phil - Café, bookshop & bar

If I could give more than 5 stars, I absolutely would for this gem in Vienna. I’ve loved this place for a long time, and this time I had the chance to spend three afternoons in a row there—enjoying my coffee, writing, and reading. The staff are amazing and super friendly, the vibes are outstanding, and the decor is fantastic. Being surrounded by creative, inspiring books while enjoying a slow afternoon is one of the best things you can do at this incredibly beautiful café. Dont miss their cakes (my favorite an apple butter cake). It’s truly my favorite spot in Vienna. I even had the chance to chat with some of the team, and they were all wonderful—including the owner’s mother-in-law, who was such a sweet and kind lady. At this café, I felt like I was home away from home, and I’m not exaggerating. I highly recommend it and I can't wait till i visit Vienna again and spend some time at this cafe.

My favourite place during my day trip to Vienna. Everything about it was phenomenal! The atmosphere, the decor, the book curation, the service, the breakfast, the coffee. You can pick up a book and browse it at your table! Can’t remember the name of the lad who served me but he was wonderful, chatty in a nice laid back way and helpful with the menu. As a genderqueer person I also really appreciated the gender neutral bathrooms! Couldn’t rate it any higher, check it out!

Excellent vibes. Great to work or chill out for a couple of hours, read a book and enjoy some coffee. I had a cappuccino, not the best I’ve had in Vienna but very good and that’s secondary anyways if you are coming to this place. Come for the vibe

The place is very welcoming, nice lighting and very warm❤️ only thing I didn’t like was that the bathroom was mixed (not the problem) but the wc didn’t have a door(? So had to lock the general door of the bathroom and people tried to get in even though I screamed it was busy many times (probably didn’t hear because the music outside was very loud and it was busy) so one of the baristas appeared with the bathroom keys to open the door when (thankfully) I was already done and coming out of the bathroom. If this wouldn’t have happened my experience would’ve been perfect.

Impeccable vibes and concept ! Staff were friendly and tons of comfortable seating options. Vegan options available (unfortunately I found the poppyseed cake dry and too sweet). Stayed for a few hours reading and playing cards. English books available to purchase, looked like a curated selection

Cute, unique and chill place. We drank salty caramel latte and hot chocolate and they were very good. The atmosphere is amazing and there are a lot of books which you can read and buy.

This is one of the best cafes in Vienna, they serve delicious coffees and pastries. I wasn’t there for the coffee though, I wanted to see their selection of books and they did not disappoint. I loved the atmosphere, staff was great, all in all an amazing experience. :)

We were only passing by but I bought 2 books and explored the café / bookshop. Amazing atmosphere and the woman who was at the cash desk was extremely friendly and polite.

Nice mix of culture, relaxation, decent coffee and tea. Would recommend it wholeheartedly!

5 stars out of 5 for: - this place was across the street from where we were staying - literally a fab place to chill solo with or without a book; meet with a friend / friends; etc. because it has nice seating for one, two on a love seat (you can have your own nook!) or have a seat outside on their patio - there are an eclectic range of books available for purchase - friendly and helpful staff - yummy drinks (I did not get a chance to try the food) - clean bathroom

Some of the best finds are unexpected. We stumbled upon this place after on our way to another cafe for breakfast and stopped mostly because the bookstore portion caught our eye, and are we glad we did! For less than the price of a hotel breakfast, I got a huge feast of breads, meats, and cheese, along with a salad and a hardboiled egg. My husband, whose eyes tend to be larger than his stomach, got the same spread with a huge bowl of yogurt and mixed fruit to boot. The lattes were pretty creamy as well. If we were to go back to Vienna and visit this cafe again, we'd probably just order one spread and share between the two of us. The free WiFi was a plus since we were able to plan the rest of our day while enjoying breakfast.

