Austrian Cuisine: Mahlzeit 137day. Here they met with others to debate the issues of the
day. Among the more prominent guests at the Café Central
on Herrengasse were authors Arthur Schnitzler and Hugo
von Hofmannsthal. Even Leon Trotsky was known to have
frequented the café. Gustav Mahler regularly visited the
Café Imperial. Sigmund Freud liked the Café Landtmann,
and the composer Franz Lehár spent much time at Café
Sperl. Artists such as Oskar Kokoschka, Gustav Klimt and
Egon Schiele, and the composer Alban Berg, could all be
seen at the Café Museum. Sadly, all of this ended with the
annexation of Austria by Hitler, and this aspect of Viennese
life never fully recovered after World War II.
Coffeehouses tend to be a bit formal. The waiters
dress in tuxedos and even the clientele take care to look
nice. In fact, before or after the theatre or a concert, you
might see patrons in tuxedos and sequined gowns. Even
though the waiters may not be the friendliest servers you’ll
ever encounter, they will not push you out. You can stay
for hours, even if you’ve only ordered one cup of coffee.
Newspapers and magazines are put out to help you while
away the time. Other customers may play chess or cards.
In the past, coffeehouses only offered a small selection
of pastries. Today, however, many not only offer pastries,
Biergartens open all across Austria with the arrival of warm spring weather.