Where to get the best Krapfen in Vienna

Carnival time in Vienna means also “Krapfen” time besides parties and alcohol and what not. For non-German speakers let me explain that a Krapfen is basically a donut without the hole and filled with apricot jam. Usually we just eat the ones from Groissböck, a bakery that is well known for its delicious Krapfen and within walking distance from the office.

So when we read about the “Krapfen Test” in a local newspaper and saw that “our Krapfen” was only ranked in fourth place we needed to verify that ourselves. The Groissböck Krapfen is absolutely delicious, let me start with this. Let’s see if any other Krapfen can come close to it.

So here are the results of the office jury (so basically me, me, me and a little input from my colleagues; okay only one actually, because the other one lives mostly on S-Budget products and therefore can’t be taken seriously. But I asked them all for their opinions). The ranking is not in order of taste but in order of testing.

We tested only Krapfen filled with jam, abominations with vanilla cream do not belong in here. To make it easy for you I highlighted the Krapfen we liked in bold lettering. So before you waste good calories on a tasteless Krapfen, please read my post and then enjoy the one that’s worth it! Yours, Pollybert

Der Mann: in no way is this thing allowed to be called a Krapfen. The dough is heavy and dense and starts to expand in your mouth while eating it. There is no hint of a crackling from the frying and the overall taste was stale and just forgettable. The jam rests at the bottom of the Krapfen and is unremarkable.

Bäckerei Szihn: The dough is very fluffy and soft, more like brioche. Overall I had a melt-in-your-mouth feeling. The dough also has some lemon zest in it! It has got with the right amount of jam which tastes of apricots and therefore summer. Additionally Szihn offers a 5+1 deal on its Krapfen.

Konditorei Oberlaa: this is the winner from the newspaper and I have to agree with them the Krapfen is excellent. Perfect dough, soft but doughy enough to let me know I am eating something made from yeast, a slight crackling on the outside from the frying, lovely jam and a nice, if on the smaller side, size. Most expensive Krapfen of a bakery chain so far.

Konditorei Bürger: a small local coffee shop with self-made pastries near my home. They make the Krapfen fresh every morning. The Krapfen are still a bit warm when I arrive with them in the office. The dough is fluffy, perfectly fried and has a very slight crackling, the jam could be a bit more apricotty.

Bäckerei Schwarz: this is not a winner! The jam is actually sour and the dough is dry and bland. Don’t waste your calories here! In its bad taste also forgettable because I can’t remember more details.

Bäckerei Gragger: I buy the Krapfen at the Saturday outdoor market and bring it home. To give it time get to room temperature and develop its full flavors, I leave the Krapfen for an hour alone. There was no need to it, it is so far the worst. Dry, overworked dough and a tasteless jam. I take two bites (second chance and all) and then throw it away. I am sorry, I know I shouldn’t throw away food. But then again something like this should not be sold!

Ströck: funnily enough a Krapfen that is dry is not the worst. The worst is a Krapfen which has the consistency of wet rag. Are you familiar with American toast (Americans actually call it bread and just press it in a different form)? You can put your flat hand on top of the package and with a bit of pressure you could flatten the whole thing. That’s that way the Krapfen tastes. To make up for the horrible dough, they put a lot of jam in it. Way more than necessary. So far the only Krapfen where I had jam left. But I did finish it (it was a Tuesday morning after all).

Sluka: Traditional coffee-house and pastry shop in the first district. Definitely has the best apricot jam of all the Krapfen. The Krapfen itself is not such a winner although it smelled excellent (must be the jam). Kind of bland and boring, maybe even a bit on the dry side. With a price tag of 2,60 Euro also the most expensive one.

Felber: I am actually quite surprised about the quality of this Krapfen. The dough is fluffy and light but with enough texture to give me the Krapfen feeling. The jam doesn’t fare as well; although very sweet it manages to have a sour taste and that without tasting of apricots. Overall for a bakery chain a convincing Krapfen!

Krapfen from Groissböck