Updated April 10th, 2019

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Austria is a great choice for a destination for so many reasons including: culture, music, Alps, lakes and cake! Before my trip I was asked what I was planning to do in Austria and I always responded, “eat cake!”.

What – Austrian Sweet Treats

Apfelstrudel

One of the most famous Austrian desserts that seemed to be on almost every single dessert menu throughout the country.

Kaiserschmarrn

It seems like so many countries have pancake based desserts. This shredded pancake version is an Austrian favorite that is served with stewed plums, apple puree and sometimes raisins. Oh and lots of sugar on top!

Pretzels

There are numerous varieties of pretzels found throughout Austria. If you have a sweet tooth you should definitely go for the fruity, sugary or chocolaty varieties.

Ice Cream & Gelato

These treats aren’t Austrian, but nevertheless they can be found all over the country. I think we just about tried at least one ice cream or gelato in every single city we visited and never had a bad one.  

Viennese Cakes & Desserts

On our travels we saved Vienna for last which meant we saved the best treats for last. Vienna is known for its coffee and cake culture. Not to say that the rest of Austria doesn’t have good desserts, but every single one of our desserts in Vienna I always wanted a couple more bites. Towards the end of the trip I was starting to worry that I hadn’t tried enough of the famous cakes and made extra effort to plan the days around some dessert breaks.

Sachertorte

This well-known Viennese dessert even has its own holiday! It is a chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam. I was holding out on ordering it because the apricot layer didn’t particularly appeal to me. But eventually I knew I couldn’t claim to try the local foods in the destinations I visit without having the famous sachertorte. Surprise, surprise I actually really enjoyed it. The version I had tasted like a decadent chocolate cake with an added moist, thin fruity layer in the middle.

Truffle Torte

If you are a chocolate lover and apricot doesn’t sound appealing, go with the truffletorte. My mom ordered this dessert and it arrived before my own. I had to contain myself from eating the whole thing when I was offered a “sample”.

There are way too many tortes to mention, but get yourself a torte in Vienna. You won’t regret it.

Strawberry Slice

It’s hard to choose a favorite dessert of the trip, but this one might just be it. Not that any of the desserts were difficult to finish, but if you want a lighter option this sponge cake with the glazed strawberry topping makes this dessert option an ideal choice.

Where – Vienna Cafés & Restaurants

There are cafés all over the city with delicious desserts to sample. Here are a few classic choices.

Café Demel

Kohlmarkt 14, 1010 Wien, Austria

Complete with gift shop, Café Demel is a classic choice for a range of Viennese specialities in an elegant setting. There is even a museum you can visit on Friday mornings. Among their many tortes they are most known for their Sachertorte. There has been a battle of of who developed the Sacher Torte. Was it at Café Demel…..

Hotel Sacher

Philharmoniker Str. 4, 1010 Wien, Austria

…or at the Hotel Sacher? The hotel is another option for upscale dining and desserts. Both Café Demel and Hotel Sacher may have the most well-known “got to try it here” sachertortes, but they are also pricier and some say the cakes are just as good elsewhere.

Café Mozart

Albertinaplatz 2, 1010 Wien, Austria

Another classic and elegant café that is open late and a perfect place to end an evening after an opera. Upon entering the café you immediately have a feast for the eyes with a glass case full of the many delicacies on offer.

AIDA Café

Singerstraße 1, 1010 Wien, Austria

A pinkish themed chain café with multiple locations and an overwhelmingly large pastry selection. Our grumpy waiter who rushed people to order, yet took forever to bring the deserts and the bill, helped perpetuate the viennese cafe culture stereotype of rudeness. Also the location we went to near St. Stephen’s cathedral had pay toilets where you received a voucher that could be taken off your bill. The Viennese cafés can get away with it though, because the desserts are just that good.

Ferrari Gelato

Krugerstraße 9, 1010 Wien, Austria

We were in the mode for ice cream and we kept stumbling upon places with glass cases that faced the sun. The already melty ice cream was not what we were going for. We saw the line for Ferrari Gelato before we saw the actual storefront. The line moved really fast and we got some fresh gelato that was worth the wait.

Heuer am Karlsplatz

Treitlstr. 2, 1040 Vienna, Austria

We had dinner here along with dessert. Based on my dinner, a pricey headless fish with the fish’s head served on a separate side platter (that’s a new one for me), I wouldn’t necessarily recommend. But the New York cheesecake, that didn’t taste like any cheesecake I ever had in NYC, was worth the visit. It’s not a huge piece though, so to avoid any potential sharing fights, just have everyone in your group get their own!

It’s actually painful to envision and write about all these cakes and not get to eat one. As I write this I think back longing to those desserts and crave for just one more bite. Not that I could ever stop with only one bite! There is a lot more I would like to see and do in Austria, but I would return with the sole purpose of eating dessert!

More about Austria

• A full Austria Itinerary
• Which Cities & Towns to Visit in Austria and What to Do
  • Gmunden (in the Salzburg Lakes District)
  • Salzburg: Sound of Music Bicycle Tour, Untersberg, Hellbrunn Palace, Salzburg Christmas Museum
  • Seefeld (in Tyrol)
  • Vienna: Sisi Museum & Schönbrunn Palace
• What and Where to Eat in Austria
  • Savory Foods

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