Kaffee Alt Wien

One of Vienna's cult cafes. Don't be fooled by the fact that I call it a cafe, it also has restaurant service. Delicious food is served. There is a nice atmosphere inside. Cheerful service staff helps you with the food. One of the places where you can eat schnitzel without waiting in line.

I couldn’t have picked a better spot to dive into Vienna’s unique charm. With its rich connection to Vienna’s art and culture. The walls are decorated with posters that reflect the local art scene, giving it an authentic, slightly retro vibe that brings together people from all walks of life. We started with their famous fried pork, which is one of their signature dishes, and it was deliciously crispy and full of flavor. I also tried their potato salad, avocado toast , which, although simple, had everything I needed for a satisfying, classic sausage Austrian meal. The menu isn’t extensive, but they have a great selection of local favorites, so you get a real taste of Vienna. Kaffee Alt Wien is definitely worth a visit.

A great spot to eat or drink within a stone's throw of the cathedral. Opened in 1922 this has an alternative vibe with posters of upcoming music or theatre events adorning the walls. Small menu with solid decent food. Friendly service. We came here on a Saturday evening around 5pm and got a table.

The schnitzel was amazing! Very tasty! The personnel were very kind and willing to serve you. Definitely recommend.

We went for an early lunch and had the Alt Wien Goulash and the Wiener Schnitzel. It was really tasty and the staff was helpful. The portions were huge, and the small size goulash is sufficient for one person.

We went on a Tuesday early evening for dessert. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. They do have a lot of available seats during our visit. Our dessert was really delicious and fulfilling. The whipped cream was unique so I highly doubt recommend it even if you won’t order the dessert. They do have main dishes and drinks. I’d visit next time for sure to try more of their main dishes.

We had Beef Goulash which was okay but the bread dumplings weren’t great and overall salty. The wine was good. Service was slow and server was rude after we didn’t add a tip. The entitlement he had was disgusting as he’d barely completed his job let alone deserved a tip.

the best potato salad of my life!!! so sweet and delicious can’t go wrong with the schnitzel, it was good but kasespatzle was missing a bit of salt and taste

On a street filled with wonderful restaurants, the spot stands out as a local hang where you get homemade classics. My friend and I, while appreciative of all of the fine dining options in the city center, wanted to feel more at home and ended up coming in for dessert and coffee here. Service is good and the vibes are like a local bar. The food is really what stands out. Hands down the best apfelstrudel I had while in Vienna. Definitely worth stopping by!

Stopped in quick to try an apple strudel. The place is super cute on a quiet street. We sat at the bar and a friendly bartender asked us if we spoke German or English. He then got us the appropriate menu in English. Everything looked so good that we wound up getting two apple strudel (we needed to try the vanilla cream AND the whipped cream of course) and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate came out first and was smooth and rich. It was the perfect temperature to warm you up with a sip and not scald your mouth. Next came the apple strudel. So glad we got two and didn't share one. The whipped cream was tasty but the vanilla cream was a must. Like pouring thin vanilla pudding on your dessert. The strudel crust was flakey and the apples were tender and flavorful. We paid the bill and received two chocolate umbrellas for the road. I'm craving more strudel just writing this review!

I wasn't impressed with the apple strudel. The flavor was good, but the texture was off.

Food was good & portions were generous. Seemed like we were the only English speaking customers which was what we wanted to experience saw from Touristy spots . Interior was cool like stepping back several decades in time. Waitress was just OK.

We went twice. Excellent food and atmosphere. Be patient. Waiter is very busy so may not get to you right away.

Came here for strudel and had lunch as well. Good local fare with a nice variety on the menu. Had the cheese and apple strudel with vanilla sauce. It was one of the best we had while here. And when in the ladies room, which are very nice, hit the red button for a disco ball experience.

