☕ Coffee house · konditorei
Demel
The former imperial and royal court confectioner on Kohlmarkt, and the most theatrical pastry shop in Vienna.
Its history goes back to 1786, when a confectioner from Württemberg, Ludwig Dehne, opened a shop near the old Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz. The business passed in 1857 to his former assistant Christoph Demel, whose family gave it its name, its title of k.u.k. Hofzuckerbäcker and, from 1888, its present address a few steps from the Hofburg. The Demel is said to have supplied the imperial household, and Empress Elisabeth's candied violets are still part of the legend. In the 1970s and 1980s the shop was run by Udo Proksch, whose private club upstairs and later murder conviction in the Lucona affair — an insurance fraud in which a ship was sunk and six crew died — became one of Austria's great scandals. Since 2002 it has belonged to the DO & CO group.
The front room, with its gilded mirrors and glass cases of cakes, cream slices and marzipan figures, is always crowded. Walk through to the back or upstairs to the quieter salons, and look through the window into the open pastry kitchen. The waitresses traditionally address guests in the old formal third person. As published on demel.com in September 2026, it is open daily 10:00–19:00.
Honest note: prices reflect the address, and at peak hours you may wait for a table. Come early on a weekday, try the Annatorte or a slice of Demel's own chocolate torte, and buy boxed sweets as gifts. More in Vienna's coffee houses.
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Frequently asked
What are the opening hours at Demel?
The hours published on Google are: Monday: 10:00–19:00; Tuesday: 10:00–19:00; Wednesday: 10:00–19:00; Thursday: 10:00–19:00; Friday: 10:00–19:00; Saturday: 10:00–19:00; Sunday: 10:00–19:00. Check the venue's own site before a special trip — holiday and seasonal hours often differ.
Where is Demel?
The address is Kohlmarkt 14, 1010 Wien, in Innere Stadt (Vienna's 1st district).
How old is Demel?
It has been running since 1786, which places it among Vienna's genuinely long-established coffee houses.
What should I order at Demel, and how long can I stay?
The classic order is a Melange — espresso with steamed milk and foam, Vienna's cousin of the cappuccino — which arrives with a glass of water, often refilled without asking. In a traditional Viennese coffee house nobody hurries you: one coffee buys you hours and the house newspapers. When you want the bill, say "Zahlen, bitte" and pay at the table.
Is Demel worth visiting?
It holds 4.2 out of 5 from 22,283 Google reviews — a strong score for a coffee house in Vienna. Treat the rating as a starting point, not a verdict, and read a few recent reviews too.
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