Best Coffee Shops to Work From in Vienna

One of Vienna’s claims among European capitals is its long tradition of coffee houses and cafés. Traditional Viennese coffee houses rival even Paris and Venice in terms of their ornate charm, delicious pastries, and great coffee. With the rise of remote work, the student population of Vienna University, and tourists needing to attend to their inboxes, there has been a proliferation of cafés, restaurants, and even bars that cater to customers who need some caffeine, good wifi, a sturdy table, and a power outlet to crunch out some work.

 It’s never ideal to have to work on your visit to a historic city like Vienna, but if cleaning up your inbox or finishing a passion project helps you enjoy your time at one of Vienna’s beer halls or an afternoon spent perusing the best shopping in town, then plugging away for a little while it worth it. Just remember to drop the bags at one of Bounce’s many luggage storage facilities in Vienna first. 

Here are the best coffee shops in Vienna for getting your work done: 

Burggasse 24 

This comfortable spot feels as much like a living room as it does a trendy café. There is ample seating throughout the place, with a spacious back room where you’ll find the most peace and quiet. The lively storefront of the café features friendly baristas serving up truly excellent coffee brews, a decorative street lamp, and a bar area for casual customers. 

While Burggasse 24 is incredibly popular with locals and study abroad students from Vienna University, it’s rarely so crowded that you can’t find a table in the back room where most customers are typing away on their laptops. While they don’t offer an extensive food menu or lunch, they serve some tasty pastries and snacks from a local bakery. 

Location: 

Burggasse 24, 1070 Wien, Austria

Café Central

On Saturdays and Sundays, this is one of the most popular cafés in the entire world. This historic Vienna coffee house has been an institution for well over a century and has been a study space for legendary literary figures and intellectuals throughout Vienna’s opulent history - Leon Trotsky and Sigmund Freud are notable former patrons of Cafe Central. The regal decor makes this a must-see place regardless of whether or not you like coffee or need a place to shoot off a few emails. There is seating by the street side windows for people-watching, and there is a cozy atmosphere and comfortable seating for spending a few hours reading or working. 

In terms of what to order, their melange is the most popular. It’s an Austrian take on a cappuccino, and it pairs well with their traditional pastries like their freshly baked strüdels. Cafe Central is near the Rudolfsplatz luggage storage location, so drop your bags, grab an afternoon coffee, complete your tasks, and head out to explore one of Europe’s most iconic historic districts. 

Location: 

Herrengasse 14, 1010 Wien, Austria

Café Jelinek

Café Jelinek is one of the few traditional cafés that are actually suitable for remote work. It’s a best-of-both-worlds scenario, which can be incredibly hard to find in Europe’s historic city centers where charming cafés stay true to their centuries-old layouts and furnishings. This cozy café is as comfortable as a living room but maintains its ornate decor and timeless elegance. 

In terms of working from this café, they have great wifi and a number of spacious tables to spread out work materials. In terms of food, expect cakes, pastries, and light snacks to pair with their excellent coffee. They also have a full espresso bar for quick caffeine fixes. The staff is ultra-friendly and never rushes customers who are there to work for a few hours.

Location: 

Otto-Bauer-Gasse 5, 1060 Wien, Austria

Café Phil 

Part bookstore, part café, “Phil” (as the locals call it) is one of Vienna's most popular coffee shops for hanging out or hunkering down and getting some work done. You’ll find just about everyone at Cafe Phil, whether it’s business travelers seeking out their great wifi and an afternoon pick-me-up, students doing some last-minute cramming, or even Vienna creatives pursuing a passion project. Their laptop-friendly tables have ample outlets, space, and lighting for focusing on the task at hand. 

There are two levels at Café Phil, the ground-level storefront naturally has most of the casual customers popping in for an espresso and a pastry. The second level is where you’ll find the spacious tables where students and workers set up shop for deep concentration and quiet. One major thing to consider is that their normally perfect wifi is turned off on weekends to encourage a social atmosphere, so this is a Monday to Friday operation. But when the conditions are right, this is one of the best coffee shops in Vienna for working. On weekends, they have beer on tap, evening cocktails, DJs playing pop hits, and a lively atmosphere that will help you let loose after all that work. 

Another plus? Café Phil is situated in one of the most historic and charming neighborhoods in Vienna.

Location: 

Gumpendorfer Str. 10 - 12, 1060 Wien, Austria

Café Leopold

Located in the epic MuseumsQuartier, which is a must-hit area regardless of your work schedule or other plans, Café Leopold is a bar, restaurant, and coffee shop hybrid. So no matter what time of day, there is something at Café Leopold for you. 

While the decor is that of a traditional Viennese café and restaurant, the vibe and offerings are anything but that. For one, their eclectic menu is headlined by superb dim sum options. Also, there are nightly DJ sets where it’s not uncommon for blaring pop songs to accompany dinner.

During the mornings and afternoons, however, Café Leopold is a welcome refuge for students and professionals needing a comfortable table, some wifi, and some caffeine. They serve great coffee, delicious pastries, have fast wifi, and have a pleasant atmosphere to hang out in for a few hours at a time. That’s all you really need to plug away until you reach inbox zero. 