This was a great place for lunch and apple strudel! We had gone their for lunch and had the chicken schnitzel and avocado toast. The schnitzel was huge portion like everything in Prague, but was good. It was lightly battered, which I like and the chicken wasn't dried. The avocado toast was okay, the avocado was a paste topped with grape tomatoes. But the star of the meal was the apple strudel. We were one of the first ones there for lunch and it took a while for us to get the strudel but it was worth the wait. The apple strudel had a flaky crust and was warm and served with a vanilla sauce. You had the option of getting it with whipped cream for a cheaper price but the vanilla was to die for. I'd highly recommend getting the apple strudel with vanilla sauce.

I think this was some of the best service we had the entire time we were in Vienna - staff is so friendly! The food was ALSO awesome, and the coffee was (of course) perfection. I would dine here for every meal of the day if I could. If I'm ever back in Vienna, it really sounds like I need to come for desert!

This restaurant was highly recommended by the locals. Food is authentic & delicious. We love everything we ordered. They have the best potato salad, and the best apple strudel also. Price is reasonable. Great service. Cozy & friendly atmosphere. This must be a popular restaurant. It was packed at 3pm. We did not make reservation, but we got (lucky) a table as walked in. So 45min wait for our food wasn't bad. It was worth the wait. I highly recommend this place.

This is a real hidden gem in the heart of Vienna. They have a lunch menu that goes until 3pm. We had the Schnitzel which was cooked to perfection, crispy without being greasy, and came with a side of potato salad. We also had the Rahmgulasch which was yummy tender braised beef with Spätzle. So good. The staff was very friendly - even for a Viennese 'coffee house' where they are required to be grumpy! The ambiance is a typical Viennese Kaffeehaus in the front and more elegant in the back.

One place you should visit for amazing Apple Strudel and Schnitzel, the ambiance is very rustic and gives vibes of good time people enjoyed in this place. Kudos to staff and warm courteous service. Best experience and enjoyed food. Thank you!!

I went to this place because I saw it on a list of best places for Apple strudel in Vienna. I ordered the apple strudel and a small goulash with bread. I really enjoyed the Apple strude, but I loved the goulash...I even considered ordering another portion. I would absolutely go back if I'm ever in Vienna again.

Lovely pub style restaurant with traditional Viennese dishes. Aside from a slightly long wait to get the frankfurter starter, the service was lovely and the food was very good. I had 4-5 schnitzels over the course of 9 days while traveling the area and this was one of the best, fantastic coating and fried to perfection. My wife had the goulash entree, which was fantastic and actually had me wish I had gotten that instead (but mine was still really good). As an American, never having a Viennese frankfurter before this, know that is exactly the same as an all Vienna beef hot dog in the states, served with Dijon mustard and shaved horseradish. Tastes the same but I still enjoyed it, as I love Vienna hot dogs. The Schmarren dessert is worth the 20 minutes and is a pastry worthy of it. We had never tried it before, but it's worth the visit alone. Enjoy the calmer vibe to other places in the area, get some good local food, beer, wine and enjoy!

I came here for breakfast because it was recommended by another restaurant (Mraz & Sohn - Michelin starred). I was very disappointed. The location is great and the cafe itself is pretty cool - decor was kinda artsy - with walls covered in posters. But the coffee was terrible and food was just fine. I ordered and einspänner and a soft boiled egg. The coffee was weak and the whipped cream cake from a can (you could tell as it separated when it melted into the coffee). The soft boiled egg was too under with the whites still clear.