This is a perfect spot to spend hours relaxing while drinking coffee, tea or beer. I ordered a matcha latte and asked for it on ice and they were so flexible and gave me their hot matcha on ice. Then the next day, I went and ordered a few rounds of drinks. It's seriously such a perfect place to spend hours upon hours in with no pressure to leave. I just sat and drank my drinks and relaxed to the music while sketching in my sketchbook. They have books that you can read. Of course, if you get them dirty you have to purchase the book you ruined. But, if you're not a total klutz (I'm a klutz... So I need to be extra careful with their books) I say go ahead and dig your head into one of their books. I think I spent a total of 3 to 3.5 hours in this spot in one day. I highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for a relaxing place to sit and relax.

I went abroad first semester and decided to go to Vienna for 24 hours. This coffee shop was our first stop. It is absolutely adorable and I loved the atmosphere, however, DO NOT GET THE FOOD!!!!!!!!!! Four hours later, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Don't even get me started on the healthcare system over there especially for those you don't speak German. This coffee shop gave me e. coli . I was in the hospital for far too long without my friends nor anyone who spoke english. I almost got stuck in the country due to the mandatory quarantine that was put in place and the hospital not releasing me. DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!!!! I could have caught this disease from employees not washing their hands. DISGUSTING!!! Just go somewhere else to grab a book and coffee and do not ever go near Phil. Thanks and have a great day.

This is such an adorable coffee shop where you can enjoy books while you sip on your latte. There are a ton of books that you can take back to your table and read. They have books in English too! It feels super hip and the place has a collection of old furniture to add to the hipster vibe. They play relaxing music and this place has wifi. I ordered the green tea latte which was surprisingly good. It had a string matcha flavor and there was actually ice in it (so hard to get anything iced in Europe). It was the perfect amount of sweetness and was perfectly creamy. We came here to kill some time before our bus tour and it was relaxing and the perfect place to enjoy the last bit of our stay in Austria, Vienna.

Very cool bookshop turn coffee shop. Came late on a Sunday nigh at 11:00 p.m. They close at midnight even though Yelp says 1:00 a.m. Order beers and carrot cake. The best carrot cake of your life. A great mixture of sweetness and just plain awesomeness. The ambience is hipster meets book warm and cake lover.

Love this coffee shop!!! So many nooks and crannies to hang out in as well as plenty of outlets to charge your computer. Plus, all furniture and books are for sale too!! They have a decent breakfast menu, and always a few cake options. Unfortunately no WiFi on the weekends.

I visited Phil yesterday for the first time. I had heard a lot of good words from friends and i must say i was positively surprised! I guess the highlight of this place is that it's actually like a bookstore and a cafe in one! It sure is very cosy, spacious, with a mixture of various design styles. Every table is different and the chairs are also not matching, which at the beginning made me skeptical but they somehow managed to make everything very harmonic and my OCD didn't trigger! :P The personnel, was also very polite and friendly. Plus points, for automatically bringing a water bowl for the dog in our group! :) I tried the Philburger, really delicious! The prices are okay as well! I think it's definitely worth a visit because you can just sit there, without feeling any pressure to leave, even if you've been there for hours, you can read a book or even buy one from the large selection they offer! Will visit again soon and try out the breakfast! :D

This was our first stop on a bit of a coffeeshop/sightseeing ride on rented bikes, and it was a wonderful start! I ordered a Cafe Melange and it was just what I needed to get the day going. The furnishings around the shop were also really interesting - basically random pieces mish-mashed into a nice space. What really sums it up is the random disco ball on the way to the bathroom. Bonus points: They had a boxed set of all the Game of Thrones books.

If you don't know the concept yet: bookstore & coffee, where you can read every book and buy it if you are interested. Super coffee, tastefully furnished and very nice staff!

