Vienna’s forgotten Coffeehouses. 9 of the best, lesser known coffeehouses where the locals go

The corner coffeehouse in Vienna’s 3rd district, Café Zartl, was first opened in 1883 and became a meeting point for many famous literary figures and artists before, and after, World War 2.

In 2020, it still has that typical bohemian Viennese coffeehouse atmosphere – red and gold velvet fabric seats, English-patterned wallpaper, crystal chandeliers and a cosiness that makes you want to drown in one of the booths while watching an old couple feed each other Gulasch. You’ll probably end up having a brief conversation with the couple later – it’s almost impossible to visit a Viennese coffeehouse without exchanging a few words with somebody.

We recommend… coming here for the all embracing calmness. Even though you can hear people chatting and laughing, it never loses its cool here.

Conversation with a waiter: While it often seems that the waiting staff in Viennese coffeehouses serve your coffee, or Goulash with reluctance and disdain, they tend to be surprisingly loving with their regular guests. At Café Zartl, we even saw one of them stroking an old woman’s hair while talking to her.

“Und, hat alles g’schmeckt?” (was everything, ok?)
“Ja, wunderbar. Nur wors mir fast a bissl z’wenig.” (yes, wonderful, just maybe not entirely enough)
“Noch ans?” (another one?)
“Na, lieber noch an Achtl rot, i brauch Flüssigkeit.” (no, better get me some red wine, i need liquids)

Located on a wonderful square with a al fresco garden in Vienna’s 4rth district, good old Ferdinand Wortner opened Café Wortner in 1880.

Walking inside, you instantly get a feel for its lavish past: the walls of old Biedermeier panelling, the crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors with golden frames, paintings and decorative stucco on the ceiling. Everything connects you to a rich history. The staff is nice, though it always takes them a little while to serve you, but that’s the idea of a coffeehouse, right? To take your time. Café Wortner is well-loved amongst the locals.

Coffeehouse Kellnerin (waiter/waitress) experience: I asked my waiter to explain the difference between a Wiener Mélange and a cappuccino. He looked at me with a smile and said: “It’s all a matter of taste, if you like more coffee, then you should have a Wiener Mélange, if you prefer a more creamy drink, well, it’s better to go for a cappuccino”.

He also told me that despite them being the same size and appearance, they’re made differently: “A cappuccino is made with a concentrated espresso shot, while the Wiener Mélange is made with more water with the espresso shot”

We came in for a quick cup of coffee and ended up staying for hours on a very well-worn leather couch, filling our bellies with a pesto-tomato-mozzarella toast and soaking in the atmosphere that a room full of people’s chatter creates. Herein lies the magic of Café Kafka, a small café that, even though it’s located just off the busy Mariahilfer Straße, is still a secret spot amongst locals seeking peace and good coffee (or a fire place) during the day, or a lively, handsomely rugged night spot.

Café Kafka performs the role of being a traditional Viennese coffeehouse (opened in 1880) with a few modifications. Besides having blues, soul, or other fitting music genres floating around the place (it’s atypical for a coffeehouse to play music), the Goulash and Würstels are replaced by a vegan and vegetarian focused menu.

There’s a bohemian art vibe here, which is added to by the black and white portraits decorating the yellow, nicotine-stained walIs. It’s usually filled with people leisurely reading their papers, working on their laptops, or meeting up for study groups.

Entering Café Ritter is like taking a journey back to the 19th Century. It truly doesn’t get anymore traditional than this, when it comes to coffeehouses. The high walls with dark wood panelling, the wide curtain-framed windows, the chandeliers and the stucco on the ceiling will stir your senses as you stir your coffee. Nevertheless, Café Ritter still has that calm and comfortable feel that a good Viennese coffeehouse possesses, making it a great spot to spend several lazy hours.

Leaning back in one of the many red leather booths, we can’t help but wonder what kind of stories this café could tell: of secret kisses behind the red velvet curtain leading to the kitchen, of the nights filled with the music played on the old piano in the corner, and of the famous Austrian artists and authors that once frequented the so-called Ritter.

Even the waiters fit in perfectly with the interior. It is impressive to watch them work the room, and walk the line of the true Viennese brand of distant politeness. Whether it is a, “Grüß Gott die Damen. Bitte schön?” or a “Rauchen können’s im Raucherteil, aber ned hier,” directed at the fragile old lady next to us, the tone never changes.

In Café Goldegg, this timeless refuge to worldly sorrow, it’s possible to linger all day while squeezed into super comfy cushioned booths, pondering on life’s great questions while sipping on a mediocre Melange. You would probably argue that’s pretty much the Viennese coffeehouse standard experience, and you’d be right.