So was wrapping up my eurotrip 2019 and Vienna was the last city on the bucket list. I am a big fan of the city and love it every time I am back. It is easy to appreciate all the culture with the Mozart house, Klimt, and of course you cant sleep on schonbrunn. But there is one thing above all that I always feel nostalgic about and crave... and yes while I love lots of the eats in Vienna.... It always comes back to strudel for me. I had the most amazing bite of strudel nearly 5 years ago and ever since, it has never been the same for me. With these high expectations I furiously searched for 30 minutes for the best strudel spots before arriving in Vienna so I could know exactly what spots were needed to be checked out. Thankfully, my obsession is not a lone adventure and many people have pondered this same question. A few options popped up and I managed to slot a few of them amidst a couple of venues that we were hitting up. I had managed to plan Kaffe Alt Wien right after a stop at the mozard music haus. From the moment I saw it, it kinda reminded me of the old school charm from the front side of the house being smoker friendly, and then the back section having a few tables with the walls having a bunch of posters up and semi friendly older gentlemen running around and serving the patrons. While some might see this as a turn off I found it charming and felt it was going to deliver what I was looking for. Simply ordered a glass of wine and the strudel (avec la crème... sorry on an inglorious bastards kick lately). The strudel came out quickly The apple strudel was delicious. Perfect temperature, perfect texture, absolutely delicious and fluffy. The atmosphere, the strudel, the experience.. top notch. Don't sleep on this spot.

I had the beef goulash and mixed salad. Goulash was tender and tasty, if a little bland. The mixed salad included potato salad which had a very good, tart flavor. They give you plenty of bread to sop-up all that gravy. I finished with the apple strudel with the vanilla sauce which many people have said is one of the best in town. I'll take their word for it as it's the only one I've tried so far, but frankly, I've had apple pie ala mode back home that would give this a run for the money. Nice place though and the service was very good. Just a couple of blocks from Stephansplatz, but not touristy, only locals which makes it pleasant. I would go back for sure.

Amazing place! Great ambience and quick service. Awesome location.Definitely recommend.

Oh what can I say that has not already been said? Ummmmmmm hello Apple Strudel come to mommy! Oh and don't forget hot chocolate and cash not over the top expensive but they only take cash. Yadda yadda,crowd, atmosphere smoking in the front, clear air in the back behind sliding glass doors. Don't care what it look like when I'm stuffing my face with the best strudel I have ever tasted

Great service and incredible cakes and coffee. Would definitely recommend this place to any tourist coming to visit.

This place came recommended as one of the top spots in Vienna for apple strudel so I gave it a try. It's in zone 1 but a little off the beaten path. I arrived at 9 am Saturday and they were a little surprised when I said I wanted to eat, but understood completely when I said apple strudel (they did not speak English). It's really more like a hole in the wall pub than a cafe so don't be fooled. The front part is a bar so I'm betting it's a little smokey when it's busy. My strudel arrive hot with Vienna coffee and it was AMAZING! Indeed as good as I've ever had. Very glad I found this spot and highly recommend it.

Recommended by our guide book but probably one of my least favorite Vienna cafe. The front is a full bar with tons of smokers. Eating and the cafe are in the back, but the sliding door separating them is not enough to keep the second hand smoke from coming in. Not as a pleasant and cozy place as some other cafes. Food was standard. Beer was fine. Just lots of better options nearby.

I know this is a high complement but I might say that Kaffee Alt Wein had the best apple strudel in Vienna. I came to the café before climbing up the St. Stephen's Catedral and it was the best decision I had made. The apple strudel was warm and came with delicious whipped cream on the side. The latte I ordered was very delicious as well and was the perfect complement to the desert. They only take cash, but it was not an expensive meal considering how delicious the food was. It is very smoky as well, but you can sit in the back of the restaurant and there is no lingering smell of the smoke from the front.

The best veal schnitzel is here. It's the priciest thing on the menu, but it's worth it. It's like a perfectly fried thin porkchop. The apple strudel is good, and it's what they're known for. This was a nice respite from the heat. The waiters were very tourist friendly and accommodating.

excellent food throughout the day. they are known for their goulash and you can order it all day long for breakfast lunch dinner and even after drinking meal. I loved the spices and the sauce with the tender meat. It was like a beef stew but only with meat. It also comes with a roll or bread to sop up the awesomeness!! I came back three times because it is that good! I was a fan of their a half beer and half lemonade drink. also the double shot espresso was really good and really strong. Some of my friends also got their egg dishes especially with bacon and they loved it! great service! And they break it down to a non smoking and smoking section. The only downside is that you have to walk through the smoking section to get the non smoking section. highly recommended and I'll definitely come back

