Disclaimer: this guide comes from Vollpension. Yes, we are a café in Vienna. Yes, we appear below. And yes, we recommend ourselves. But only after Café Hawelka, Sperl, Landtmann, Jonas Reindl and Phil. That is called self-restraint.
In all seriousness: we have tried to write the most honest café guide in Vienna. Every other venue listed here is a genuine recommendation. Even the ones that are not called Vollpension.
The classic Viennese coffee house has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2011. Marble tables, Thonet chairs, newspapers on sticks. Anyone who wants to understand Vienna needs to sit here.
Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Vienna · Mon–Thu 08:00–00:00 · Fri–Sat 08:00–01:00 · Sun 10:00–00:00
Barely changed since 1939: narrow tables, a lot of wood, history in the walls. Hawelka was the meeting point for writers, artists and intellectuals of the post-war period: Heimito von Doderer, Hilde Spiel, later international guests too. The Buchteln made to the original recipe are still the highlight. Those looking for Viennese flair with a touch of chaos and genuine coffee house character will feel right at home. Prices slightly above average: Melange 5.60 €.
For whom: anyone looking for the real, unrenovated Viennese coffee house experience. Not for those who want to sit quietly. It gets busy.
Gumpendorfer Straße 11, 1060 Vienna · Mon–Sat 07:00–22:00 · Sun 10:00–20:00 · Closed Sundays in July and August
Barely changed since 1880. Hardwood billiard tables, 34 varieties of coffee, the famous Sperl Torte with chocolate cream and almonds. Sunday piano music from 15:30. The Sperl is in the 6th district, slightly outside the first tourist ring and therefore more authentic. More space than at Hawelka, quieter, more relaxed.
For whom: anyone who wants to sit longer and read the newspaper without being rushed. One of the best coffee house addresses in Vienna.
Universitätsring 4, 1010 Vienna · Mon–Sat 07:30–00:00 · Sun 07:30–22:00
The Landtmann is considered Vienna’s most famous coffee house: Sigmund Freud was a regular, today it attracts politicians, cultural figures and journalists. Located directly next to the Burgtheater and the Rathaus. More refined atmosphere than Hawelka or Sperl, with correspondingly higher prices. Good food, professional service.
For whom: anyone who wants a refined atmosphere and is willing to pay for it. More touristy than Sperl, but rightly famous.
Herrengasse 14, 1010 Vienna
⚠️ Currently closed until autumn 2026 for comprehensive renovation. Pop-up DECENTRAL at Freyung, corner of Herrengasse/Strauchgasse.
In the Palais Ferstel since 1876, magnificent architecture with a Venetian inner courtyard, piano music daily (except Tuesdays) from 16:30, classic Viennese cuisine. The Central is the grandest setting among Vienna’s coffee houses and correspondingly touristy and loud. Those who visit come for the atmosphere, not for the quiet.
For whom: anyone who wants to see Vienna’s most imposing coffee house. Not for a relaxed afternoon.
Alongside the classics, Vienna has a lively scene of modern cafés that treat coffee as a craft product and create their own atmosphere. More in our article on modern Viennese coffee culture.
Währingerstraße 2–4, 1090 Vienna · Mon–Fri 08:00–17:30 · Sat–Sun 09:00–17:30 · Further locations in Vienna
The name does not come from a person but from the tram hub at Schottentor, built by Mayor Franz Jonas in 1961. Since the station resembles the shape of a cooking pan (a Reindl in Viennese), locals ironically named the area Jonas Reindl. Since 2014 the best-known specialty coffee provider in Vienna: own roastery, direct trade with farmers, organic ingredients, vintage industrial furniture. Very popular with students and laptop workers and correspondingly loud and busy.
For whom: anyone who wants the best espresso in Vienna and for whom atmosphere matters more than silence.
Gumpendorfer Straße 10–12, 1060 Vienna · Mon 17:00–01:00 · Tue–Sun 09:00–01:00
Bookshop and café in one — all furniture and books are for sale. If you like, you can buy the chair you are sitting on. Phil is a place for long afternoons, for people who want to read, write or do nothing at all. Relaxed atmosphere, good coffee, no rush. In the 6th district, right next to Café Sperl.
For whom: anyone who wants to combine café and bookshop. One of the most relaxed places in Vienna.
Burggasse 24, 1070 Vienna · daily 10:00–22:00
A café attached to a vintage shop in the 7th district. Open fireplace, eclectic mixed furnishings, shabby chic in its purest form. Breakfast served daily until 14:00, garden terrace in summer, dogs welcome. Quieter and more intimate than Jonas Reindl.
