbished Old Viennese coffee house with a modern touch also functions as a well-stocked bookstore. Drink coffee, buy a book, read it there and then, and enjoy the coffee house atmosphere.
19th district: A café with a view
Glazed on all sides, this octagonal café on a hill on the outskirts provides fantastic panoramic views of the city below. The nearby Sisi-Kapelle chapel is also worth a look.
20th district: The café that never was
This is the name given to by the Viennese to the kind of underworld café where you might get caught up in a knife fight (Bauchstich = a stab in the gut). Of course, there is no Café Bauchstich, but for a long time this was the name emblazoned on a vacant building as a joke.
21st district: Pretty in pink
You can always rely on the Aida chain. Even in districts where coffeehouse are in relatively short supply, you are bound to find a branch of this café-patisserie in its distinctive pink retro look.
22nd district: Café with 360° views
The Turmcafé at the Donauturm (constructed 1964) revolves on its own axis 170 meters above ground. The whole city glides past as patrons enjoy their coffees. It’s almost like watching TV!
23rd district: The wine tavern
For the twenty-third district, we are sending you off for “a coffee” at a Heuriger wine tavern in Mauer. Well... better a glass of Gemischter Satz, which is a Viennese specialty – and the ideal choice in this picturesque winegrowing village.
Text: Susanne Kapeller
