3.5 stars.
A well-known rival of Café Sacher, we had to come here for a comparison.
The first time we came (Thursday around lunchtime), we saw a long line for the upstairs cafe that people were waiting at the staircase. We left. The second time we came (Sunday afternoon), there was hardly any line and got a table in less than 5 minutes. But in case you have to wait, at least you could observe the open-viewing bakery and watch the bakers prepare the cakes.
The decor of Demel (upstairs) is a little less formal than Sacher with wooden chairs marble tables, color-painted walls, but it still…Read more
3.5 stars.
A well-known rival of Café Sacher, we had to come here for a comparison.
The first time we came (Thursday around lunchtime), we saw a long line for the upstairs cafe that people were waiting at the staircase. We left. The second time we came (Sunday afternoon), there was hardly any line and got a table in less than 5 minutes. But in case you have to wait, at least you could observe the open-viewing bakery and watch the bakers prepare the cakes.
The decor of Demel (upstairs) is a little less formal than Sacher with wooden chairs marble tables, color-painted walls, but it still has a touch of elegance with its colorful glass chandeliers and paintings of aristocrats.
Service was friendlier in Demel. We could look closer at the cake selection and order directly at the cake counter, and the server was nice to explain (in English) what cake is what.
We tried apple strudel, Sachertorte, and the Annatorte (Demel's original chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, orange liqueur, and nougat). The strudel and Sachertorte were good, but the Annatorte was a bit heavy and too much liqueur for me to enjoy. We had Eiskaffee (coffee with ice cream), Melange (Austrian espresso with a bit of milk), and Fiaker (espresso with cherry brandy and whipped cream), and those were all great drinks. The price is just as high for cakes and coffees (about 35 EUR for 3 people).
One can see that Demel blatantly profits on tourists with its cake shop and souvenir store, selling expensive goodies like chocolate, postcards, vanilla sugar, etc. As a tourist, I did buy some chocolate for my co-workers, and I must admit, Demel knows what they are doing.
Overall, I had the better experience here.