From the outside Viola looks like a fairly small place, but there’s more than meets the eye. Besides a variety of cakes, tartes, and pies, vegan and non-vegan, Patisserie Viola also offers snacks throughout the day, breakfast during the week, and brunch on Saturday. But then only brunch and nothing else.
We arrived at nine o’clock sharp and were almost the first ones on that Saturday morning. I am glad we had a reservation, because every table was booked. Viola has a small room in front with a large glass vitrine displaying cakes and other sweets and a second room in the back. The furniture is a mix of coffee and couch tables and looks rather comfy. Unfortunately the couch setting is not so comfortable when you eat breakfast. We were lead to a place with two small couch tables and two armchairs facing each other.
comfortable seating @Viola
Personally I found the seating charming and homely, but it’s not a great choice for breakfast. Both tables were wobbly and actually super small for the breakfast brunch. Brunch comes at Viola in form of a three tier plant stand, with free refill on food, a juice, and one hot drink or a glass of Prosecco. À la carte breakfast is only available during the week. We got our coffees and the tables already seemed rather full.
full couch table @Viola
The granola, a ‘starter’ included in the breakfast, was delicious and I absolutely loved it. It’s also available at the counter in larger quantities for home. Once the three tier plate stand arrived the situation got a bit more critical.
three tier brunch plates stand @Viola
On the lowest tier we got the warm brunch dishes. These included scrambled eggs, slight too salty, and a bowl of beans in a warm and spicy sauce. The beans were very tasty. The pulled chicken salad with pickled onions, also on the lowest tier, was neither warm nor identifiable as chicken. Honestly I thought it was tuna at first.
In the middle we got two kinds of salads. Pumpkin with couscous, kale and mushrooms, and red beets with Manouri cheese, and mustard caviar. Both were good, the beet salad better than the pumpkin one. Overall though not something I have to eat again for breakfast.
The plate on top included great quality ham, cheese, pickled vegetables with more mustard caviar, fresh kohlrabi, butter, and jam. The only thing we asked a refill for was the bread by the way. For dessert we got poppy seed cake which I didn’t try due to my dislike of poppy seeds. My friend didn’t care for it though, but he still ate both pieces.
poppy seed cake @Viola
The brunch was a very generous portion and is more than enough for two people. I just don’t know if I want to try it again. Salads for brunch are weird especially when you eat at 9am. Of course this is our own problem, because we could have come later. The brunch food was quite delicious and I only had some small issues with it. I just need to remember to show up later. The seating though was sub optimal and this cannot be changed. Viola states clearly on its website that you cannot reserve a certain table. So just the chance of being seated on these low tables again, puts me off coming for brunch. But an afternoon coffee is a different topic. Yours, Pollybert
Viola Wien
1080 Wien, Strozzigasse 42
Tel: +43 664 754428 81
Email: viola@viola.wien
Tue-Fri: 8:30-18:00, Wed: 08:30.22:00, Sat: 09:30-18:00
https://www.viola.wien/
