14.10.2024

Cafe Gloriette – enjoying like an empress

„The best coffee in Europe is Vienna coffee, compared to which all other coffee is fluid poverty.“- Mark Twain, Cafe Gloriette

Welcome to one of the most magnificent coffee houses in Austria. It is so magnificent that the former ruler Maria Theresia had it built in 1775. Then it was used as a dining room for the monarchy. Empress Elisabeth of Austria enjoyed the view so much that she had breakfast there almost every day. In 1992 it became Café Gloriette.

At the highest point of the Schönbrunn gardens is the Gloriette and within it is the Café Gloriette. The building is literally flooded with light. Everything is very bright, you can see these beautiful columns everywhere. There is elaborate white stucco on the walls, which have a light beige tone. The architecture looks very harmonious. both from the outside and from the inside.

Café Gloriette is a very traditional Viennese coffee house. The furniture is therefore adapted accordingly. There are different sized marble coffee tables. The armchairs are made of rattan and covered with a red fabric. Otherwise there isn’t much decoration. Which in my opinion is not necessary, as the focus at Café Gloriette is on architecture.

Before I go into more detail about the menu, I would like to tell you something about the special offer from Café Gloriette. The “Sissi – Buffet” takes place every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A large buffet is set up so that you can have breakfast like in imperial times. A good selection of sausage specialties, cheese, pastries and warm dishes are on offer, so you certainly won’t go hungry. Musical accompaniment will also illuminate the room with gentle tones and sounds throughout.

When you are in such an imperial building, it is a must to eat traditional sweets. Therefore, it was logical to eat the most famous cake. Of course I’m talking about the Sachertorte. If you don’t know this, here’s a short description: the Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate icing. This was invented by Franz Sacher in 1876. And is considered Vienna’s most famous culinary specialty. And I personally love the Sachertorte.

As another sweet delicacy, I ordered Kaiserschmarren with roasted plums. I also have a little explanation or story about this. The Kaiserschmarren consists of pancake dough. Apparently this dough was torn when it was presented to Empress Elisabeth. And then the dessert for Emperor Franz Joseph was renamed. I drank a cappuccino with the Kaiserschmarrn in Café Gloriette – a melange for the Viennese.

I go to Café Gloriette at least once a year. And it feels exciting every time. I’m not surprised that Empress Elisabeth “Sissi” wanted to have breakfast there every day. If I lived there I would definitely want to do that too. The Café Gloriette is a nice traditional Viennese coffee, with traditional food. Since it is located in Schönbrunn, there are a lot of tourists there. You just have to expect that.

But how exactly do I get to Café Gloriette? In principle, there are different ways to get to the Schönbrunn complex. There is public transport or you can come by car. But no matter how you want to arrive, you have to walk the last few meters to the café. But the little walk is always worth it.

Conclusion:

one of Austria’s imperialist coffee houses

Adress:

Schlosspark Schönbrunn

1130 Wien

Tip:

If you haven’t tried Sachertorte, you’ve never really been to Vienna