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20th December 2016
12:18am GMT
It's no exaggeration to say that Vienna has had a world-renowned coffee culture for centuries.
When Austrians took up using coffee beans left behind by Turks in 1685, a tradition was born. Traditional Viennese cafés are hard to match for pure splendour, but nowadays, as these establishments adapt to contemporary demands, a new wave of recent cafés are competing for attention.
More and more public wifi hotspots are becoming available in Austria's capital, but sometimes you need a dash of hot caffeine at hand to get some serious work done. A word of warning: citywide power outlets are infrequent in Vienna’s cafés. A chain café might be advisable if you need to plug in and do a few hours of work, however it would be a real shame to pass up the type of fantastic surroundings that Vienna's cafés. With this in mind, we've compiled a list of the best places in the city that capture this interesting confluence of old and new.
Handily located close to Westbanhof train station. Steindl hosts a range of events during evening times which make this café/restaurant an interesting place to hang about. Quiet enough during the day time, unrestricted wifi with good strength.
While it has been renovated to give it a very modern décor, this café retains all the important elements of a classic coffeehouse. A classy spot and a favourite among denizens of the Margareten. A hidden gem.
This Italian café is a great place to head to in the morning to get some work done. With both classic Viennese and Italian breakfast options and a lovely range of homemade brownies and delicious hot chocolate, there’s many reasons to enjoy hanging out here for several hours.
This busy spot in Alsergrund area draws a good mix of college students and older locals residents. Their Mexican coffee is perfectly complimented by their awesome food, in particular their Sunday organic brunch buffet, which will keep you well fed for a day’s browsing. They have pplenty of gluten-free options available too. As it's open from 9am-2am, this is a very comfortable place to post up and get some work done.
This is a lovely little restaurant/café tucked away in the middle of the old town. The menu is entirely in German, but the staff are more than happy to talk you through it. Their schnitzel is renowned. A relaxing experience.
Benno is off the beaten track and as such is a lovely, quiet place to kick back and get your online business done. The beauty of this spot is that during evening times it transforms into a buzzing local neighbourhood hangout. Sit outside on the terrace and enjoy their amazing food after a day of browsing.
Café Central is a true Viennese institution; a favourite meeting place of continental intellectuals during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Magnificent arches giving the place a regal feeling. Park yourself among these illustrious seats and let the inspiration flow. Be mindful that this a popular location however and can be tricky to get a seat at lunch time.
Café Einstein is a very accommodating spot, and this leads to it having a steady mixed crowd. They serve hot food from 7am and have a wide ranging menu on offer at very affordable prices. This is an ideal place to work away from for a day sampling their delicious coffee, old world surroundings, tasty food and, more than likely, conversation with an interesting local.
POC is a hip, relatively new café. Its sleek, minimalist design and cosy atmosphere means this is a lovely place to lounge about on a laptop. The chunky wooden tables and mismatched furniture give you a sense of being in, not quite someone’s living room, but maybe your close friend’s converted garage.
Café Dreschler is a brilliant spot for late night work, being open until 2am on weekends. This place pipes out slick, downtempo tunes from their own compilation mixes. During the day, it also functions as a handy venue close to Naschmarkt and the Art Nouveau walk, if you need to take a break and pick up some inspiration. This is a great place to rub shoulders with interesting freelancers.