Phil used to be fabulous, with a nice mix of people. Now it is little more than a student hangout, so is crowded at all times of the day with people reading or working on a laptop while they drink one cup of coffee for 4 hours. That means, for anyone that wants to eat a meal or enjoy a coffee, there are no available tables. I've been there 3 times in the last month, and it has been crowded every time with not one available table. Each time, I had to leave and go somewhere else. So, at this point, it is not worth wasting time walking to Phil to find, yet again, there is nowhere to sit. Especially when there are so many other nice cafes and restaurants in Vienna. Last week's attempt to get a table will be my last, sadly. I just don't have the time to waste.

If you can find a table this is a fantastic place. Usually very full so you may need to try a few times before you get a seat. Part bar, part restaurant, part coffee house, part bookshop, part decor gallery. Here you are more than welcome to grab a book and a coffee/beer (depending on time of day/refreshment requirement) and fall into one of the couches and park off. No pressure to hurry up or order anything more, you can just while away a few hours alone or with friends. There is a decent selection of books on offer and the food and drinks menu is extensive and varied. Music and movies are also on sale as well as most of the furniture (prices on request). Cool hipster chill out vibe.

Fantastic little coffee shop and bookstore. They offer a great ham/cheese breakfast with a perfectly poached egg, a full Mediterranean breakfast just like my late father (the establishment's namesake, The Honorable Phillip Banks) used to make, and many other choices. The double latte should be illegal. #TagYaMan

What a neat little Coffee and Book Shop... It was delightful and the waiter really made this little group of tourists feel at home despite none of speaking German... among us we spoke English and Chinese. Fortunately we all spoke English. The coffee's were fine... and the atmosphere really a bit of a pleasant through back to a simpler time when the bookstore was a community gathering place. It's worth seeking Phil out and spending a little time browsing and hanging out.

It is a good and relaxed place to stay for a while, the coffee is very good. However, the music is very loud, so it is definately not a quite place to stay. Also, most of the tables are too low to work, so not comfortable at all. It is a very place to read and stay for a while, but definately not to work all morning.

I went to Vienna for the day and Phil was the highlight of the trip! You definitely have to visit if you're in the city. The matcha latte is amazing, the music is awesome, and the people are the nicest! A lot of seating and perfect for doing work, socializing, relaxing. One of my favorite cafes ever.

Great place to chill with a drink (coffee or alcohol) and catch up with friends or a book. This place always seems busy but it's probably because they don't seem to force you out. So it's sometimes hard to get a table if you haven't reserved. Phil is quite unique...bar, coffee shop, restaurant, bookshop. Interesting combo. And it really works! It's comfy and welcoming. The atmosphere is relaxed, the service is attentive. The sandwich I had was really good...a light snack but very tasty.

Great place! We were here for breakfast/ brunch on a Sunday and liked it a lot. Service was attentive and friendly, a lot of options. So cool that one can check out books while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea. And you can buy the books you liked even on Sunday! We'll be coming again very soon!

Great carrot cake! Phil has a very good selection of art and culture books, and they'll make you a nice, dry spritz while you read your purchases. Friendly staff and good ambience.

I mean... It's cool that it's in a bookstore but the tables and chairs are super dirty and the espresso was awful. €4 for a double and I couldn't force myself to finish it. This is a familiar situation in Vienna, where the coffee scene is more about the scene than the actual coffee.....

Kind of Pricy but the interior of the cafe was pretty cool. Really recommend the green tea latte, the size was huge.

Very good atmosphere, the server was super friendly and it was overall a really pleasant experience. It is sort of hard to find seats but once you do it's totally worth it.

a warm and cozy coffee shop near the mariahilfer shopping street where bookworms can spend hours reading their book or study for the upcoming exam while having a nice cup of coffee. it's well visited even on a monday night. the service crew is very friendly and also speaks english aside of german. for me, it is one of the nicest cafe we have in vienna. two thumbs up for their cheesecake as well as the chocolate cake!!!

Wow, such hipster. Atmosphere very nice, though. Integrated bookstore adds to the vibe. Coffee was pretty good but i was a bit peeved they only offer a 'Latte macchiato" and I couldn't get just a latte. Maybe I'm too picky....

