One of Vienna’s oldest coffee houses offers a bit of respite from one of the busiest streets. Café Ritter sits halfway up the city’s main shopping precinct.
- First opened in the late 19th century
- Interwar style in dark wood and burgundy
- Customers from across the local spectrum
- Book a historical walking tour* in Vienna
- Nearby:
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A local review
(Another lovely coffee house font)
Shoppers throng Vienna’s Mariahilfer Straße, thrusting their way through the crowds to buy the latest fashions and gadgets from the clothes outlets and departments stores that line this pedestrianised thoroughfare.
When the retail rush ends, at least some of those shoppers fall into Café Ritter to recharge their batteries with coffee and cake (or even bread and butter with chives).
The coffee house sits halfway up and just to one side of the long shopping street and has occupied these premises since the late 1800s.
Inside feels like an Edwardian waiting room in a better class of railway station: the sort of place that lends itself to a black and white photo. An old-style clock at one end does nothing to dispel that impression.
(Postcard sent in 1903 and featuring Café Ritter beneath a Viennese panorama; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 230515; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
“Edwardian” is not far from the truth, either, since the burgundy and hardwood decor harks back to the period between the world wars. A floral white and gold stucco ceiling adds a touch of neo rococo elegance.
Sit on the left side as you go in to enjoy views of the former Hotel Kummer, built in 1870 in the historical style. Redevelopment work ended in 2021, with the building reopening as a new hotel with a striking roof.
(The operator describes the Hotel Motto as “Paris meets 1920s Vienna”.)
Unlike some of its ilk, Café Ritter is not a place of hushed reverence, but rather one of quiet bustle.
As my morning there progressed, mothers and daughters, groups of friends, and shoppers replaced business folk and elderly gentlemen at the tables. The service was fast, and what you might call grumpily friendly in the time-honoured Viennese tradition.
Otherwise, Café Ritter ticks all the usual boxes: marbled tabletops, worn wooden chairs, a selection of newspapers, cakes, pastries, coffee specialties, and a quite traditional coffee house food menu with light snacks and meals. Prices seemed reasonable compared to some of the old town cafés, too.
Certainly one to consider if you like tradition combined with a bit of a local buzz about the place.
(The famous painter, Rudolf von Alt (1812-1902), was apparently a regular. I like to think he paid his tab with a watercolour or two. Photo from around 1862 by Ferdinand Küss; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 33483; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
Incidentally, Café Ritter shares its name with another top coffee house; Café Ritter Ottakring is one of those rare traditional locations outside the centre so remains something of an insider tip.
Although outside the immediate centre, you’re actually quite close to a few of the more honourable old coffee houses for which Vienna is famous for. For example, Café Jelinek and Café Sperl are both no more than a few minutes walk away.
And one or two tourist attractions dot the neighbourhood, too, with many well suited to family entertainment. For example:
- The Haus des Meeres giant aquarium and zoo in an old flak tower
- The IKONO immersive experience (let me just mention the giant ball pit)
- The Retro Gaming Museum has plenty of arcade and video games to try
How to get to Café Ritter
Mariahilfer Straße is well served by public transport, particularly the subway system.
Subway: Café Ritter is practically on top of the Neubaugasse subway station on the U3 line that passes through the old town (exit as if you were going away from the city centre)
Address: Mariahilfer Straße 73, 1060 Vienna | Website