Cafe Demel-Vienna, Austria
My family and I were recently on a Viking River cruise and we got to spend a day in Vienna. They are known for their coffee and I love a local brew. Our guide (and many people on Google) suggested that we try Cafe Demel during our free time. Read on to find out about our experience and to decide if you want to stop by if you are ever in the city visiting.
The History of the Cafe
The front of the Cafe and the takeaway window to the far left.
Cafe Demel opened in 1786 and has been a staple in Vienna ever since. Not only is it loved by locals and tourists for its traditional recipes and classic flavors, but it was also granted the purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court and still holds that designation to this day!
The cafe was founded by Ludwig Dehne, a confectioner from Wurttemberg and throughout its history, the cafe has been frequented by notable figures such as Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) and Prince Wenzel von Metternich. They even sell Sisi’s favorite snack (see more about that later).
You can actually see the Hofburg Palace Complex from the terrace as you are enjoying your treats! It was such a special way to savor a slice of history while taking in the incredible sights of the city. (Photo below of the Palace and a photo of the Palace from my seat at the cafe.)
General Information
Their official address is KOHLMARKT 14 1010 WIEN AUSTRIA.
They do not take reservations so be prepared to wait (it’s totally wort it).
They are open daily from 10am-7pm.
You can pay cash (euro) or with your card (they bring the machine right to you at the table).
They speak German but also English with no problem. Their menus also have an English translation.
If you don’t have time to sit down at the cafe, you can pick up a Kaiserschmarrn from the street-side window to enjoy later.
They ship to most countries worldwide with no minimum purchase (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA).
They have additional shops located at Kohlmarkt 14, 1010 Vienna (I would not recommend this one as it is right in front of St Stephen’s Cathedral and SUPER busy and touristy), as well as two locations inside the Vienna airport: at Check-in 1 directly at the C-Gates (Schengen area) and at Check-in 3 near the G-Gates (in the non-Schengen departure area).
The Cafe Experience
At our table. Mom and dad were at the table next to us.
From their website: “We believe a trip to a Kaffeehaus should be treated as an event – a place to linger, relax and momentarily escape from day-to-day life.”
We arrived at around 3:15pm and waited in line for about 10 minutes before we got a table. We were a party of 4 and the hostess recommended that we split up to get sat faster so we agreed. Once we sat down there were about 30 people in line behind us. It was a little confusing at first, we went inside to the counter to inquire about a table and were instructed to wait outside behind a sign.
Here you can see people lined up behind a small sign.
The terrace tables are all two tops so that they can adjust and turn them into four tops if needed.
There are heaters outside for the winter so that the outside seating can still be utilized, although they have seating inside on the second floor and the third floor. They also have magnificent window displays to admire in between people watching and enjoying your special treat.
They also have a street side take away window where you can get Kaiserschmarrn made fresh and right in front of you!! Kaiserschmarrn translates to “Emperors Mess” and according to Wikipedia it is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I, who was fond of this fluffy shredded pancake. It is served as a dessert or as a light lunch. The royal treat is usually sprinkled with powdered sugar, then served hot with apple or plum sauce.
The only real disadvantage to sitting on the terrace is having to endure the endless European smoking. Brace yourself friends.
The Menu
The menu was vast, and everything sounded delicious so we decided to ask our waitress or our “Demelinerin” what she would recommend. Below are some photos of their menu.
I knew that I wanted the Viennese Iced coffee as I have been to Germany and Vienna before, and I know it is absolutely delicious. Mom and Dad ordered one of the Viennese iced coffees to share as well. Matt ordered a Coke. They also provide a pitcher of water to each table.
It took from 3:37pm until 4:00pm just for the coke and the iced coffee to arrive. The coffee was SUPER bitter, and the ice cream was vanilla but not very sweet and did not do much to save the coffee. I stirred and stirred. Once all the whipped cream and ice cream were finally combined, I was able to drink it. My spoon was also dirty with a coffee stain. I used some of my hand sanitizer and my napkin to wipe it clean myself.
We decided to go with an Apple Strudel as our snack based on the recommendation of our Demelinerin (From the Cafe Demel website: An endearing term the Viennese crafted for Demel’s spirited waitresses). She said it was one of the top three items on the menu.
