Café Museum

Photo: Sandor Somkuti, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Café Museum on Operngasse, near Karlsplatz, is run by the Querfeld family. In summer you can sit in the Schanigarten (outdoor seating) with a view of St. Charles Church (Karlskirche) and the Secession. Cakes and pastries come from the "Landtmann's Original" bakery.

History

Ferdinand Rainer opened the café in 1899. The interior was designed by Adolf Loos; it was his first major commission. Instead of plush upholstery there were plain bentwood chairs, and the place earned nicknames such as "Café Nihilismus" (Café Nihilism) and "Secessionisten-Tschecherl" (the Secessionists' dive). Its guests included Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Joseph Roth, Karl Kraus, Robert Musil and Otto Wagner. In 1911 Josef Zotti designed the Schanigarten, and later an interior with red booths that remained for over 70 years. In 2003 it was replaced with Loos replicas, and in 2009 the café closed. The Querfeld family had it reconstructed according to Zotti's plans and reopened it in October 2010.

On the menu

According to the fall menu (as of September 2026), a Wiener Melange (Vienna's milky coffee, similar to a cappuccino) costs €6.90, a Salon Einspänner (black coffee topped with whipped cream) €7.70 and a small Mokka or Brauner €4.70. Sachertorte costs €8.50, Apfelstrudel €8.20. The house specialty is the Apfelstrudeljause, strudel with whipped cream and a Melange, for €15.40. Breakfast is served daily until 11:30; the Viennese breakfast costs €9.80. Monday to Friday there is a lunch menu from 11:30 to 15:00.

Opening hours and reservations

Café Museum is open daily from 08:00 to 21:00. You can reserve a table online on the website. A mobile ramp is available for access. The reading series "Literatur im Café Museum" has been running since 2011, with readings announced for October 19 and November 9, 2026.

Getting there

The nearest U-Bahn (subway) station is Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4), Operngasse exit.

Nearby

Facilities

  • Breakfast
  • Schanigarten (outdoor seating)

Map

FAQs

Daily from 08:00 to 21:00. Breakfast is served until 11:30.

€6.90 according to the fall menu (as of September 2026). The Apfelstrudeljause with whipped cream and a Melange costs €15.40.

Yes, online via the "Reservieren" (Reserve) button on the website.

More photos

No additional photos available.

Nearby

Places nearby, sorted by distance from Café Museum.

Kunsthalle Wien (Karlsplatz) 110 m

Kunsthalle Wien (Karlsplatz)

Treitlstraße 2, 1040 Vienna

  • €14
  • Museums & Exhibitions
Vienna Secession (Beethoven Frieze) 170 m

Vienna Secession (Beethoven Frieze)

Friedrichstraße 12, 1010 Vienna

  • €13
  • Museums & Exhibitions
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna 180 m

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

Schillerplatz 3, 1010 Vienna

  • Free admission
  • Architecture & Modern History
Naschmarkt 230 m

Naschmarkt

Naschmarkt Stand/1-5, 1040 Vienna

  • Free admission
  • Markets, Coffee Houses & Food
Vienna State Opera 260 m

Vienna State Opera

Opernring 2, 1010 Vienna

  • €18
  • Music, Stage & Theater

Further reading

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