Terribly slow service. Coffees came right away, but then we had to ask our server about our snacks. They finally came after 40 minutes by which time we were done with our coffees. And worst of all the food wasn't worth the wait. Grilled ham and cheese with ketchup? No thanks.

Been living in Vienna for almost 3 months now, and this is my favorite cafe I've been to! It's the type of place you can spend 5 minutes at or all day. Great coffee, and the cake menu changes regularly! Best of all is the atmosphere! The cafe is intertwined in a book and record store. It gives you that cool relaxing hipster vibe that. The traditional Viennese cafes are great, but this is a wonderful change up with less tourists. The couches are comfy, the servers are nice, and the drinks are great! Perfect for a place to study, have a coffee, or go on a date!

I love places like Phil. There's nothing better than enjoying a cup of great coffee while reading books and checking out the selection. I'm glad we found this place, highly recommended!

Great place to chill out, good coffee, there is no other place like that in Vienna. Interior and the open bookshop make it so unique. It also hosts music concerts

I want to like Phil so much more than I actually do. The concept is great. I love the combination of store and café, but the service is less than average. Every time I have been there they blow me off as soon as I open my mouth and speak English. The food is alright, but the selection is small, but I have to give it to them, they make a GREAT chai latte.

Great vibe, great atmosphere, and absolutely amazing atmosphere. This place is great for all ages while at the same time being hip and fun. Wonderful addition to my trip to Vienna!!!

I visited phil shortly after first moving to Vienna, and it's totally great - I just always forget that it's there! It's a very comfy coffee shop with armchairs and couches, and books and music and DVDs everywhere. It has pretty much everything and something to offer everyone, and if you can find a seat, you'll be cozy for hours on end. I always remember the people who turn me on to places like this, and they have special places in my heart for always. Definitely check out phil, you'll be glad you did.

This place is the shit! I see people here with their laptops and textbooks and just want to tell them to cool it. There is a lot of music, loud talking, and drinks being made so there is no way people are actually getting work done. Additionally, there are always cool people here so even if you have your headphones in, you can't keep yours eyes off the people around you. Additionally, they have the place so crammed with books (German and English language) that you are sure to find a treasure. They serve food, coffee/tea, and alcohol and are in a great location.

There are a lot of Viennese cafes and you'll run into many near St. Stephen's, but phil, nearby Naschmarkt is a hip coffee shop/bookstore. They have a variety of seating in these nooks and crannies in a "library" setting. The menu was simple and in English - they also have German menu. I chose a hot chai latte that was served in a glass on a silver platter. They had plenty of people working and less conspicuous tourists like me using the WiFi. Great little spot that might not have the pastries of the other Viennese cafes, but a lot younger and less of a tourist trap - I was at Cafe Central and there was a line out the door!

I maintain the five stars! I've been there several times since my first review and like this place even more today than I did at first. The staff is very friendly, the drinks are delicious, the room is beautiful and comfy... I love everything about it, really!

Vers nice café with great choice of beverages and snacks... I'd love the atmosphere with all the books and everything ! Please go, you wont be disappointed !

Phil was the first café I went to in Vienna, and is after two years still my favourite. It's such a lovely, relaxing place to sit down with a good book or just absorb the atmosphere. Personally I absolutely love being surrounded by books and getting to read interesting bits in a dozen of them or picking one out at random and getting lost in it for a few hours. I've only ordered food there a couple of times, but as far as I can remember I was perfectly content both times. The staff is very friendly, and I find that a lot of the customers are pleasantly-minded, too. Service is quick even when the café is full, the music is nice and not too loud, the prices are reasonable and there's free internet so you can get some work done on the laptop if you feel so inclined. Upsides all around! The only negative thing is that it's often full these days, so it can be difficult to find a free seat - but hey, they can't help being popular.

