Café is a hub for social interactions. As the financial hurdle for opening a cafe is relatively low, many find their niche by expressing the owners’ style in an excessive way. That’s why people tend to pick cafe by the style and environment, instead of food and drinks. And those people gathered, act as a catalyst in defining a cafe’s uniqueness.
In other words, cafes can reflect culture.
This time, let’s time-slip to mid century Europe, have a taste of the historical and decorative art monuments.
New York Cafe, Budapest (New York Kávéház)
As a part of the 5-star New York Palace Hotel, New York Cafe is an Italian-Renaissance styled historical building, just a few steps from the metro/tram station ‘Blaha Lujza’.
Remember to online reserve a seat, it’s always packed with tourists. However, it doesn’t mean that you can have a ‘good seat’ via reservations. Saw some walk-ins sitting right beneath the piano and violin duet, while I’m melting under the big window. Yes there’s live music, but the hall is way too noisy to chill with it.
Window seat is not bad if it’s not summer. I ordered the ‘Chocolate Choice‘ set, which includes NY chocolate cake, NY hot chocolate and a small glass of soda water. 21 euros.
The hot chocolate was really rich, so rich that I finished the soda with a few sip of it. The cake’s not bad, just the two didn’t make a very good combination. I went super thirsty and I was envy that my friend got a lemonade instead.
The taste was above average for a tourist spot, just feel like batch production from factories with really no surprise.
If you really love the interior, save some time for the washroom and bring along your camera. This area originally is exclusive for hotel residents to have their breakfast, not sure if it’s exclusive the whole day, but the washroom is at the very end so…
The exit is connected to the lobby of the hotel. In the other way, you may peep or snap a few shots from the lobby if you don’t have enough money or time.
website
The Demel Cafe, Vienna (Ch. Demel’s Söhne)
Tired of the crowds at Sacher cafe? There’s another choice near the Hofburg Palace, still famous but less exaggerations by the guide books.
You know it’s famous, when you see a corner selling souvenirs in the cafe.
There’s a bar on the 1st floor, if you’d like a quick drink.
Heading to the stairs, you can see what the chef doing in the huge kitchen at the very end of the 1st floor.
The 2nd floor is super spacious, with a few rooms painted in different pastel colors. Styling is neat and clean, Neo-Baroque, Rococo in a less decorative way.
I’m sorry I was so hungry I ordered beef wellington at a famous cafe. 15.9 euros, I’m not sure about the quality and the price as it’s my first time. I have to say that it’s rare someone obviously a tourist order food instead of Sacher torte. The dish was okay and refreshing at a hot summer day, but I’d count that as a cold pastry as I couldn’t really taste the beef.
The chocolate was really good. The cream should be richly hand-made, not those artificial sweeteners.
Comparing to Cafe Sacher…
Hotel Sacher and the Demel bakery both claimed that they are the origin of the Sachertorte (Vienna chocolate cake), and they actually had a legal battle. At last Hotel Sacher got the phrase “original” by an out of court settlement; both of them have logical reasons and evidence behind, so the result doesn’t mean Demel bakery is a copycat or a thief. The battle lasted for years, so I’d just leave it here.
Cafe Sacher is like a must-go, so I’ve been there for once. Sachertorte, chocolate cake, can’t be bad right? For drinks, I’d vote for Demel’s. For interior, Demel’s. The black + white + red color of Cafe Sacher smells filthy rich – it is so out of date. But yeah, I’m not saying that Sacher is bad, just a little bit of disappointment after a long queue.
Municipal House Café, Prague (Kavárna Obecní dům)
Not being racist, but cafes in Prague is less polished comparing to those ones in Vienna, so I’m not a great fan. However, this cake trolley really goes the extra mile, triple the happiness of picking your fave.
The venue is actually very nice, on the ground floor of the Municipal house, having an outside area. You can meet a mix of tourists and dressed-up locals, who are going to see a concert at the hall of the Municipal house.
I ordered a cup of ‘Vienna coffee with whipped cream‘, 3.5 euros. That’s why there’re only 2 pics as I was drunk after that. I’d say it’s cheap and it’s better than other places nearby the city centre, as Prague really loves to charge tourists unreasonable ‘service charge’ / ‘city tax’, you never know. The presentation of the drinks, the food (of others’ table) and the menu are not very decent, at least not enough to match the beautiful Art-Noveau infrastructure.
It’s a worth-to-go, and a good place to rest after spending a day touring the city center, just a few steps from the Powder Gate. And I really love how they list everything clearly on the receipt, I don’t have to worry about the tip I should give, and there’re no secret charge. (I’m really traumatized by restaurants in Prague, like charging 20% more than the marked price)
A word to conclude…
Cafes mentioned above are all tourist spots. It’s hard to balance crowds and relaxation, so it’s losing the ‘chillaxing’ of cafe at some point. However, as a social hub with some history, you are able to feel the country spirit.
Norms & Weirdos 