Café Diglas im Schottenstift is what happens when a 140-year-old Viennese coffeehouse tradition gets a respectful, modern polish. Their pastries come fresh daily from their own historic bakery on Fleischmarkt, the coffee is house-roasted, and there's even live piano music — all tucked inside the Schottenstift monastery grounds with a lovely hidden courtyard garden. Service can be uneven, but the Apfelstrudel and Kaiserschmarrn make it worth the gamble.
House-roasted coffee and pastries from a 140-year-old bakery, served in a grand monastery setting with live piano — the real Vienna, minus the tourist crowds.
Ask for a table in the hidden courtyard garden in warmer months — it's the most charming spot and fills up fast on sunny afternoons.
Authentic Viennese coffeehouse without the tourist crowds
If you want the full Viennese coffeehouse experience without the tourist circus of Café Central or Demel, Café Diglas im Schottenstift is where you should be heading. Tucked into the Schottenstift monastery just off Schottentor, it's got the grand old interiors — high ceilings, Thonet chairs, marble tables — but with a slightly fresher feel than some of its more fusty competitors. The big draw here is the pastry: their Mehlspeisen come daily from their own 140-year-old bakery on Fleischmarkt, and the Apfelstrudel is genuinely excellent — flaky, warm, not too sweet. The Kaiserschmarrn is also a standout if you're hungry.
They roast their own coffee, which puts them a notch above places that just pour from a generic supplier. The food menu goes beyond cakes too — solid Wiener Schnitzel and traditional Austrian mains if you're there for lunch or dinner. There's live piano music, which adds to the old-world atmosphere without feeling like a gimmick. In warmer months, the hidden courtyard garden is one of the nicest spots in the Innere Stadt to sit with a Melange and a slice of cake.
The elephant in the room: service is hit or miss. Some reviewers rave about attentive waiters; others complain about long waits and inattentive staff, especially when it's busy. Go with patience, don't come in a rush, and you'll have a much better time. It's a place to linger, not a place to grab a quick espresso and run.