Friendly staff, tasty European breakfast fare, and outdoor as well as indoor seating. Went to this place looking for a bookstore, but it really is a cafe that happens to have some books (mostly in german) rather than a bookstore featuring a cafe. No one seemed to mind me sitting for hours to read and write - in fact, the waiter I had was very friendly, letting me know that I shouldn't hurry myself. I had the Italian breakfast and a double espresso, and the quality of food and drink was high. Better prices, of course, as compared with any tourist cafe, and more comfortable as well. Menus I used and saw were in german, but the staff spoke fluent English (and didn't mind doing so). Would definitely recommend this place. Visited on a Sunday.

Love this place! Super loungy coffeeshop with free wifi, what's not to love? I hung out there for hours with a couple of friends when we had nowhere else to go, and the couches were comfortable and we never got pressured to order more or leave from the staff. Thanks, phil!

Really great. The atmosphere is really cozy, it's not to expensive and the waiters are nice and really attentive. Good coffee and nice cakes. 10/10 would go again

Best coffeehouse I have ever been to by far! It was busy boss and poets esque, but more down to earth. The decoration reminded me if old school items one might see at a second hand store, but it was well done. Nothing was broken or dingy, just old school cool. The service was great with wonderful baristas. My friend and I split a slice of chocolate cake, which was so delicious--fluffy and rich, but not too rich! Great place! Wish there was one in chicago!

Funky fun afternoon vibe- great place to chill out & relax with sweet local music & interesting books. Variety menu quick service. Will definitely go back to check out the morning vibe.

I love a place where I can just sit back, sip my beverage of choice, and let time meander by. Hip interior, regular events like spoken word and readings, pretty cheap drinks. I need to try the food soon, for sure. Love the contrast with the old coffeehouse, Cafe Sperl, just across the street. Old meets new!

They'll serve you a nice breakfast, they'll serve you good coffee, they'll play nice music you'll be happy to find on MOG later. Heck, they'll treat you nice, even if you look like a bum (my natural energy state) and bring your baby. My wife actually designed room-dividing shelves for our house based on the ones in the book store.

Yummy breakfast options most of the day, plus the warm sandwiches were quite good and served with a subtle salad. Melange was tasty, but folks around me were raving about their drink fair. Overall I'd go there for the ambiance; this was away from the tourists traps with good tunes, and kitschy merchandise. Lastly the staff members were super nice and polite with my shitty German. I'll go back anytime I'm in the area.

If you are looking for a comfort cafe to sip great coffee of Vienna, here is the answer. It is different from traditional cafe of Vienna like cafe sperl at the opposite side of the road or cafe diglas. But here you will feel like local people with the environment. Chill out music background with good looking young people gathering in the table. Waiters are friend and the price of coffee is cheap.

I came to Phil after reading all the reviews from other tourists. I was really looking for a cafe I could sit down and spend a few hours at. Also being in new places gives me small anxiety. However, Phil was really nice. I walked in and was told to seat myself. The waiter was really nice and explained details of the menu to me and I ordered a cappuccino and a toasted sandwich. They both came out quickly and was delicious. I had a really good time at Phil and plan to go again. The area is nice, comfortable and clean and the surrounding neighborhood is lovely in this spring-summer weather. I took a star off because I wasn't expecting people to smoke and the wifi sometimes drops along the way.

Comfortable, cozy but the food is of the typically boboesque unhealthy kind and they even have cigarettes on the menu... Also, the music is usually too damn loud for reading. Wasn't this place at some point intended mostly for that? But at least now, people are usually chatting or using their macbooks. With the rare non-mac user and "reader" (see Bill Hicks) tucked away in some corner. And even for relaxed chatting, I find it too damn loud. Hanging out at home seems like the better idea. Finally, the more often I'm here, the less alternative and more conservative the crowd seems to me. Guys who read Die Presse and girls who seem way too preoccupied with their hair. But maybe I just happened to visit on increasingly bad days.

a legit spot to grab a coffee and chill. Do some homework, chat up some friends, people-watch...whatever...do it here.