In our explorations of the different cafes in Austria, we went to Cafe Hawelka one morning! Cafe Hawelka feels very homely, like it hasn’t changed in years, transporting you back in time. It is one of the last great traditional Central European coffee houses, ran by the family that founded it 80 years ago. Over the years, a large number of famous writers and artists have frequented this cafe, so it’s got tons of history in it too.
Vegetable Torte
Dann and I had quite a few sweet breakfast up to this point, and Dann noticed he wasn’t eating many vegetables at all. So, when he saw a vegetable torte on the menu, he went right for it. This was a big cut of puff pastry, filled with stewed vegetables. Dann found the vegetables to have good texture and fantastic flavor, being simple in concept but just done well. It came with a big dollop of sour cream on the side, to bring a different texture and flavor to the dish.
Frittatensuppe
On a bunch of menus, I kept seeing a soup that was described, in English, as having pancake slivers in it. I am not really sure what I thought this was, but today I ordered it! This soup had a clear broth, light yet flavorful, and very much savory. The pancakes themselves were like thin, hand-pulled noodles that were cut up and added in. They are different in size to each other, but bring a good chew to the soup. It’s a lovely dish, and I felt very warm after having it.
Apple Strudel
Dann and I did want to get a sweet treat to end our meal at Cafe Hawelka! So, we went with a classic; apple strudel. You could get this with warm vanilla or without, though I didn’t realize that until after I had ordered. The puff pastry around the outside of it was perfectly cooked and very thin. The apple in the middle was a good texture too, not too sweet, with powdered sugar all on the outside to balance it out. It was a fantastic end to the meal and a perfect size for Dann and I to split.