I am sorry, seeing the distribution of reviews, I feel a little bit bad leaving a 3-star review. However, I must be true to my experience. Maybe these were just hiccups today... still, I need to share my honest experience. I was looking forward to visiting this place for a while and found myself disappointed. Cafe is very Viennese in terms of decor, and in the fact that you had to pass through a smoking area to get to the non-smoking area, which is "protected" by a sliding glass door. I ordered a melange and a house torte. Service was a little slow and disorganized on this day. There was a decent sized gap between my getting the coffee and the cake. I understand that it is not always possible to get them out at the same time, but I prefer my coffee not get cold (and lose its delicious foam) while I wait for a slice of torte. Melange was good. It was of an okay size (not too big, not too small). It was among the better ones I had had in Vienna. Good quality coffee for sure. But the coffee came without the very necessary glass of water, which I have grown to enjoy with my coffee. Torte was nothing impressive, I did like that it was not overly sweet, and neither was the whipped cream. There was a little bit of sweet cream with the torte, but there was almost too little of it. I am not saying it should be saturated with sugar, but with this little, is it really a torte? Also, was expecting something a little more special. I get that this is an older cafe, and that the house-torte they'd have would have something a little more distinguishing. I get that all of these little things should only lead to one deducted star, but the disappointment sealed this places fate of two deducted stars. I will perhaps return one day, and have a better experience.

This is one of the cooler and more unique coffee shops I've been to - even considering the many awesome cafes in Vienna. I was a bit thrown off when I entered through the front door because the smoking section is there - basically got punched in the face by tobacco smoke, but no biggie as I bolted toward the non-smoking back area. Kaffee alt Wien is furnished with some old school pieces and TV, film, and music posters can be seen hung on the walls. A+ for that. My friends and I each got a drink and a topfenstrudel. The einspanner here was on point, and the topfenstrudel was a nice departure from all the apfelstrudel we had been eating on our trip. The creaminess of the filling was heaven in my mouth and it made me feel some type of way... Definitely come grab a seat and enjoy some great drinks and dessert! Can't comment on the food, but it definitely looked good when I snuck some peeks at other people's plates.

It's super smokey the minute you step in, but they have a high-tech sliding glass door that opens to the back. The prices are reasonable for the area, and the quality of the food is pretty good. Ordered the goulash and it was three cubes of beef in a sauce. A little salty, but I don't usually cook with salt so probably just overly sensitive. Husband had schnitzel and it was huge for European portions. He loved it. 23.50 Euros for a Radler, schnitzel, and goulash klein. There is only one guy working the back, so you have to be patient. He was super nice and didn't rush us while we sat and chatted, so we tried not to rush him when we wanted the check. Brought out our drink orders really fast, and the wait for the food wasn't that long. For such an old-school place, I was really shocked at how modern and high-tech the ladies bathroom looked. The stalls have clear glass doors to show that it's empty, but they frost over when it's locked to signal that someone is inside. The toilet flush buttons aren't even buttons, but just touch sensors built into the wall. The sinks were slanted and there as a nice couch inside too.

I have to admit that i came here by mistake. My friend once bought me coffee named alt wien kaffee so when i googled that I saw two results: one coffee shop that is closed on Sunday and this shop so I decided to come here Turned out it is not that coffee shop lol but the food was great. They have two zones: smoking and non smoking. Service was pretty good. I got frankfurter which was ok (hard to screw up anyway) and a vienese melange. They also have schnitzel for €10 which I think is a real bargain given that it is 2 blocks from stephansplatz Random note The decoration is basically an old style Viennese cafe but the toilet was sooooo modern and cool. lol

We absolutely loved this old school Viennese cafe with posters adoring the walls and dark wood paneling. Their food was excellent. I loved the goulash soup which was not overly salty. We also ordered the Country Breakfast platter that had amazing scrambled eggs, slices of ham and delicious cheese slices with several bread rolls. Their apple strudel was outstanding! The strudel dough was very light and the natural sweet apple flavor shined through. Their ladies bathroom is so modernly cool - stall door is full see through glass until you lock the door then the glass becomes frosted so nobody can see inside. How cool is that?! The staff speaks a bit of English and are friendly. The menu is in German/English. They do NOT accept credit cards. Cash is the only accepted payment. I highly recommend this restaurant for an old style Viennese cafe experience.