For whom: anyone looking for a cosy, slightly hidden spot in the 7th district.
Vienna has a lively scene of social businesses in hospitality. These three places combine good food and drink with genuine societal impact. More in our Meaningful Travel guide for Vienna.
Johannesgasse 4A, 1010 Vienna · Mon–Sun 08:00–18:00 · Schleifmühlgasse 16, 1040 Vienna · Mon–Sun 08:00–20:00
We are an intergenerational café and award-winning social business: our grandmothers and grandfathers bake fresh every day from family recipes. This is not a marketing claim — our senior employees work real hours for real pay. Every visit creates direct social impact. 4.8 stars on TripAdvisor. Two locations: 1st district (fully wheelchair accessible) and 4th district (garden terrace, dogs welcome).
For whom: anyone who wants to combine the most authentic Viennese coffee house experience with social impact. And anyone who simply likes very good pastries.
Platz der Sozialen Sicherheit, 1030 Vienna · Tue–Fri 11:30–15:00 · Mon and public holidays closed · Wheelchair accessible · Garden terrace
Habibi and Hawara mean darling and friend in a mix of Arabic and Viennese — the name says it all. Since 2015/2016 the restaurant has been training people with refugee or migration backgrounds as chefs and hospitality professionals, with the goal that they can eventually run their own businesses. Austrian-oriental cuisine with lunch buffet and weekend brunch. After an insolvency in 2023, the location in the 3rd district is now active again.
For whom: anyone who wants to combine lunch and social impact. Not breakfast but a weekday lunch destination.
Bäckerstraße 18, 1010 Vienna · Mon–Fri 10:30–23:00 · Sat/Sun and public holidays closed · Garden terrace · Dogs welcome
Founded in 1988 by Father Georg Sporschill, operating as a social economic project of Caritas Vienna since 1992: Inigo employs long-term unemployed people and supports them in returning to the labour market. 45% of employees in 2023 successfully made the transition to permanent employment. Austrian cuisine with Asian influences, vegan and vegetarian options, lunch menu from 10.50 €. Seminar room for 12 people.
For whom: anyone who wants to have lunch in the 1st district and do something good at the same time. One of the oldest social business restaurants in Vienna.
Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse), Café Landtmann (Universitätsring), Café Central (Herrengasse, currently closed), Vollpension Johannesgasse (wheelchair accessible, 5 min from the State Opera), Inigo (Bäckerstraße)
Habibi & Hawara (Platz der Sozialen Sicherheit), magdas Hotel Café (Ungargasse 38 — Austria’s first social business hotel, café open to all guests)
Vollpension Schleifmühlgasse (garden terrace, dogs welcome, near Naschmarkt)
Café Sperl (Gumpendorfer Straße), Phil (Gumpendorfer Straße)
Burggasse 24 (Burggasse)
Jonas Reindl (Währingerstraße)
Which café suits which visit? This table helps you decide.
| I am looking for… | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The most classic coffee house | Café Hawelka | Unchanged since 1939, real history, Buchteln to the original recipe |
| Peace and time | Café Sperl | More space, fewer tourists, billiards, piano on Sundays |
| Impressive atmosphere | Café Landtmann | Vienna’s most refined classic coffee house, next to the Burgtheater |
| Best specialty coffee | Jonas Reindl | Own roastery, direct trade with farmers |
| Reading and relaxing | Phil | Bookshop and café, all furniture for sale, no time pressure |
| Breakfast with meaning | Vollpension | Freshly baked pastries from grandmothers and grandfathers, social business, 4.8 TripAdvisor |
| Modern and with social impact | Vollpension | Modern reinterpretation of the Viennese coffee house with measurable social impact |
| Lunch with a good conscience | Inigo or Habibi & Hawara | Both social businesses with good lunch menus and genuine impact |
| Wheelchair accessible in the 1st district | Vollpension Johannesgasse | The only fully wheelchair accessible café on this list in the 1st district |
| Dogs welcome | Vollpension Schleifmühlgasse or Inigo | Both dog-friendly, both with garden terrace |
All information without guarantee. Please check opening hours directly with the café before your visit.
Looking specifically for breakfast? Our Breakfast in Vienna guide covers all the best spots.
Grandmothers and grandfathers bake fresh every day. 1st district between the State Opera and St. Stephen's Cathedral, or 4th district near the Naschmarkt.
