Café Landtmann

Café Landtmann has been one of the grand cafés of the Ringstrasse since 1873. It stands next to the Burgtheater and faces the neo-Gothic City Hall across the Ring, and its position close to the parliament, the university and the theatre has always made it a meeting point for politicians, journalists, academics and actors. The café lists Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann, Gustav Mahler, the actress Romy Schneider and the Viennese actor Hans Moser among its past guests.

The interior is smart and traditional, with wood panelling, mirrors, chandeliers and upholstered booths divided into several rooms. Waiters in formal dress serve the full range of Viennese coffees on silver trays, along with a long menu of cakes and pastries made in-house, breakfast and classic Viennese dishes through the day. It is a more formal and polished experience than the smaller, scruffier coffee houses, and many locals use it for business meetings and long lunches.

In the warmer months the green terrace on the Ring is one of the best places in the city to sit outside with a coffee and watch the trams pass, with views of the Burgtheater and City Hall. In winter, the Christmas market in front of City Hall is just across the road.

The Landtmann suits couples, business travellers and anyone who wants the full grand café experience. It is open Monday to Saturday from 07:30 to midnight and on Sundays from 07:30 to 22:00, which makes it handy for an early breakfast or a late drink after a performance at the Burgtheater. Tables can be reserved through the café's website, which is worth doing at weekends and on theatre nights.

The café is on the Universitätsring, a few minutes' walk from Schottentor station (U2) and Rathaus (U2), and trams on the Ring stop right outside. The Burgtheater, City Hall, the main building of the University of Vienna, the parliament and the Volksgarten with its rose garden are all nearby, so it fits easily into a walk along the Ringstrasse. If you are short of time, a coffee and a slice of cake is a quicker alternative to a full meal and still gives you a feel for the room.