Grüß Gott from the “sweet” City of Vienna! Welcome to the short journey through the inevitable “places of worship” of the Austrian pastry tradition! Fasten your seat-belts… as we’re about to start the journey, visiting the top 5 addresses! Of course, there are many more… It’s my choice for today!
1. The Most famous Viennese “cliche” in the world of Viennese desserts – my favorite chocolate cake, the famous “Sacher cake”, “invented” in 1832… and its closest relative: “Sacher Punschtorte”! Not to be missed before AND after the opera… with Brauner or Einspaenner…
2. My favorite Viennese Cafe… “Cafe Central” in the gorgeous Palais Ferstel in Herrengasse, just across the famous Palais Kinsky, is a great place to meet friends (and tourists) and enjoy in the great atmosphere of the Viennese great literary cafe and good coffee and exquisite choice of greatest Viennese traditional desserts (and specialties), my favorite being (for the last 25 years) – the classical “Cafe Central” cake…
3. The famous Viennese Hotel Imperial on the Ring is the place to be! Le vrai lieu, definitely! On the other side, there has always been a great Viennese cake dilemma: Imperial or Sacher! I would say, it depends on your soirée. If you’re off to the Musikverein, then it’s definitely The Imperial Hotel and the Imperial cake. Sacher cake is, at least according to me, reserved for the soirée at the Viennese State Opera. Imperial chocolate cake, the classical type is the best Viennese chocolate symphony…
4. Esterházy’s best kept secret is definitely the cake: meringue, with vanilla and cognac cream and fondant glaze simply makes it the right choice. Gerstner, the famous K.U.K. Imperial Court confectioner, provides canapés, champagne and cakes to the Viennese State Opera… ever since 1869 and their salon is just across the square… overlooking the Opera building (Kärntner Straße 51). Their Esterházy cake is not to be missed, although the choice of the desserts is great!
5. Probably the most famous Viennese intellectuals’ leisure-time address: Café Landtmann, founded in 1873, was among the favorite places of Sigmund Freud, Gustav Mahler, Emmerich Kálmán, Peter Altenberg and many more… Probably the most elegant of the traditional Viennese cafes… Personally, I cannot wait for the springtime to enjoy the view from the terrace on the gorgeous Ring, the Burg theater, the City Hall… This is the place for the famous “Wiener Apfelstrudel” (with the cream). Legend has it it was the favorite dessert of the Crown Prince Rudolf.
Necessities 