{"id":18408,"date":"2019-09-05T03:00:07","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T02:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=18408"},"modified":"2025-05-20T11:43:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T10:43:38","slug":"aida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/aida\/","title":{"rendered":"Aida Caf\u00e9 and Konditorei"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/pinkaidatable.jpg\" alt=\"Pink table\" class=\"wp-image-18410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/pinkaidatable.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/pinkaidatable-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The colour pink has many associations, but in Vienna it conjures up images of two city stalwarts: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/mannerschnitten\/\">Manner hazelnut wafer<\/a> and the Aida chain of caf\u00e9s. The latter promises reasonably-priced coffee and enough cakes and pastries to fill a fluffy unicorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Famous for its distinctive branding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outlets throughout Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Konditorei (confectionery) and caf\u00e9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cheaper than most of the well-known independent coffee houses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notably helpful coffee menu for visitors!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a historical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-walking-tours-l205287\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Coffee\" rel=\"sponsored\">walking tour<\/a>* for your visit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/coffee-houses\/\">Vienna coffee houses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/konditorei\/\">The Konditorei<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-local-review\">Pretty in pink<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aidaneonsign.jpg\" alt=\"Aida neon sign\" class=\"wp-image-42906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aidaneonsign.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aidaneonsign-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(One of many)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With numerous locations in Vienna, the Aida chain of caf\u00e9s is an integral part of the city landscape. But this is not a traditional coffee house in the style of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/cafe-central\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"10683\">Central<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/cafe-hawelka\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"9388\">Hawelka<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aida is more of a caf\u00e9 and patisserie-confectionery, reflecting the company&#8217;s origins as a purveyor of fine sweetened delights back in the early 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chain actually celebrated its 110th anniversary not so long ago: its founder (Josef Prousek) started out with small premises in 1913 before expanding production to later become the <em>Chocolaterie u. Gross-Konditorei AIDA<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/aida1900.jpg\" alt=\"Singerstra\u00dfe 1 in 1900\" class=\"wp-image-67926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/aida1900.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/aida1900-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The location of the Aida branch on Stephansplatz in the centre as the building used to look around 1900. Photographed by August Stauda; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 51951\/26; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company&#8217;s subsequent history often intertwined with that of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Aida famously produced doughnuts and ice cream for US troops in occupied Vienna post-WWII and proved an early adopter of the espresso machine; this technological import kicked off the city&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/konditorei\/\">caf\u00e9-Konditorei<\/a> tradition that runs alongside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/coffee-house-experience\/\">coffee house one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chain&#8217;s foundations in the world of pastries and sweet slices of joy is a decidely good thing if you&#8217;re into cake with a side order of coffee, rather than coffee with a side order of cake. (My wife assures me the selection is excellent.)<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aidaawning.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Aida front awning\" class=\"wp-image-42905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aidaawning.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/aidaawning-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The outlet close to the main opera house)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inside an Aida, you won&#8217;t find dark niches with upholstered furniture and marble tables. Instead, the locations tend to have a retro feel to them reminiscent of the 50s, 60s, or 70s, with plastic and glass dominating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nor do the staff wear the elegant black and white outfits of the coffee house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My (very friendly) waiter at the Opernring outlet bore his trays of sachertorte and cappuccinos dressed all in white, like a pastry chef, albeit with a pink collar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pink is very much the Aida colour and appears everywhere, particularly in the logo, tabletops, and awnings that front a caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The chain is popular with locals and also enjoys a reputation as an excellent rendezvous for certain parts of society to swap stories and gossip over a reasonably-priced coffee. The cappuccino certainly passed my quality test and arrived with an excellent froth on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Should you find yourself a little intimidated by Vienna&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/coffee-glossary\/\">coffee menus<\/a>, then Aida might be your life saver: their menu uses cutaway images of cups to show you exactly what goes into each option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if the thought of a double espresso with steamed milk and a topping of whipped cream intrigues you, then you know to order an &#8220;Aida Melange&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/aida2024.jpg\" alt=\"Large Aida sign on Stephansplatz\" class=\"wp-image-68131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/aida2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/aida2024-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The location on Stephansplatz today)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of the cakes and coffees, Aida has an all-day breakfast menu and snack meals, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is this the best place to sit in timeless elegance with a book of poetry? Probably not. But for a decent cup of coffee and a great piece of cake that won&#8217;t cost the earth, Aida does an excellent job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-get-to-an-aida\">How to get to an Aida<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The chain has numerous locations throughout the city, including several in the very centre of town, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stephansplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"83491\">Stephansplatz<\/a> near <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stefansdom\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"294\">the cathedral<\/a> (this outlet made a brief appearance in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/the-recruit-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"60459\">The Recruit<\/a> TV series)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bognergasse (the opposite end of the pedestrianised centre to the cathedral)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wollzeile (leads east away from the cathedral area)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The location I went to most recently was at Opernring 7, above Karlsplatz subway station (on the U1, U2 and U4 lines).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Opernring address has a certain resonance given the name of the caf\u00e9 chain: sit outside and enjoy the view of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\">State Opera House<\/a> on the other side of the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: all over Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/aida.at\/\">Website<\/a> (with a store directory)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1qxMhuM31vUOcHvWtm9QzWRPeiURPKwCX\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The colour pink has many associations, but in Vienna it conjures up images of two city stalwarts: the Manner hazelnut wafer and the Aida chain of caf\u00e9s. The latter promises reasonably-priced coffee and enough cakes and pastries to fill a fluffy unicorn. Pretty in pink (One of many) With numerous locations in Vienna, the Aida [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18410,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cafespubsbars","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18408"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83574,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18408\/revisions\/83574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}