The strudel arrived at 4:09pm (more than thirty minutes after we ordered it). Apparently, the ticket printer stopped printing. When my mom stopped our waitress to ask about what was going on, it was not a friendly experience. While we waited, we tried to entertain ourselves by observing others around us enjoy their delectables, and people along the street behold their surroundings. The woman at the table next to us removed a hair from her shredded pancakes.
Once the strudel finally arrived it was warm but not hot. You had to search for the cinnamon. The cream was light and did not have much flavor. Neither the pastry nor the cream was very sweet. The pastry was soggy and had probably been boiled in preparation. I would give it a 5/10.
You should know that if you google “best cafes in Vienna” Café Sacher will also come up and there is big history here as well. It is all about the Sachertorte. While Cafe Sacher makes the origional, I have tried it from both places, and I have to say that I enjoyed the one I had from Cafe Demel more. This is what mom and dad ordered to share, and they were kind enough to let us try a bite.
The cake is comprised of chocolate sponge, covered with chocolate glaze, with a layer of apricot jam and was invented around 1834 by Franz Sacher. The cake was light and fluffy and the jam was sweet creating a nice balance. The whipped cream was homemade and just a touch sweet to provide a nice texture addition. The top layer of glaze was to be expected from a glaze-super sweet and fudgy. This was significantly better than the strudel in terms of flavor and texture. 8/10
The Shop Inside
The entire bottom floor of the Cafe is a shop with everything you could possibly imagine. It is like being inside the Willy Wonka's Victorian Palace if he had one. From the intricate tiles on the floors, to the flourishing chandeliers dripping from the ceiling, there is something to admire in every inch of this place. They even provide little baskets for you to utilize during your shopping experience (trust me you will need one).
Right when you walk in, to the left is a bar with some stools and some cases with elaborate cakes and confections. This is also where we paid for our items once we completed our shopping.
This is also where the takeaway window sits for the Kaiserschmarrn. There was also a tray of the apple strudel ready for the waitresses to prepare with powdered sugar and take to tables at the bar.
A few steps in and to the right is the first room of treasures. There are displays upon displays of take home candys with elaborate packaging fit for royalty.
In this room we found one of the most coveted treats, the candied violets (Empress Elisabeth's favorite treat, the natural, hand-picked candied violets, that were regularly delivered to her at the Hofburg by Mr. Demel himself).
They make a beautiful gift and can even be ordered online. They start at $19 a box and are offered in three different sizes. They absolutely came home with me. They are sugar and violet petals and can be stored for up to 8 months.
Also, in this room you can see the items that are in the window display that we had previously been admiring from the terrace.
There are two other main “rooms” of the shop as you continue farther towards the back. The back left includes an incredible (I'm assuming gingerbread) miniature St Stephens Cathedral display to admire.
Here you can also find slices of the famous Sachertorte cake to take home as well as things like sugar coated almonds and candied rose petals. You can get a whole Sachertorte cake for $48! They sell them online as well if you are interested! There are also restrooms in the far back of the shop for customer use.
The biggest and most open room is the last room and there is so much to see and enjoy. At the back of the room there is actually someone making fresh Kaiserschmarrn!
Because of how busy they are, it was difficult to watch at the window, so this was a special opportunity. We spent a few minutes admiring the expertise of the chef producing a treat that has been around since 1830 and prepared for royalty! She was kind enough to let me take photos and a video.
As we continued through the shop there are even more goodies to behold. One thing that caught our attention was the Cats Tongues.
They are different kinds of chocolates in the shape of cat’s tongues!! How hilarious!! They sell dark chocolate, dark chocolate with coffee (which we bought), and milk chocolate. The packaging is adorable and again would make a great gift. They sell these online as well for $24 if you want them shipped to you! They even sell some with candied violets for $34!
In this room they had tons of different chocolates! We could have spent a small fortune on ourselves and on gifts because the packaging was so beautiful and all the flavors were so alluring. They had things like milk chocolate hearts, marzipan, creme nougat, chocolates with caramel filling, coffee beans, hot chocolate, white chocolate raspberries, and more. Most of these can be found on their website.
In Conclusion
Overall while the actual food (or at least what we ordered) was not our favorite and was slightly disappointing, the atmosphere and shopping really made this a fun and must do experience. We felt there were reasonable prices, great shopping inside for gifts and novelties and incredible ambience. Be sure to check out their website if you are interested in trying anything and are not planning a trip anytime soon.
Have you even been? Tell us about your experience!
