Viennese Coffee!

One of the highlights of Vienna (the students' second day trip excursion) is of course the famous coffee house culture. One of my favorite coffee shops is Cafe Diglas which is close to St. Stephen's Cathedral. The homemade pastries are fantastic and always fresh; in the evening they have live piano music; and the people seem to be more commonplace than some of the more upscale locations near the Hofburg; and the coffee is delicious as well.

For anything visiting Vienna, a visit to a traditional coffee house is essential -- and NOT Starbucks -- and just soak up the atmosphere, coffee, dessert, and of course, the newspapers which are always there.

Some of the Viennese Coffee Choices:

Schwarzer. Strong black coffee. A kleiner Schwarzer is the equivalent of an espresso; a grosser Schwarzer is a double shot. Also called a Mokka.

Brauner. Coffee with a dash of milk or cream.

Goldener. Coffee with milk; similar to "regular coffee" in New York.

Mélange. Equal amounts of milk and coffee with froth.

Kaffee Crème. Coffee with a miniature pitcher of milk on the side.

Kapuziner. Cappucino. (Same name, different language.)

Kurz. A single shot of espresso.

Mokka. See "Schwarzer" above.

Verlängter. Coffee with hot water added; a good choice for North American and English visitors who like their coffee weak.

Einspänner. Coffee in a glass with a hefty dollop of Schlagobers or Schlag (whipped cream).

Fiaker. Espresso in a glass with sugar and Kirschwasser (a dry cherry brandy), topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

Pharisäer. Espresso in a glass with sugar, whipped cream, cocoa, and a shot of rum.

Many coffeehouses serve other variations on the coffee theme, such as Eiskaffee (coffee, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream) and alcoholic combinations. Also, you can usually count on a tasty assortment of pastries, especially in the afternoon.