The Viennese Coffee House

When one explains to family or friends that you live in Vienna, the topic of the coffee-houses will almost inevitably be one of the first things to be mentioned.  Naturally one only has to look around at the plethora of cafés smattered all over the city to arrive at the conclusion that the consumption of the black beverage is of importance to the denizens of this town, but this is no mere modern-day phenomenon. The rich history of Kaffee in Wien is a tradition which stretches back over half a century.

But removing ourselves for a moment from the Viennese context, we learn that coffee itself in Europe has an interesting history.  The first mention of it in the European context is in 14th century Venice, Italy, at that point in time a trading hub of immense importance.  It was imported from the Ottoman Empire, where the havesting and production had already been long established.  Simultaneously, the coffee trade spread from Egypt and the North African regions to Spain and southern Europe.  These two influential trade-routes converged to establish the coffee bean as a valuable and much-sought-after commodity.   In Vienna it was after the triumph of the Battle of Vienna that coffee really took off as a beverage to be enjoyed on a regular basis, with the opening of the first coffeehouse recorded in 1683. The long association of this city with its coffee-houses stems from this point, as coffee became a beverage to be consumed by the wider populace. Through the efforts of the East India Trading Company and the British Company and their vested interests in the trade of java, caffeinated beverages – coffee and black tea – became the most commonly consumed hot beverages across the Continent.

Nowadays in Vienna, there is an almost infinite number of coffee variations to be had in any coffee-purveying establishment.  Even the most humble little café will boast an impressive litany of variations on the theme.  Most noted and particular to Vienna is the Wiener Melange, similar to a cappuccino, comprising of a shot of espresso in a large cup, topped up with steamed milk and a little foam.  In addition to the vast number of coffee-shops in the capital, there are also a great number of notable coffee brands which have been established in Vienna, most famously Julius Meinl.  In my experience, the wonderful atmosphere which can typically be found in the Viennese coffeehouses stems largely from the fact that there are places where one can quietly read, enjoy a well-brewed cup of coffee and savour a moment of undisturbed peace to gather one’s thoughts. As the autumn evenings drawn in, take advantage of this uniquely Viennese experience!