{"id":81841,"date":"2025-04-04T08:55:52","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T07:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=81841"},"modified":"2025-12-18T20:50:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T19:50:01","slug":"gerstner-palais-todesco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/gerstner-palais-todesco\/","title":{"rendered":"Gerstner in Palais Todesco"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaersmall.jpg\" alt=\"Cake shop window\" class=\"wp-image-81845\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaersmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaersmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Enjoy coffee, cake and classic palais interiors at the Gerstner premises in the 19th-century Palais Todesco on Vienna&#8217;s central K\u00e4rntner Stra\u00dfe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Konditorei, caf\u00e9-bar &amp; restaurant on separate floors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gorgeous palais d\u00e9cor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Friendly, attentive staff on our visit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Try the apple strudel (big portions)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find a <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 Vienna trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/konditorei\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"23020\">Other Caf\u00e9-Konditoreien<\/a> in Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/coffee-houses\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"7689\">Coffee houses<\/a> in Vienna<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Palais and cake<\/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\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer2.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to a caf\u00e9-Konditorei\" class=\"wp-image-81843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer2-300x225.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\">(Wrought iron gates and 1800s architecture)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parts of central Vienna seem to have lovely 19th-century palais buildings on every street corner. Literally. And between the corners, to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wander down K\u00e4rntner Stra\u00dfe, and most eyes naturally drift to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1071\">Staatsoper<\/a> opera house: a beacon of operatic grandeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The opposite side of the street, though, has Palais Todesco, which a banking family built in the 1860s. The words &#8220;prime real estate&#8221; were born for such a location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone looking for a glimpse inside Vienna&#8217;s palais interiors is usually limited to stolen glances through doorways and windows (or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/classical-concert\/#mozart-strauss-concerts\">concert ticket<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Palais Todesco, however, is different, thanks to the presence of the Gerstner Konditorei, caf\u00e9-bar and restaurant on three floors within.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"414\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/todescoold.jpg\" alt=\"Palais Todesco in the late 1800s\" class=\"wp-image-45790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/todescoold.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/todescoold-300x248.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\">(Palais Todesco in the 19th century; photo courtesy of the Rijksmuseum&nbsp;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We popped into the caf\u00e9 part expecting refinement and elegance. And we were not disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What we did not expect from such austere premises was to feel as relaxed and comfortable as we felt. A pleasant surprise. But I get ahead of myself&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Konditorei shop on the ground floor looks like the reincarnation of a royal regency confectionery updated for the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Definitely a place for buying gifts of the sweeter sort: a strong option alongside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/the-sachertorte\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2049\">original Sachertorte<\/a> available further down K\u00e4rntner Stra\u00dfe or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/shopping\/souvenirs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2090\">Altmann &amp; K\u00fchne pralines<\/a> on the nearby Graben.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We ignored the lift and took the staircase with its wrought iron balustrade up to the caf\u00e9-bar, which had the feel of a period drawing room: full of olive and burgundy upholstered armchairs and sofas, wooden tables, brass lamps and heavy curtains.<\/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\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer1.jpg\" alt=\"Cake display in a window\" class=\"wp-image-81842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer1-300x225.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\">(Like most of Vienna&#8217;s Caf\u00e9-Konditoreien, the cakes at Gerstner double as works of art, making you wonder how they make them)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I certainly felt the urge to tell my wife that my feelings will not be repressed and she must allow me to tell her how ardently I admire and love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Bonus points if you recognise the quote. Answer at the bottom of the page.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The atmosphere proved intimate, albeit with a spacious layout despite the relatively small caf\u00e9 premises: you don&#8217;t feel at all squashed in. That also means limited capacities, though the attached bar area had stools for those pursuing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/schlumberger-wine-cellars\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"71268\">sparkling wine<\/a> rather than a gentle <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/coffee-glossary\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1863\">melange<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, I would strongly recommend you reserve a table well in advance to avoid disappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bar snacks were available. We gravitated of course to the cakes and pastries menu, which featured <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/vienna-cakes\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"22533\">popular Viennese varieties<\/a>, but also unique variations like Gerstner&#8217;s own in-house cake (which my wife enjoyed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The waiter who took our order was a house-proud attentive gentleman of the best sort for such locations.<\/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\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer3.jpg\" alt=\"Konditorei sign and lantern\" class=\"wp-image-81844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer3.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gerstnerkaer3-300x225.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 K. u. K. Hofzuckerb\u00e4cker designation refers to Gerstner&#8217;s former status as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/k-k\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12865\">by appointment to the Habsburg court<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I asked him for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/apfelstrudel\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"73061\">apple strudel<\/a>, expecting a thin slice given upmarket prices often include a premium for the historical ambience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strudel arrived on a dinner plate: an unexpectedly generous portion in these days of shrinkflation. And it was excellent. I had it with whipped cream, though my friends tell me that&#8217;s a sin against the culinary gods and may lead to the withdrawal of my Austrian passport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strudel also arrived with an extra fork, spoon and serviette in case I wanted to share. Yeeeaaahh&#8230;no. That&#8217;s not happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/cafespubsbars\/gerstner-schonbrunn\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74321\">Gerstner location<\/a> in Vienna&#8217;s Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace actually does strudel shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can&#8217;t say what the ambience is like at busier times (we booked toward the end of the day in March) but, as someone who normally feels uncomfortable in such refined surroundings, I really felt very much at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And what of the restaurant one floor higher?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My research budget did not extend to a meal, but we walked up for a look. Let&#8217;s just say that those ceilings you see in Jane Austen movies? Yep, like that. We&#8217;re tempted to do the Sunday Brunch as a wedding anniversary present to ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get there<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re on my suggested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/walking-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"50322\">self-guided walking route<\/a> in the centre, you more or less pass Gerstner (just walk to the other side of the opera house). Otherwise, subways and trams stop very close by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: U1, U2 and U4 lines to Karlsplatz and take the K\u00e4rntner Stra\u00dfe exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram: lines 1, 2, 71, D and 62 to the Oper\/Karlsplatz stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: K\u00e4rntner Stra\u00dfe 51, 1010 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gerstner.at\/palaistodesco\/\">Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(And the quote? Mr Darcy in his first proposal to Elisabeth Bennet in Jane Austen&#8217;s <em>Pride &amp; Prejudice<\/em>. As the word &#8220;first&#8221; suggests, the proposal did not get the reaction he might have hoped for.)<\/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>If you like coffee and cake with your period aristocratic interiors, then you&#8217;re in the right place<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81845,"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-81841","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\/81841","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81841"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87631,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81841\/revisions\/87631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}