Café Central

Café central is one of Vienna’s most iconic institutions, so don’t be surprised if you see a long queue outside! Some even call it the most beautiful café in the world… Being inside a palace certainly gives it a head start! Decorated with countless arcades and chandeliers, the interior has seen countless historical figures come and go. Freud, Hitler, Marx, and Stalin all used to frequent this café. Of course, they weren’t exactly sitting together at the same tables — but still, it makes you wonder… if only the walls could talk. It’s also the perfect spot to enjoy a Viennese coffee, an apfelstrudel, or any other Austrian treat. Just don’t ask for a Viennese coffee, that name won’t mean much here! Ask for a “Wiener Melange” instead. They have a long and diverse menu, so you’ll be spoilt for choice! Speaking of coffee, do you know how Viennese coffee was created? According to legend, this speciality dates back to 1683, when Vienna was under siege by the Turks. After Polish troops pushed them back, the Turks fled and left behind 500 sacks of coffee. The soldiers gave these to a young man, who helped them during the siege. With all this coffee, he decided to open a café, but the taste was too bitter for the Viennese people… So he added cream and honey to soften the flavour, and Viennese coffee was born! He also played classical music in his café, put out newspapers, and served coffee with a glass of water – three rituals that make up today’s Viennese coffee house culture. At first, cafés were spots where men would smoke and talk business together, but over time, they became lively social spaces for everyone to enjoy. Viennese coffee culture became accessible to everyone, and has been part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage since 2011! Another little-known fact, is that croissants were invented in Vienna. During the 1683 Ottoman siege of the city, the Turks began digging tunnels under the city, but the bakers, up at dawn, saw them and warned the city. Vienna was saved, and the heros baked a pastry shaped like a crescent, the symbol of the Ottoman Empire, just to spite them. Marie-Antoinette would later bring this tradition to France, along with other Viennese treats that fill French boulangeries to this day! The French switched the dough for puff pastry, and that is how France became the home of croissants.