Café Sperl

8 Viennese Coffeehouses for Any Trip to Austria

"Step back in time at the award-winning Café Sperl , a mainstay of Viennese coffeehouse culture since 1880. Over the years, it has welcomed archdukes, generals, architects, artists, and singers and musicians from the Theater an der Wien opera house nearby. Today, “there are lots of writers,” says waiter Franc Roskar. “One neighborhood regular orders a sparkling water with lemon and stays all day.” Dark, rich, and ornate, Sperl oozes Victorian elegance with high stuccoed ceilings and mahogany wainscotting spotlighted by brass wall sconces. Three original billiard tables, flowery upholstery, and a stained-glass window complete the vintage vibe. No surprise that Sperl appears in the Vienna Blood period detective series on PBS. Be sure to try the house specialty dating to 1880: Sperl Torte, a melt-in-your-mouth flourless chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut paste and meringue top." - Veronica Stoddart