TL;DR - An authentic Viennese experience. Wandering around the centre of Vienna at night we decided to go and track down a melange (a coffee you'll find all over the place). There were endless places to do so, but most seemed overloaded with tourists. Kaffee Alt Wien is conveniently located close to the centre of town but in a secluded enough location that most tourists don't seem to find it. You enter into the smoking area - head past the bar to find the non-smoking section. The walls are plastered with advertising for plays, bands, and events and despite the time and secluded location it was packed with locals when we arrived. It was hot like any Vienna summer night, but the melange was absolutely wonderful - possibly the best one we had in all our time in Vienna. The one downside to the experience was that the guy behind the counter wasn't the most helpful. I think it may have been the heat but he didn't seem overly keen on helping us!

I came with my husband for quick breakfast and strudel. When we walked in we asked to be seated in the non-smoking section and were demanded we sit at a small table even though we were the only people there. The strudel was microwaved- was really hot in the middle and play-dough-like texture. The waiter also then brought the receipt and claimed service charge was not included and hovered over us while we counted our euros. It was extremely uncomfortable and rude. We normally would have left a tip and definitely wouldn't have sat at a table for 6, but we felt like we were bullied and trying to be taken advantage of.

If you want a pure Viennese experience of an excellent Schnitzel and beer you are at the right place. The waiter does not speak English and the service is just right for the place. If you are looking for restaurant service and want a English speaking waiter yet you don't mind paying almost twice as much for a schnitzel not nearly as good as this one, than you can go down the block where all the tourists are. Here You got what you pay for and much more here.

This is a really cool cafe that I would come to even if the food and drink was ordinary. The vibe is amazing and takes you back in time. I mentioned to one of the people in our group that places like this get my imagination going and, I contemplate how many political coups were plotted here or new ideas were born here and on and on and on.....maybe none of that ever happened but I don't really care :-)) Having said all that I loved my Topfenstrudel which was fluffy and tasty and also liked my coffee. I would quite happily come back here anytime day or night have a coffee and strudel and spend a whole day reading the paper or imagining and watching people. I find places like this hard to describe as they are best experienced. Not everybody's cup of tea but is certainly mine :-)

I am sitting at the bar on a holiday Friday, no tables available and the more popular paces have lines out the door. Not sure what to make of this place. The guy at the bar seems to be angry and upset to the point that it is amusing. I guess that is the vienese bar man attitude. Seems bothered to take my order. Fun. Beer is good but the glass is warm, so drink fast. An empty mug is no guarantee that you will be asked for another beer, even after 10min so be bold, demand one, no matter the consequences. I ordered the schnitzel, the quintessential vienese staple. It is pan-fried in butter, not deep fried, comes with potato salad , it is delish. Go for it, experience Vienna like the locals do.

Very interesting place that feels like its from a time capsule, as it hasn't changed since it opened in 1936. Local crowd for sure. Amazing decor with posters and velvet benches with their cigarette burnt patches. Great coffee. Solid apple strudel and Vienna cake. I'd come back for coffee. It's a nostalgia spot to bring you to old Vienna.

Plus: -Very pretty cafe with a lot of traditional flavor. -Speedy service -Wonderfully designed and very clean modern WCs (Not expecting such a WC behind the old doors!) -Bean soup and gulash was very tasty -Friendly atmosphere -Very convenient pricing (soup and main course for 2 person: 30€) Minus: -You have to pass through a smoking section to get into the non smoking section, which I can say is not perfectly isolated. -Menus in German only -Cash only

We ate here when we were in Vienna in 2017 and returned on this trip. We sat in the non-smoking section this time (at the back of the restaurant, need to walk through the smoking area). The 4 of us enjoyed our schnitzel and beer. We arrived about 15 minutes before the lunch crowd and the service was good. Cash only!

