The colour pink has many associations, but in Vienna it conjures up images of two city stalwarts: the Manner hazelnut wafer and the Aida chain of cafés. The latter promises reasonably-priced coffee and enough cakes and pastries to fill a fluffy unicorn.
- Famous for its distinctive branding
- Outlets throughout Vienna
- A Konditorei (confectionery) and café
- Cheaper than most of the well-known independent coffee houses
- Notably helpful coffee menu for visitors!
- See also:
Pretty in pink
(One of many)
With numerous locations in Vienna, the Aida chain of cafés is an integral part of the city landscape. But this is not a traditional coffee house in the style of a Central or Hawelka.
Aida is more of a café and patisserie-confectionery, reflecting the company’s origins as a purveyor of fine sweetened delights back in the early 20th century.
The chain celebrates its 110th anniversary in 2023: its founder (Josef Prousek) started out with small premises in 1913 before expanding production to later become the Chocolaterie u. Gross-Konditorei AIDA.
Aida’s subsequent history often intertwined with that of the country.
For example, Aida famously produced doughnuts and ice cream for US troops in occupied Vienna post-WWII and was an early adopter of the espresso machine; this kicked off the city’s café-Konditorei tradition that runs alongside the coffee house one.
The company’s foundations in the world of pastries and sweet slices of joy is a good thing if you’re into cake with a side order of coffee, rather than coffee with a side order of cake. (My wife assures me the selection is excellent.)
Inside an Aida, you won’t find dark niches with upholstered furniture and marble tables. Instead, the locations tend to have a retro feel to them reminiscent of the 50s, 60s, or 70s, with plastic and glass dominating.
Nor do the staff wear the elegant black and white outfits of the coffee house.
My (very friendly) waiter at the Opernring outlet bore his trays of sachertorte and cappuccinos dressed all in white, like a pastry chef, albeit with a pink collar.
(The outlet close to the main opera house)
Pink is very much the Aida colour and appears everywhere, particularly in the logo, tabletops, and awnings that front the café.
The chain is popular with locals and also enjoys a reputation as an excellent rendezvous for certain parts of society to swap stories and gossip over a reasonably-priced coffee. The cappuccino certainly passed my quality test and arrived with an excellent froth on top.
Should you find yourself a little intimidated by Vienna’s coffee menus, then Aida might be your life saver: their menu uses cutaway images of cups to show you exactly what goes into each option.
So if the thought of a double espresso with steamed milk and a topping of whipped cream intrigues you, then you know to order an “Aida Melange”.
Another bonus is the option to buy Gusto Stückerl and Petits Fours, which mean smaller versions of cakes for those with more curiosity than appetite.
On top of the cakes and coffees, Aida has an all-day breakfast menu, salads, soups, sandwiches, snacks, ice cream, etc..
Is this the best place to sit in timeless elegance with a book of poetry? Probably not. But for a decent cup of coffee and a great piece of cake that won’t cost the earth, Aida does an excellent job.
How to get to an Aida
As a chain, Aida has numerous locations throughout the city, including several in the very centre of town, such as:
- Stephansplatz near the cathedral (this outlet made a brief appearance in The Recruit)
- Bognergasse (the opposite end of the pedestrianised centre to the cathedral)
- Wollzeile (leads east away from the cathedral area)
The location I went to most recently was at Opernring 7, above Karlsplatz subway station (on the U1, U2 and U4 lines).
The Opernring address has a certain resonance given the name of the café chain: sit outside and enjoy the view of the State Opera House on the other side of the road.
Address: all over Vienna | Website (with a store directory)