Breakfast in Vienna - The best breakfast places

A traditional pastry, which is also sometimes part of a Viennese breakfast, is the crumbly „Kipferl“. The „Kipferl“ is a crescent-shaped pastry, like a croissant, and is usually made from yeast dough. A brioche „Kipferl“ is coated with egg and sprinkled with caster sugar. It can be enjoyed plain or with butter or jam. Legend has it that the crumbly Kipferl is the forerunner of the French croissant. Marie Antoinette brought it from Vienna to the French court, where it was further developed and became the croissant. Unfortunately, this story has not been historically proven; just like the origin of the croissant, the history of the Kipferl can only be interpreted on the basis of stories and legends.

Close to: Burgtheater, City Hall, Vienna Museum Beethoven Pasqualatihaus, University of Vienna

Address: Universitätsring 4, 1010 Vienna

Breakfast times: Monday to Sunday 07:30 - 11:30

Café Landtmann is one of the most traditional coffee houses in Vienna. It was founded in 1873 and has always stood for elegance and beauty. The interior design with original chairs from the imperial era, listed seating boxes and elaborate marquetry work make the ambience so special. Famous personalities such as Oskar Kokoschka, Hans Moser, Gustav Mahler, Max Reinhardt and Paula Wessely once dined here and even today you can still meet the odd politician, journalist or other prominent person.

Breakfast at Café Landtmann is also very traditionally Viennese. Viennese breakfast, croissants and egg dishes are on the menu. In recent years, avocado and porridge have been added to the menu. There are all kinds of hot drinks to drink, the coffee here still traditionally comes with a glass of water, as well as juices and sparkling wines. The café impresses more with its ambience and the quality of the food than with the choice of options. If you're wondering about the sausages, goulash and beef tartare on the menu, these are typical dishes of the Viennese ‘Gabelfrühstück’, a kind of snack similar to brunch. Be sure to try one of the many desserts from the display case while you're here.

Close to: Albertina, State Opera, Hofburg, Natural History Museum, Art History Museum

Address: Albertinapl. 2, 1010 Vienna

Breakfast times: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 - 11:30

Café Mozart opposite the Albertina is even older than Café Landtmann. It was founded back in 1794, but had a different name at the time. It was renamed Café Mozart in 1929 and enjoyed great popularity until the beginning of the war. After the war, the film ‘The Third Man’ brought the café renewed fame. The author and screenwriter Graham Greene was inspired by the café and the director Carol Reed was also an enthusiastic guest during the shooting of the film, so much so that one scene of the film was even shot in the café. Since 1993, the café has been owned by the Querfeld family, who also run Café Landtmann from the previous paragraph.

The menu is therefore the same as at Café Landtmann. Café Mozart also serves mainly old Viennese breakfasts and drinks. The interior is home-style and more cosy than in Café Landtmann.

Close to: State Opera, Karlsplatz, Karlskirche, Secession, Vienna Museum

Address: Operngasse 7, 1010 Vienna

Breakfast times: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 - 11:30

Café Museum is also owned by the Querfeld family and, like Café Landtmann and Café Mozart, serves the finest dishes and desserts in Landtmann quality. However, the ambience and history of Café Museum is very different from that of Café Landtmann or Café Mozart.

The Café Museum was opened in 1899 and shortly after its opening it became very popular with the artists of the Secession. The café's interior was designed by Adolf Loos and was therefore very functional. 14 years after the opening, the café was remodelled by architect Josef Zotti and now had eye-catching red seating and silver lamps. Even though today's furnishings are no longer original from this period, they are still based on Zotti's interior design.

Art lovers and architecture fans should pay a visit to the café and enjoy the somewhat different, yet typically Viennese, coffee house culture.

Close to: St Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna Cathedral Museum, Anchor Clock, Mozarthaus Vienna

Address: Lugeck 3, 1010 Vienna

Breakfast times: Monday to Sunday, 09:00 - 19:00

Do you love desserts and just want a little something for breakfast? Try the delicious filled croissants at CRO am Lugeck. Whether to take away or to enjoy there with a delicious hot drink, the pastry shop's croissants and cakes can also be eaten in the morning. The small café is chic, detailed and perfect for photos for the social media channel. The desserts and croissants also look very appealing and taste deliciously sweet. You can treat yourself on holiday!

