The Kaffee Alt Wien has still its patina from years ago. At least when it comes to its interior. Dark paneling and posters all over (even though they are all up-to-date) let’s one think of long nights in the coffeehouse as a student, nursing a beer unit the wee hours of the night. It all looks a bit shabby in the morning. One needs to mention though that the velvet upholstery has been changed in recent years and lost therefore all its grime from years past.
interior @Kaffee Alt Wien
The breakfast menu is extensive with quite a lot of combination. At first glance they appear expensive until one realizes that they include coffee or tea. Then the pricing makes more sense. In the end though we decide on the ‘Eggs Benedix’ and the ‘Breakfast Sandwich’, both are listed under the subheading of ‘Brioche’ on the menu.
The dishes come in black bowls (honestly, nothing ever looks good on a black plate much less in a bowl) and essentially appear to be the same. Two slices of brioche, toasted and therefore with a certain dryness, frame the filling of our orders. The eggs in the ‘Eggs Benedix’ derive from two one-hour eggs, which means that the yolk is waxy and the white is still glibbery. A combination my friend abhors and instantly complains about. There is a lot of sauce Hollandaise, thick slices of cooked ham, and some wilted spinach. The ‘Eggs Benedix’ follow in the thinking that more is better. In the end though my friend is rather unhappy with his dish and finishes it only because he is hungry.
Eggs Benedix @Kaffee Alt Wien
The ‘Breakfast Sandwich’ comes with a small roasted chicken breast, bacon, a tomato salsa, and some salad. Interestingly it also has a dollop of sauce Hollandaise on the side. Not really sure if it represents the otherwise necessary American sauce in a club sandwich. Overall it is good, but it sounded so much better on the menu. Maybe it’s the black bowl which already ruined my appetite.
breakfast sandwich @Kaffee Alt Wien
I am not sure what happened that nowadays everything comes with a brioche. I remember eating plain brioche or with butter and jam as a child. That now my eggs rest on the same stuff is certainly kind of confusing. Also, when toasted the brioche looses all its softness and ends rather dry and crusty. This doesn’t add any excitement to my breakfast experience. And there is no need to cut the brioche quite so thick. In these measurements it only adds a lot of unwanted sweetness to my salty dish.
The Kaffee Alt Wien seems to be a popular spot. While still empty at 9am, it fills up quickly with a lot of reservations and regulars. But if you come at this hour, a table without a reservation shouldn’t be a problem. Yours, Pollybert
Kaffee Alt Wien
