If you are looking for a typical Viennese coffee house that has seen not one but two turns of a century, look no further. Café Schwarzenberg is the oldest coffee house along the Ring, originally from 1861. On the weekends its doors open at 8:30 in the morning and I was glad that we had a reservation.
the line up when we left at 10am @Café Schwarzenberg
There were already many tables occupied inside, but still some available for walk-ins. When we left around 10am there was a line up, so keep that in mind if you want to come here.
inside @Café Schwarzenberg
The breakfast menu looks interesting at first glance, but less so on the second. There are a couple of combinations, but it is basically the same basics with more or less add-ons. There are eggs Benedict in various versions available as well as other egg dishes. Definitely more standard coffee house fare and nothing fancy. My friend ordered eggs Benedict while I decided to eat my breakfast staple in a Viennese coffee house. Nothing is more typical than two soft boiled eggs served in a glass with a slice of buttered bread and chives.
soft boiled eggs with chive bread @Café Schwarzenberg
The eggs were perfectly cooked, the white completely set and not jiggly at all, while the yolk was still runny. The eggs cooled quickly though in this large bowl. I like them better when the glass is smaller. The bread was buttered and sliced and topped with lots of chive. Pre-cutting it into slices was an excellent idea and reminded me a lot of home, my grandmother always did the same. The bread missed a bit of salt which is easy to remedy, but it stays on much better if you salt the butter already. Unfortunately the bread itself was kind of bland and no amount of salt could change that. It was definitely not from one of the hyped sourdough bakeries around town.
The eggs Benedict did not turn out to be a winner. First of all only one egg was served on half a bun. No complaints about the bun since the menu listed it as a toast. One slice of ham, a piece of slightly brown avocado, ready-made sauce Hollandaise and red pepper cubes. All of that topped with micro greens and half a cherry tomato on the side. My friend found the taste of the pepper overpowering while I disliked the sauce Hollandaise. Is it too much to ask that the sauce is home-made? I can open a pack of sauce myself, no need to go out for it. This dish looked more like a vegetarian sandwich with mayonnaise than a version of eggs Benedict.
eggs Benedict @Café Schwarzenberg
Service was friendly and very professional which is no surprise with all the tourists passing through here. I did not feel the typical Viennese coffee house atmosphere though. Café Schwarzenberg might be popular with the tourists, but I did not see a lot of locals. Or maybe it is different in the afternoon, what do I know. In any case, this one is not for me. I like my coffee house a bit more relaxed and with more variety to choose from at breakfast. Yours, Pollybert
Café Schwarzenberg
1010 Wien, Kärntner Ring 17
Tel: +43 1 5128998
Email: office@cafe-schwarzenberg.at
Mon–Fri: 07:30–23:30, Sat-Sun: 08:30–23:30
https://www.cafe-schwarzenberg.at/en/
