Viennese coffee house culture

The coffee house has triumphantly spread around the world and is now more attractive than ever – a place to take a breather and enjoy a good cup of coffee. Its unique atmosphere is appreciated the world over and new spins on the culinary accompaniments to the tasty drink are constantly being developed:
above all, the world-famous Viennese pastries, such as Sachertorte, apple strudel or Linzer Torte. Did you know that apple strudel was also created during the Turkish wars and is based on Baklava? And Sachertorte has its own story to tell: the chef’s apprentice, called Sacher, was commissioned to create it by the court of Prince Wenzel von Metternich when the chef was forced to delegate his duties after falling ill. Who would have thought that this sweet delicacy would have fared so well so many years later?

Thinkers, poets, painters and revolutionaries – all of them would visit Viennese coffee houses. Mozart, Johann Strauss, Arthur Schnitzler, Otto Wagner, Thomas Bernhard: They all appreciated the coffee house as a meeting place, a place of inspiration, a venue for concerts, a place to relax and retreat. After all, coffee houses are the perfect place to be alone, together.

The first time they order in a coffee house, many patrons find themselves slightly overwhelmed because the huge range of different ways to prepare their favourite brew requires a bit of explanation. Whilst the “Kleiner Schwarzer” or “Großer Brauner” are puzzles that are relatively easy to solve (a single espresso and a double espresso served with a small jug of milk or cream, respectively), other variants, such as the “Einspänner”, “Kapuziner” and “Überstürtzter Neumann” are a bit more of a mystery. The latter was invented by a regular at Kaffee Herrenhof: whipped cream in an empty cup “overturned” with a double mocha. If you want to find out more about all these different kinds of coffee, here’s a detailed description… The ABCs of COFFEE (German only)