Viennese Coffeehouse Culture
The coffeehouse
You feel at home in a coffeehouse as soon as you step inside. The setting is spacious yet intimate, there is plush seating around marble tables, the scrape of traditional Thonet wooden chairs on parquet floors and mirrors reflecting mildly steamy light. Some are furnished with genuine showpieces - time-worn and darkened, they exude an indefinable atmosphere.
You have to experience it, to truly understand it. The writer Stefan Zweig described it as an "institution of a special kind, incomparable to any other in the world." And indeed, the coffeehouse has its own distinct atmosphere, embodying a deep sense of Gemütlichkeit—that quintessential Viennese cosiness. Because the Viennese coffeehouse culture is so distinctive and rich in stories, UNESCO declared it an intangible cultural heritage in 2011.
What makes a Viennese coffeehouse so special?
Nowhere else is coffee served on a silver tray, always accompanied by a glass of water and a discreet coffee spoon. The interior from back then – marble tables, upholstered sofas, and the Thonet chair – is another hallmark you still find in traditional coffeehouses today.
In addition to the traditional coffeehouses, there is also a new wave of coffee bars, where coffee beans are the true stars. They attract coffee aficionados for whom coffee is much more than just a beverage.
At a coffeehouse, you find people who need company to be alone.
Alfred Polgar, Viennese columnist, theater critic and writer
Historic Viennese coffeehouses
If I'm not at Café Central, I'm on my way there.
Peter Altenberg , Viennese writer and poet
Sigmund Freud did it, as did Andy Warhol, Gustav Klimt, and Oskar Kokoschka: they all spent countless hours in Viennese coffeehouses. These places were buzzing with activity, where guests played chess, cards, or billiards, read newspapers, and discussed world events or their own ideas.
Around 1900 a group of authors went down in history as coffee house literati. They not only socialised in the coffeehouses but used it as their workplace. One of them, Peter Altenberg, wrote the address of his local coffeehouse on his visiting card and in return the Café Central has a monument to him. Before writers claimed the coffeehouse as their own, composers discovered its charms for themselves. Johann Strauß and his father before him introduced new works here. Even Mozart and Beethoven performed in a coffeehouse.
And today? The Viennese coffeehouse remains an institution. It continues to be a place where a diverse range of people meet for coffee or a white wine spritz, to discuss, and enjoy good company. These days, you might encounter politicians at Zum Schwarzen Kameel, artists and art students at Café Prückel (across from the MAK Museum), or actors at Café Landtmann next to the Burgtheater.
The coffeehouse is still regarded as an extension of one’s living room – a place for a small (or larger) break, available on every corner of Vienna. In the summer, many cafés offer outdoor seating in the so-called "Schanigarten" – named after café owner Gianni Tarroni, who began this tradition during the Imperial era.
The Viennese say they looted sacks of coffee beans after the Turks withdrew following a failed siege in 1683. But it was a spy on the payroll of the Royal Court who gave the city its real taste for coffee. Born in Istanbul, he obtained the first license for the public sale of coffee and founded Vienna’s first coffeehouse in 1685.
It was so well received that more coffeehouses quickly began opening across Vienna, giving birth to the now-famous coffeehouse culture. At its peak in the 1910s, Vienna was home to around 600 coffeehouses.
More than 300 years later, the coffeehouse has become an institution unlike any other in the world. Vienna has developed a whole culture around coffee drinking and elevated it to an all-encompassing attitude of life.
Viennese Coffeehouses at night
Vienna may be the epicentre of coffeehouses, but the provinces also boast their own hidden gems of coffeehouse culture.
Café Tomaselli in Salzburg, the oldest coffeehouse in the country, traces its history back to around 1700. Intellectuals would gather here to read newspapers, discuss ideas, or play chess.
Café Traxlmayer, located in the heart of Linz, was designed by a student of Otto Wagner. This café celebrates a love for the arts, with readings and concerts as much a part of its identity as the delicious Linzer Torte.
In Graz, along the banks of the Mur River, you'll find the nostalgic Kaffee Weitzer at Hotel Weitzer. True to coffeehouse tradition, it serves apple and quark strudel baked in a "Reindl" (small casserole dish).
In Linz, don't miss Die Bohne: a spot for coffee lovers with a sunny terrace in the spring and summer.
Café Central in Innsbruck offers a wide variety of coffee specialities. With its old Viennese coffeehouse charm, central location, and excellent cuisine, it creates a truly atmospheric experience.
The new generation of coffeehouses in Vienna
The difference between coffeehouse culture and coffee culture? A visit to a traditional coffeehouse isn't just about drinking coffee, but when people visit the new coffee bars, it is. From east to west, more and more third-wave cafés are attracting those who revere the "black gold."
In Salzburg, the family-run roastery and café 220 Grad has made a name for itself. In three locations, baristas expertly prepare freshly roasted highland coffee.
In Graz, Barista’s offers organically grown, directly traded coffee in numerous varieties, including hand-brewed filter coffee.
In Innsbruck, Coffeekult, a family business awarded for its sustainability, offers aromatic coffee creations made from roasted raw coffee beans.
Häferlkaffee
Filter coffee served in a "Häferl" (a larger mug with a handle) with a high milk content.Melange
Half coffee, half milk.Wiener Melange
Served with frothed milk.Kleiner Schwarzer (also known as Kleiner Mokka)
A single espresso served in a small cup.Großer Schwarzer (also known as Großer Mokka)
A double espresso served in a large cup.Verlängerter (internationally known as Americano)
An espresso diluted with the same amount of hot water.Einspänner (from "one-horse carriage")
An espresso with hot water, and a generous amount of whipped cream.Kapuziner (from "Capuchin monk" referring to the colour of the robes)
An espresso with a few drops of cream.Franziskaner (from "Franciscan monk")
An espresso with hot water, hot milk, and whipped cream.Fiaker ("horse-drawn carriage driver")
A double espresso served in a glass with plenty of sugar and a shot of Sliwowitz or rum.Eiskaffee ("ice cream coffee")
Espresso, cold milk, and two scoops of vanilla ice cream.