The Best Café in Vienna for a Gourmet Viennese Breakfast
Make your visit to Vienna one you’ll never forget by treating yourself or someone special to a gourmet breakfast extravaganza at Café Gloriette. Austria’s most glorious coffeehouse, Café Gloriette is located within the grounds of the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace, one of the most important cultural, architectural and historical monuments in Austria.
What makes Café Gloriette the best café in Vienna?
Fascinating history
This remarkable Vienna café has an astonishing history that goes back centuries. The estate was originally owned by Emperor Maximilian II in 1569 when it was used as a hunting lodge. The complex went through various transitions during the years that followed, until 1775 when Empress Maria Theresia requested a Gloriette be constructed to act as a temple of glory, ballroom and place for excursions.
Over the years, this part of the palace served as the breakfast room for Emperor Franz Joseph I and the dining hall for various royals and their guests up until the end of the Danube Monarchy. Following painstaking renovations in the 1990s, Café Gloriette was finally born and open to the public. While the days of the true monarchy might be long past, the Austro-Hungarian splendor is still felt within its walls today.
Regal surroundings
Unless you’re royalty, it’s unlikely you’ve ever had breakfast anywhere as opulent as in Café Gloriette. The beautifully appointed dining room features towering ceilings, baroque interior design and larger than life windows which treat diners to stunning views of the remarkable Schönbrunn Palace. The huge windows allow natural light to flood into the room, creating a light and airy space that harmoniously connects the world of yesterday with today’s urban way of life.
Unique ambiance
Café Gloriette’s fabulous buffet takes hungry diners back to Kaiser’s time with a grandiose atmosphere fit for an emperor. During the 2.5 hour-long breakfast experience, the cosy dining room is brought to life by the sounds of live classical music played by some of the most talented musicians in the city. Combined with the carefully pressed white linen tablecloths, deep red upholstery and deluxe artistic columns, Café Gloriette exudes an unparalleled regal atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else serving breakfast in Vienna.
Delectable food
Although the captivating history, glorious surroundings and one-of-a-kind ambiance are some of the best characteristics of Café Gloriette, they pale in comparison to the cuisine. Proudly serving some of the finest Vienna food and drinks you’ll find in the city, this exquisite coffeehouse goes above and beyond to deliver the best quality, top flavours and ultimate experiences to their diners. From their traditional Viennese coffees made with the finest coffee beans to their Viennese breakfast specialities and popular international favourites, there’s something for every palate at Café Gloriette.
Sisi Buffet Menu
The Sisi buffet is ideal for hungry foodies who want to indulge in the finest breakfast in Vienna. Open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9am until 11.30am, this epicurean feast includes a vast assortment of traditional Vienna foods locals have been enjoying for breakfast for centuries, alongside popular international favourites. So whether you’re craving a taste of home or want to try something new, you’ll find plenty to fill your plate up.
The Sisi buffet includes:
- Freshly-baked Kaiser rolls, wholegrain bread and plaited poppy seed buns
- Fried eggs
- Crispy bacon
- Grilled sausages
- Traditional meatballs
- Selection of butter, jams and honey
- Quality charcuterie and cheeses
- Fresh melon with cured ham
- Seasonal vegetables and salads
- Various fresh fruits
- Muesli and cereals
- Milk and fruit yoghurts
- Smoked salmon with creamed horseradish
- Gugelhupf (special bundt cake) with glacé violets
- Unlimited juices and hot drinks
- A glass of prosecco
Weekday Café Gloriette Menu
If you’re not fortunate enough to be visiting Vienna on a weekend or public holiday, you can still enjoy an extravagant breakfast at Café Gloriette. On weekdays, this wonderful coffeehouse serves up a decadent a la carte breakfast menu, laden with traditional Austrian delicacies and dreamy coffees.
Here’s a small sample of the breakfast menu:
- Single/double espresso
- Classic Viennese coffee
- Frothy cappuccino
- Double espresso with whipped cream
- Double espresso with orange liqueur and whipped cream (Maria Theresia’s favourite)
- Hot chocolate with whipped cream
- Hot chocolate with rum and whipped cream
- Wide selection of teas served by the cup or pot, including: Earl Grey, darjeeling, green, fruit, camomile and mint
- Apple strudel
- Quark strudel
- Sacher torte
- Esterhazyschnitte (a Hungarian cake)
- Sisi torte with orange and nougat cream
- Gloriette torte with a coconut base and egg liqueur chocolate cream
How to visit the best café in Vienna
Café Gloriette is so immensely popular that tables get booked up weeks in advance. This means everyone has to make previous reservations in order to avoid disappointment — even imperial highnesses! If you want the chance to dine like royalty at this magnificent café, the easiest thing to do is to visit the official Café Gloriette website and purchase a gift voucher.
If you’re interested in the lavish Sisi buffet, there are premade vouchers available for you. All you need to do is select the number of guests and purchase a voucher. If you’d prefer the weekday a la carte dining experience, it’s best to purchase one of the Café Gloriette value vouchers. This way you can prepay for your dining experience and redeem it at the café when you’re in the city.
To guarantee yourself a table, it’s really important you make your reservation 4-6 weeks in advance. So if your trip to Vienna is coming up soon, head on over to the Café Gloriette website and book your table today.
The perfect gift for foodies
If you’ve got a foodie in your life who lives in Vienna or is planning on visiting, treating them to a voucher for the best breakfast in Vienna will make a wonderful gift! Simply purchase the voucher online, print it at home and fold it up inside a greeting card. Whether you’re wishing them a happy birthday, congratulating them on a big achievement or just saying thanks for something they’ve done for you, every foodie will love to dine in one of Emperor Franz Joseph I’s favourite breakfast spots.
