Café Central - Vienna

I had the pleasure of visiting Vienna with one of my good friends. She always said the city reminded her of “palaces… something fancy… something grand!”

Although Vienna has so much more to offer than simply grandeur, I must say the city does have its fair share of opulent buildings and attractions.

One of those said attractions is Café Central, which as the name suggests, is literally located at the centre of Austria’s capital city.

Grand golden beams and delicate but tasteful furniture await those who don’t mind lining up for a spot in this beautiful café. Although the food is a bit pricier than in other cafés, the setting made up for it in my opinion.

I felt a bit out of place wearing a (faux) leather dress, but there was no dress code, and the staff had no issue tending to my friend and I.

Now, on to the important part: food & coffee.

The café says it offers “a broad selection of classic Viennese dishes, traditional coffee specialities and sweet treats from the in-house patisserie”.

In terms of eating, I ordered a wonderful flourless Schokozauber (chocolate mousse cake with edible gold), and my friend enjoyed a warm Wiener Apfelstrudel (apple strudel).

As for drinks, I got a Wiener Melange (Viennese coffee), and my friend ordered a Wiener Eiskaffee oder Eisschokolade (Viennese iced coffee with chocolate).

There were flourless options for those with gluten sensitivities, but there were no celiac-friendly options.

I have to say that the dessert I had was incredibly rich and decadent. My friend was quite fond of her apple strudel as well, and said it was warm and tasted freshly made. Café Central really stands out to me in the dessert department.

As for the coffee, while it did still taste good, it was not as delicious as I would’ve assumed it to have been given the price and the reputation of the café. My friend enjoyed her speciality drink, so perhaps it’s worth either splurging on a more adventurous drink, or ordering a cheaper coffee elsewhere.

I did enjoy that they gave a free piece of milk chocolate along with their coffee.

They also have schnitzel and other heartier fare for those craving a proper lunch or supper.

Overall, I really did enjoy my culinary experience at Café Central. While the real draw of this café is the interior, the food does taste very good, and is worth a try.

Here’s a gratuitous hallway outfit photo because… why not. I was ~feelin’~ myself, haha!

The café has hosted a slew of famous diners such as Sigmund Freud and Stefan Zweig. You too can be among this group as a fellow diner enjoying (somewhat overpriced) coffee and decadent treats in a grandiose space! Guten apetit!

Location:
Herrengasse 14, 1010 Wien

Closest metro station:
Herrengasse (Line U3 of the Vienna U-Bahn)