In Vienna, coffee is not simply a drink and a café is not just any commercial establishment. There is still a true coffee house culture in the Austrian capital and Kaffeehaus regulars take it very seriously. While sipping your fragrant mocha brew, you can relax and take in the history of the place. Imagine sitting where great names of the past sat, or look at today's politicians, actors, and glitterati sitting at the next table!

Here are some of the best places in town:

Café Central - Centrally located upmarket café in the elegant Palais Ferstel. Coffee and service are decent and the interior is splendid. In the late 19th and early 20th century the Café Central was a popular meeting point for Vienna's intellectuals. Shortly before the Communists came to power in Russia, Trotsky and Stalin were playing chess here. In the evening there is often live classical music.

Café Central
1st District
Herrengasse 14
Metro: U3 Herrengasse
Tel: 5333763 - 26
http://www.ferstel.at

Open: Mon-Sat 8 am to 11 pm.

Hawelka - In the 1970's the Hawelka emerged as "the" meeting point for the city's artists. The café looks a bit run-down, but that is part of its unique atmosphere. The place may feel like a tourist trap because it is very popular and crowded.

Hawelka
1st District
Dorotheergasse 6
Metro: U1; U3 Stephansplatz
Tel: 5128230
http://www.hawelka.com (in German)

Open: Mon and Wed-Sat 8 am to 2 am; Sun 4 pm to 2 am; closed on Tuesdays.

Kaffee Alt Wien - If you look for a good alternative to the Café Hawelka, the Kaffee Alt Wien is the place to go. The service is really friendly and the coffee is not only cheaper than in other places, but also at least as tasty. The Kaffee Alt Wien is also quite popular in the evening.

Kaffee Alt Wien
1st District
Bäckerstraße 9
Metro: U1 - U3 Stephansplatz; U1 - U4 Schwedenplatz
Tel: 5125222

Open: daily 10 am to 2 am.

Prückel - The large Café Prückel is situated directly next to the U3 subway station "Stubentor". This Kaffeehaus has a good selection of newspapers and is a good place to have a rest during a long sightseeing day. The service can occasionally be slow; if you have to wait, have a look at the interior that has been kept in the style of the 1950's.

Prückel
1st District
Stubenring 24
Metro: U3 Stubentor
Tel: 5126115

Open: daily 9 am to 10 pm.

K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel - Former official supplier of the imperial court, the "Imperial and Royal Confectionery Demel" has been an institution in Vienna for more than 200 years. The interior is splendid and the cakes still as in the time of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In November 2000 a Demel Museum was opened in the cellar area of the former "Hofzuckerbäckerei".

Demel
1st District
Kohlmarkt 14
Metro: U3 Herrengasse
Tel: 5351717
http://www.demel.at

Café opening hours: daily 10 am to 7 pm.
Museum opening hours: Thu and Fri 11 am to 4 pm; Sat and Sun 11 am to 5 pm.

Landtmann - Opened in 1873 directly next to the Burgtheater, the Café Landtmann is one of the most famous and traditional institutions in Vienna. Sigmund Freud was frequently having his coffee here. Coffee and cakes are tasty. However, the service can occasionally be quite slow. Somehow this Kaffeehaus has also a very conservative atmosphere.

Landtmann
1st District
Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 4
Metro: U2 Schottentor or Universität; U3 Herrengasse
Tel: 5320621 - 0
http://www.landtmann.at (in German)

Open: daily 8 am to 12 pm.

Sacher - The Sacher, situated right behind the State Opera house (or facing the State Opera's bottom, as the Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard put it), is not only one of the most famous and elegant cafés in Vienna, but also the birthplace of the famous "Sachertorte". Via their website (see below), you can order a cake online and it will be delivered to almost any place in the world. However, if you are in Vienna, go to the café and taste it directly there: the decor alone is worth a visit and the cakes are delicious.
The Sacher is also a luxury hotel, dating back to 1876. While having a Cappucino with a piece of Sachertorte in the café should be affordable for everybody, spending the night in the grand hotel definitely is not: the price of a double room for one night may go up to 3,200 Euro!

Sacher
1st District
Philharmonikerstraße 4
Metro: U1; U4 Karlsplatz
Tel: 51456 - 0
http://www.sacher.com/index_en.asp

Open: daily 8 am to 12 pm.

Café Bräunerhof - From outside, the Café Bräunerhof definitely does not look like one of the best addresses in Vienna. Yet, coffee, cakes, and service can be recommended. Additionally, the Bräunerhof has an excellent selection of German, English, French, Spanish, and Italian newspapers.

Café Bräunerhof
1st District
Stallburggasse 2
Metro: U3 Herrengasse
Tel: 5123893

Open: Mon-Fri 7.30 am to 7.30 pm; Sat 7.30 am to 6 pm; Sun 10 am to 6 pm.

Finally, should you get confused by all the different types of coffees in Vienna, fear not! If names like "Caramel Macchiato" or "Frappucino" sound more familiar to you than "Einspänner" or "Phasisäer", since 2001 you can head for a Starbucks café even in Vienna!
If you are used to large American coffee bar chains, it may be hard to understand the agitation felt in Vienna when Starbucks opened there. Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz said that the symbolic location makes this "a turning point" for the company. He also promised that Starbucks will not seek to undermine Vienna as a mocha Mecca. The established Kaffeehaus-keepers are not impressed, though. Guntil Hawelka, from the venerable Café Hawelka, said he does not think Starbucks is likely to weaken the city's existing cafés: "Vienna has a coffee house culture and I think they [Starbucks] will have it a little bit difficult. The Viennese customer, when he orders a coffee, he wants a real coffee."

Starbucks
1st District
Kärntnerstraße 49
Metro: U1; U4 Karlsplatz
Tel: 5129881
http://www.starbucks.at (in German)

Open: daily 7 am to 2 am.