I'm just here for the Verlängerten...
Question: What is the most livable city in the world? For years, Vienna has defended its top position as the world's most livable city.
Since the Corona crisis, Vienna no longer receives the highest score in the ranking, but the city is always worth a trip. Even for me as an Austrian, Vienna is special.
I like the Viennese dialect, the architecture and its coffee house culture. A "Verlängerter" is cult in this regard.
Classics of Viennese cuisine:
Semmel, Kren, Paradeiser. The list of culinary treasures is long. So is the list of Austrianisms. Behind all these expressions are banal foods: bread rolls, horseradish, tomatoes. Perhaps the Viennese expressions are what actually make the cuisine special!? After all, Schnitzel is also a cult dish in Milan and the point for the most delicate pastries probably goes to the French. So what makes Viennese cuisine special?
Here is a small selection of delicacies:
Starter: Sacher sausage with two kinds of mustard and horseradish, clear beef soup with frittatas, liver dumplings or semolina dumplings
Main dish: Goulash with roll, Viennese potato soup, Viennese cabbage fritters, escalope, boiled beef, roasted calf's liver, fried chicken Dessert: Kaiserschmarrn, apple strudel, chocolate cupcake with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, apricot pancakes Drinks: Any kind of coffee creations (Verlängerter, Wiener Iced Coffee, Kleiner Schwarzer, etc.), soda lemon, Ottakringer, wine or "Spritzer".
The history of coffee in Vienna is long and the Viennese coffeehouse has been a fixture of Austrian gastronomic culture for centuries. The institutions are so charming and steeped in history that they are even included in UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.
The Viennese classics are: Mokka, Wiener Melange or the legendary Verlängerter. Even abroad, my attention has been drawn again and again to these coffee creations. It is simply coffee "extended" with water. A shot of cream or milk still purely, that was it.
So the really special thing about it is not the coffee. It's the ambience in the coffee house. Of course, the hot beverage should not be accompanied by a small meal. A Kaiser roll, a breakfast croissant or a pastry? Uh, difficult with this choice. A piece of Apple strudel smiles at me. Nowhere else in the world can you eat calorie bombs in such style.
And perhaps that is precisely the secret, the Austrian charm. The language or the own terminology for food and beverages. A tradition that is still alive.
Viennese coffeehouses are part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.
Michaelas Video-Message.: In my video you can see a little summary about the night of the Austria Food Blog Awards - my occasion of the current Vienna trip.
F&B Angebot: Vienna has a high restaurant density with good quality, although the variety of vegan options is not remarkably large. People still like to eat hearty/meaty food here.
Meal times Breakfast (6:00 - 8:00): Typically, a hot drink with bread and sweet or savory toppings. Morning-Snack (ca. 9:30): Often a small meal like sausages with bread rolls. Lunch (11:30 - 14:00 Uhr): As a rule, there is something hearty. Often also crowned with a starter and dessert. Afternoon-Snack ( ca.14:30): Coffee, pastries or cake. Dinner (from 18:00): With all the feasting throughout the day, a snack is often enough. Nowadays, however, the main meal often takes place in the evening & the meal times shift.
Price-performance ratio: The good life has its price and the cost of living in Vienna is above the EU level. Cappuccino in Amsterdam ca. 4 Eur. Cappuccino in Wien ca. 4 Eur.
Striking on point:
Each Austrian province has its own specialties. In Vienna, the cooking tradition of the k.u.k. (imperial and royal) monarchy of Austria-Hungary is striking. (e.g.: goulash)
Hospitality
The trendy Zoku hotels are spreading into Europe. The brand's hub is in Amsterdam & maybe that's why I like the hip interior & open culture so much. A co-working area invites you to work & network. Guests & locals get together in the hotel's restaurant. Great location. Great rooftop. Great design.
Where better to drink a cocktail than on the roof terrace of the 25 hours Hotel in Vienna! You feel at home right away. Nice to see: Many of my friends from Vienna also go to the rooftop and I'm pleased that the concept appeals to locals and tourists alike.
The surrounding area of Vienna is also worth a trip & I advise EVERYONE to visit a "Heuringer". An Austrian specialty! We were at the Nussberg (approach by car!) and enjoyed regional wine with a dreamlike backdrop. Who needs the Tuscany there?!
On multiple recommendations from my social media community, we visited Hildebrandt Café in the Volkskundemuseum. A trendy hotspot that offers delicious breakfast dishes all day. However, due to the crowds, reservations are a must ;).
My conclusion: I came for the Verlängerten. I liked the almost endless selection of pastries and while reminiscing I will think of the Viennese slang and the view over the vines.