Location: 

Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien, Austria

Café Prückel

This is a coffee shop built for comfort. There aren’t any communal tables, there is no elevated bar area. Instead, there are comfy couches and leather armchairs you can really sink into with a book or your laptop. Café Prückel is located near Bounce’s luggage storage facility at the Museum of Applied Arts, which would explain the bookish, perhaps geeky, clientele. But this local’s favorite is one of the cooler and more unique traditional coffee houses in Vienna. The interior was renovated in the 1950s, adding to the eclectic design, you’ll find hipster baristas, professor-looking customers, and creative types all typing away on their laptops or reading books throughout the café's spacious room. The crowd never overpowers the coziness of Café Prückel, so you won’t need to retreat behind your headphones in order to focus. 

Location: 

Stubenring 24, 1010 Wien, Austria

Coffee Pirates 

While some professionals try to steer clear of establishments so close to the University of Vienna’s glorious campus, the great coffee and trendy vibe of Coffee Pirates bring in plenty of customers there to plug away on their laptops. 

The wifi is fast and reliable, there are plenty of outlets at tables along the walls, and the lighting opts for functionality rather than setting a mood. While the atmosphere is upbeat and the clientele is noticeably young, it’s never so rowdy that a pair of headphones can’t insulate workers enough to concentrate.  

The main offering at Coffee Pirates is their delicious coffee, but they do have some snacks and baked goods. They use a local bakery for their pastries, some of which are vegan. It’s definitely recommended that you grab a coffee and a seat first, then worry about the sweet treats. Sometimes this place can get crowded!

Location: 

Spitalgasse 17, 1090 Wien, Austria   

Das Mobel "Furniture Cafe"

Known locally as “the furniture cafe,” this trendy spot features sleek modern design and bright lighting, making it ideal for working. Their communal tables have slightly less space to spread out, but they usually have ample seating elsewhere in the café, even during peak hours. Located on the bustling Burggasse stretch, you’ll find trendy Vienners waiting in line for an espresso during the morning rush, and the lively atmosphere and friendly (and noticeably cool) staff provide nice energy to the place. 

On most mornings, their espresso machine is hard at work putting together a perfectly-bitter shot of caffeine or other Italian-inspired coffee drinks. Their drip coffee and lattes are all excellent as well. In terms of food, they go beyond your usual pastries and cakes. Their homemade sandwiches are delicious, with fresh-baked bread and smoked ham with grainy mustard. They also serve drinks, including local beer and wine. So you’ll have a way to celebrate the end of the workweek or the completion of a key task at the end of the day. 

Location: 

Gumpendorfer Str. 11, 1060 Wien, Austria

Pickwick’s 

This charming café near Vienna University is equal parts coffee shop and trendy hangout. During the day, students and professionals happily (or not) type away at their spacious tables equipped with power outlets, solid wifi, and delicious coffee. At peak hours, finding a full table for yourself can be difficult, but most customers are used to sharing their large tables with others. 

Pickwick’s in the AM and early PM is, first and foremost, a study space. After that, it’s all evening drinks, mounds of fries, and even trivia night. Their food menu starts at 5 pm, so expect a nice mix of pub favorites like french fries, burgers, and even vegan options to pair with local draft beer. The crowd is friendly and young, so plan accordingly. 

Location: 

Marc-Aurel-Straße 10-12, 1010 Wien, Austria

Vollpension

Another wonderful café near the Vienna University campus, Vollpension derives its name from the “full pension” inside joke among university staff. Jokes aside, this is one of the best cafés in Vienna, period. In terms of working, they have strong wifi, large tables to turn into a mini-office, and enough room that it never feels overcrowded during a morning or afternoon rush. 

Their friendly staff serves tasty snacks along with their delicious coffee drinks. They bake everything in-house, with a wide variety of delicious pastries that pair perfectly with a latte or espresso. In the morning, they serve breakfast, making it a popular pre-exam cramming destination for students. 

Location: 

Schleifmühlgasse 16, 1040 Wien, Austria

WIRR Bar & Restaurant 

While this is a pub rather than a coffee shop, its sleek and welcoming interior is regularly used as a study space for students and a remote office for professionals. Despite the place’s beverage of choice being a small stein of Austrian lager and not a latté, you’ll find plenty of tables occupied with customers typing away on laptops or reading books. Plenty of natural light keeps the place bright, and the bar area is always lively, but you can still find a corner to hunker down and concentrate. 

In terms of food, expect pub fare to go along with your pint of beer or cocktail. They generally have a selection of vegetarian options, but wraps, sandwiches, burgers, and traditional Viennese options are the most popular items on the menu. 

Location: 

Burggasse 70, 1070 Wien, Austria

Conclusion

Vienna has a nice mix of traditional cafés where tourists are transported to decades or even centuries past and modern coffee shops where you can catch up on work so you can enjoy the rest of your visit to this historic city. Luckily, there are Bounce luggage storage locations all over Vienna, so you can always drop the bags off before it’s crunch time at the café.