Viennese Cakes and Tea
August 2024 - One of the tea rooms of Gerstner K. U. K Hofzuckerbäcker at the Palais Todesco, Vienna.
Vienna’s opulence is seen from its largest icons, like St. Stephan’s Cathedral, down to the swooning typography on the napkins at Gerstner.
Vienna is known for its coffee house culture, with ornate cafés scattered around the capital city. In 2011, UNESCO named Vienna’s coffee house culture as an intangible part of Austrian culture.
The tradition is all about slowing down, which can be difficult for us Americans who like to cram 7 AM coffee-networking sessions in before our 9-5, but after our 5 AM bootcamp class. It is about not having a set agenda or objective, but simply being.
August 2024 - The menu at Gerstner. Every detail, from the display of pastries to the fabric of the menu is taken into account.
That August afternoon, our friend Maddie led us to Gerstner, her favourite tea room in Vienna, which sits right across from the Vienna State Opera House. We were lucky enough to get a walk-in, but to cover your bases, I’d recommend making a reservation.
We were led up swirling iron staircases to the ballroom (a salon privé), where we waited on velvet, lavender bar stools. Our suited server led us to our table for four. I ordered a pot of green tea with a cardinal cake.
Lizzy, Maddie, Sarah and I sat underneath the crystal chandeliers and enjoyed for an hour or two. It is the type of place where if it was in the U.S., there would be a month-long waitlist to get in. But in Vienna, it is just another place.
August 2024 - The interior of The Church of the Jesuits, in Vienna's Schwedenplatz area.
Travel Tips:
When you are in Vienna, stop by the Church of the Jesuits for free entry (see above). When we visited, a team of florists bustled around preparing for a wedding. Can you imagine getting married here?
If you are travelling with men like we were and they won’t be as interested, leave them at a park so you aren’t rushed.