However, what you can also do in Café Goldegg is order a really tasty veggie burger, or even an “Ayurvedic vegetable curry”. There’s also a variety of breakfasts that are available all day long. These menu items may be commonplace in the young gentrified and stylised establishments of the 7th district, but not of a ye’ ol’ Viennese coffeehouses. However, the Goldegg has never played by the rules.

The Goldegg first opened in 1910 and it has aged with dignity. It doesn’t deny its advanced years – the walls are coated with patina, the cushions are worn – but it still feels oddly in touch with the reality of the 21st century. It’s like your cool grandma who Instagrams pictures of her Apfelstrudel.

Somehow, the owners of Café Goldegg have successfully managed the challenging task of adapting to the zeitgeist without selling off any of the place’s soul and former grandeur.

We recommend… challenging your friend to a game of pocketless pool called, Carambolage. Just ask the staff for the balls (it’s 7€ an hour).
We also recommend… checking out the the outlandishly beautiful smoker’s salon in the back, which is a testimony to Jugendstil grandeur.
They also have… a very tasty Tagesteller (set lunch menu).

It’s a coffeehouse with a smoky voice. At the nose of the Jugendstil apartment building it’s housed in, Café Rüdigerhof boasts as much character as the artists, writers, comedians (among them, Josef Hader) and intellectuals it has attracted and served coffee to over its long life (born in 1903).

The décor is dressed up in a 50’s/60’s style, with photos of well-known faces on the walls, while it also possesses the typical worn wooden look belonging to Vienna’s beloved coffeehouses.

It’s shady Schanigarten (beer garden), with its view onto the Wien river, is popular in summer. Meanwhile, at night it takes on the transformation of café to bar, filling with a mixed crowd, from lone individuals reading books, to groups of old locals playing cards, to young people throwing back beer and wine.

Also good to know… there are games and plenty of newspapers at Café Rüdigerhof.

This has to be the quietest coffeehouse we’ve ever been in. And this calm silence amplifies the creak of the wooden floorboards, and the beating on the cash register’s keyboard from a (seemingly) angry writer at one of the nearby tables. There’s people here, but they’re almost whispering.

Somehow, the pattern of the booth seat’s fabric sends us into a trance, while the neatly lined up hat racks by every booth adds a charming uniformity to the place like your grandmother’s neatly arranged sock drawer.

While serving the coffeehouse favourite snacks, like the long, bent Sacherwürstel that we order, old Café Raimann is a modern thinker, serving up vegetarian options, as well.

The Kachelofen (stone oven) in the middle of the room keeps the high-ceilinged coffeehouse warm, while several of the guests have their faces hidden behind the many newspapers lying around. The people of Vienna’s Meidling neighbourhood hold this place as dear as they do their famous ‘Meidlinger L.’ Which if you’re lucky, you’ll experience first-hand from your waiter, or waitress.

We recommend… trying one of the cakes. They may look like they’ve been in the cake cabinet since 1925, but they’re sweetly delicious.

Café Jelinek is one of the reasons why we love living in Vienna – it’s dripping with true Viennese coffeehouse charm and is the perfect place to spend some lazy idle hours, or time with intense thoughts. From the patine-stained walls, covered with pictures of famous faces, the very well-worn wooden floor, to the comfortable scruffy velvet sofas, it feels as if nothing has changed since Jelinek became popular in the 80ies (It was actually opened by a Jewish couple back in 1910). We love the little marble coffeehouse tables, while a prime people watching position can be had at the much prized seats by the big windows in the booth seats.

We also love… the old fireplace oven in the center of the café.
They also have… a great range of quality breakfasts on the menu.

Those living in the 18th district no doubt are familiar with Cafe Schopenhauer. While having recently undergone a tasteful facelift (with a new crowd taking the place over), it still retains a lot of the old world charm it’s attracted people with for decades.

It’s well-known amongst those who are keen on card games, as it provides the appropriate tables for an impassioned game, or two. Meanwhile, it has a reading corner where you can sit for hours on end with one of the many newspapers they have on offer, or a book of your own – or one you grab from the small bookstore built into the coffeehouse.

They’re also big on music here, with concerts held regularly, alongwith silent cinema nights, with live musical performances accompanying the scenes on the big screen.

Like most coffeehouses, Cafe Raimund lived a former life as a meeting point for all kinds of creative souls out of the theater and art world. While it doesn’t have that claim to fame today, it still possesses its bohemian vibe that people who appreciate character and history will enjoy.

Today, the wifi is good, the service is very friendly and it still captures some of the theatre-going crowd on show nights, along with a bunch of the tourist crowd wandering out of the Museumsquartier.

If you end up here alone, you’ll no doubt spend some time with your eyes glued to the pictures all over the walls trying to work out what they’re all about.

We recommend… heading here if you’re looking for the hard-to-come-by combo of good wifi in a coffeehouse