Close to: Parliament, City Hall, Burgtheater, Natural History Museum, Hofburg Palace

Address: Parliament Austria, Dr Karl Renner-Ring 3, 1010 Vienna

Breakfast times: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Bistro Kelsen is located in one of the most important buildings of the Republic of Austria, the Parliament. Here, where the National Council and Federal Council meet and Austria's laws are passed, you can also enjoy a good meal. The kitchen focuses on Viennese and Austrian cuisine and is committed to sustainability. The products used are organic and mostly regional. The suppliers are extensively checked to ensure the sustainability of the business. 

For breakfast, the bistro serves classic Viennese breakfast, sourdough bread and scrambled eggs, as well as a vegan Viennese breakfast. There is also a selection of desserts. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate complete the breakfast menu.

In order to visit the Parliament and Bistro Kelsen, an official photo ID is urgently required and prior registration on the Internet is recommended. A security check must be passed. In addition to the bistro, there is also an exhibition in Parliament explaining democracy and government in Austria, as well as the meetings of the National Council and Federal Council, which are generally open to the public. Guided tours are also organised.

Close to: Old Stock Exchange, Votive Church, Museum Judenhaus, University of Vienna, Vienna Museum Beethoven Pasqualatihaus

Address: Wipplingerstrasse 34, 1010 Vienna

Breakfast times: Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 11:30, Saturday, 09:00 - 15:00

The Hansen restaurant is located in the building of the old stock exchange, a very important place in former times. Even today you can still feel the historical significance in the corridors and when looking at the exterior, as the building designed by Theophil von Hansen is one of the most impressive on Vienna's Ringstrasse.

Restaurant Hansen offers an extensive menu with Mediterranean, Oriental and Viennese breakfast classics. A large selection of egg dishes, fish, sweet and savoury dishes are also on the menu. On Saturdays, the choice is even greater. There are breakfast specials while stocks last, such as pancakes, cinnamon buns or white sausages. As you can see, Restaurant Hansen does not and will not limit itself to one cuisine, but offers a colourful mix of different dishes.

Close to: Mariahilfer Straße, Westbahnhof, Vienna Furniture Museum

Address: Mariahilfer Straße 101, 1060 Vienna

Breakfast times: Saturday 09:00 - 11:00

The restaurant stadt.Allee is located on one of the busiest streets in Vienna, Mariahilferstrasse, but in a quiet inner courtyard that gives you some distance from the hustle and bustle on the street. Breakfast is only served here on Saturdays, but it's worth making the journey to this restaurant on a Saturday, as the food is excellent. Buttermilk pancakes, French toast, burrata, shakshuka, salmon, granola and Öfferl bread are just some of the highlights on the breakfast menu. There are also classic egg dishes and Viennese breakfasts. The ingredients are mostly sourced from selected local farms and the menu is adapted according to the season. The prices tend to be in the higher price segment due to the high-quality ingredients and the location.

After breakfast, it's worth taking a shopping tour along Vienna's favourite shopping street, Mariahilferstraße, and visiting the many individual shops in the side streets of the seventh district. Whether Neubaugasse, Kirchengasse, Zollergasse or Lindengasse, there is plenty to discover here. The furniture museum in Andreasgasse is also well worth a visit afterwards.

Close to: Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library, House of Music, Capuchin Crypt, State Opera, Albertina

Address: Johannesgasse 4A, 1010 Vienna (located in MUK - Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna)

Breakfast times: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 - 16:00

Vollpension is not just a coffee house, it is a successful intergenerational project for the inclusion of senior citizens in the labour market and against age-related isolation. True to the motto ‘It tastes best at Grandma's’, senior citizens bake and serve cakes, tarts and pastries here, allowing them to earn some extra money in their old age and enjoy socialising with guests and younger colleagues. The range of desserts on offer varies depending on the mood of the ‘baking grannies’ and ‘baking grandpas’. The breakfast menu mainly includes simple Austrian dishes, such as buttered bread with chives, sliced cheese with bread rolls, boiled eggs, brown bread or Bircher muesli. Vegan dishes are also on the menu.

A special highlight of full board are the ‘Buchteln’ filled with ‘Powidl’ and served with vanilla sauce. ‘Buchteln’ are Bohemian specialities made from yeast dough and are enjoyed warm. However, they are also popular in Austrian cuisine. Powidl is a type of plum jam.

If you are looking for a very special and social café in the city centre with a good breakfast, the Vollpension is the place to go.