Café Sacher Wien — Restaurant in Vienna

I waited in line outside the restaurant for 40 minutes on a sunny afternoon to get in. I read about unfriendly staff in the reviews and thought it was a one-off thing, but it wasn't. While I was almost at the front of the line, a guy from the back asked the waiter how long the waiting time is. The waiter remarked '5, 10, 30 minutes, 1 hour, I don't know'. The customer got frustrated and I think he left. And when another wanted to sit in empty tables outside, a waiter said they are not serving outside in the afternoon as it's hot. Surely, people will prefer to eat under the hot sun compared to standing under the hot sun, won't they?

I got in and was seated. I asked to start with a dessert and said I'll have my main course after. My waiter, an middle aged lady, rolled her eyes, annoyingly, when I asked for the vegan version of schnitzel. I asked her to remove ice-cubes from my water during my meal, and she was kind in doing that. I guess some things just irritate the staff about which all customers seem to have complains.

Now, about the food. I had the following in that order. Original Sacher Torte -- They name their cake `original' as it was first made here some centuries ago. The cake was delicious -- muddy grainy, lemony sour (perhaps from the middle thin layer, which I later understood was apricot jam), and mildly moist. The icing on the top and outer rim was a like a solid chocolate bar and yummy. I couldn't even cut through it and I had to put it down sideways to cut it with a knife. The accompanying whipped cream is actually essential to give it a complete feeling, a bit more of moisture.

Vegan Schnitzel -- This was very normal. Two thin layers of some vegan protein covered with bread crumbs and supposedly fried. Despite being fried, it was not dripping with oil. The accompanying potato salad was perfectly salted and warm. The salad leaves combination was good, broken biscuits of grains, and grated radish. The second schnitzel started to become boring, not much of a `taste' in the whole thing.

Vanilla ice-cream -- While it was not in the menu separately, only available with the ice coffee in strudel, I asked for it separately, and the waiter said it can be done, and brought it in a drinks glass. It was smooth and creamy, but I was not able to describe the flavour or get a mental picture of it.

Overall, the food is good, but not so worth the high price and the waiting, in my opinion. Perhaps the motto is 'If you want somebody to enjoy the food, starve him...

The Viennese Sachertorte – a legendary name. A true bucket list experience!

But today, our expectations crumbled. Is this really the world-famous Sachertorte? Did we travel 1,000 miles for this? Did we queue for a table just for this moment?

I suspect a translation error may have occurred, as the “fudge cake” seemed more like a sponge cake. If it weren’t for the overwhelming number of customers on a Monday, I would have assumed the pastries weren’t fresh. But with such a high turnover, everything should be fresh—or should it? Both our Sachertorte and the sponge/fudge cake were crumbly.

We had hoped the apricot jam in the Sachertorte would enhance the flavour, but if there was any at all, it was only present in trace amounts. It was barely detectable in taste and almost invisible in texture. The fudge cake was flavourful, enjoyable even, but difficult to swallow without a good Earl Grey tea to accompany it.

The whipped cream was spot on—pure, unsweetened, and free of vanilla, just clean, simple cream. The punch cake was a delightful bite-sized treat—flavourful and creamy.

We also tried the apple strudel, which was served fridge-cold. I understand it needs to be stored at a low temperature, but I don’t quite understand why it was served that way. In a place where freshly baked strudels should sell out quickly—especially with such a long wait for a table—it would have been nice to have it warmed up. (And the tiny grape stalk remnant on a raisin was hardly worth mentioning.)

We asked for tap water, but it simply wasn’t served. Not a problem—we weren’t thirsty; we came for the cakes.

The two waitstaff we encountered were exceptional! They worked tirelessly, constantly clearing tables, seating guests, and taking orders. Their hard work and dedication are truly commendable. They, along with the beautiful setting, are the reason this review isn’t rated lower. The café was impeccably clean and well-maintained, with an impressive coffee machine and grinder, and the wall decor added to the overall aesthetic. The paintings, plates, and even the napkins exuded a sense of quality. The prices, however, suggested Michelin-star expectations… which, unfortunately, we did not experience.

We sincerely hope others have a better experience! Wishing everyone many delicious and freshly made...

TOTALLY THE WORST EXPERIENCE AND SERVICE EVER.

I am currently living in a different city in Austria (not Vienna) as a student, and I fully understand there can be cultural differences between my family and European customs. As an exchange student, I’ve traveled to various countries and have sometimes tipped when I felt the service was good. However, in my home country in Asia, tipping is not common, so my mother simply asked about it—she wasn’t complaining. She also doesn’t speak English well, so I translated her question while keeping cultural differences in mind.

I never said I wouldn’t tip. I was only asking for an explanation so my parents could understand how tipping works here, but he literally started yelling at us. A man with short black hair, a beard, and wearing a black jacket suddenly became visibly angry, shouting at us in an intimidating manner. He even snatched my card from me. Then, he spoke loudly in German to his coworkers, singling us out right in front of them. Although I couldn’t catch every word, his hostile tone and piercing glare made it clear he was furious.

Shocked by his outburst, I calmly asked, “Are you upset with me?” without raising my voice. Instead of calming down, he yelled at me again, acting extremely rudely. I told him his attitude was disrespectful, and that’s when he completely lost it—shouting even louder and aggressively screaming, “Don’t come back again!”

All of this happened after he seated us at a window table, which was only available because there was a long line of other guests. He behaved as though seating us there was some extraordinary favor, but it clearly wasn’t.

My experience at Café Sacher was beyond disappointing—it was downright unacceptable. This incident has tarnished my overall impression of Austria, and I plan to share it widely when I return home. I will certainly never recommend this café to anyone.

그냥 물어봤을 뿐인데 이딴식으로 소리지르고 손님 카드 뺏는 미친카페 처음봄 ^^;;;;; 제발 절대 가지 마세요.. 교환학생하면서 유럽 식당 꽤 많이...