This is a very intimate cafe, no crowd. Walls are plastered with concert and exhibition posters. There is a smoking room and a nonsmoking room separated by an automatic door. The cafe serves regular food, but is known for strudels. My strudel was excellent and the coffee good. Service is friendly. The only reason to give 4 stars is due to smoke still getting in to the non smoking part despite of the door. But as a result, heaven for smokers.

If you like the smell of cigarette smoke while you drink your coffee, you may have a better review than I do.

Stumbled upon this place at 10pm on a Wednesday night. It was packed with smokers in the front and families in the back. Excellent bar. Good atmosphere. Great staff. Grab a beer and do some people watching, it will be well worth your time.

Came here for apple streudal and got it with the vanilla sauce. It was good but wish it could have been a bit more heated up! Unfortunately I did not find the service to be great as well which ruined the experience.

My boyfriend lived in Vienna awhile and loved this place then, so of course on a trip back to show me around, it made the mandatory visit list. We stopped in for lunch on a cold, rainy, December afternoon and ordered the goulash soup with bread. It was wonderful. Priced fair, and reminded me of a dive bar inside (bonus points in my book).

Great local find. I had the Borsch and the ham and cheese sandwich with a zweigelt wine. This place is obviously a locals place. They also have really good schnitzel. If I lived here I would definitely be a regular here. The room is really nice too in the front that it's kind of like a café with the bar some large windows that lets natural light but a really cozy feel also. In the back there's more seating I didn't really go back there but it looks like a nice place for larger groups. The walls are filled with posters and art The service is very polite and they are very nice especially considering they are a local's café and, well... Austrians are known to have church service It's definitely the type of place that you come to read a newspaper have a glass wine... Perhaps even write some poetry, political commentary... While you smoke your cigarillo.

What is up with the clear bathroom stall door in the ladies room?!?! I must have looked so confused standing in the stall trying to figure if it was see through both ways... Another lady totally laughed at me and directed me towards the other stall. Anyway, other than that this place is lovely, well decorated and has a nice beer on tap for a decent price. I would go back to hang out in the bar, but I don't know about those bathrooms...

Great coffee - we got Apple and Cream Cheese strudel for breakfast and it was good and filling. Back section is non smoking just a heads up!

Café Alt-Wien looks like it should be gloomy and smoky --- but manages to pull "atmospheric" and "tobacco-scented" instead. The front room holds the bar, a few small tables, and some music-postered booths. A handfull of people were smoking, but the smoke-eater in the ceiling was keeping up handily. The back room is a little fancier, with mostly four-person tables and less smoke. Decaf fans: You can get your anaemic fix here --- unlike Cafe Hawelka, this place stocks unleaded.

Great value for the money. Wiener schnitzel here is pretty decent and large portion for less than 10 euros. Goulash was okay -- more of a snack place. The interior of the place itself looks kind of dingy, but the bathrooms are ridiculously nice and modern! Definitely check them out -- you'll have an Alice in Wonderland moment where you feel like you're in a different world entirely. The doors turn from transparent to translucent when you lock them, the bathroom flushes automate via a light on the wall...it's just very cool.

Walk through the smoking section to the back room which is spacious and papered in posters. The Sachertorte is very good and they make their own apple juice.

Cafe Alt Wien is the quintessential Viennese cool cafe/pub/hangout. It's a great place to check out if you are visiting Vienna for a slice of local culture. Of course the wine and beer are great .... you can't go wrong with Austrian wine. There's some great food to pick from - I always like the soup. And the walls are filled with cool art and movie posters. It's located on a small back street in the old inner city of vienna. There's nothing pretentious about it. Cafe Alt Wien is what it is .... and that is totally chill and cool.