Vienna Photos: Melange, the classic coffee of Vienna

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If you go to Vienna, you have to go to one of the city′s many traditional cafes. If you go to a traditional café in Vienna, don′t make the fatal mistake of ordering simply "coffee". I used to be a regular at a café associated with a museum and despite of the many North-American visitors there, the waiter could not bear the request for coffee.

I used to secretly listen to his ranting - "…there is no coffee…"; then, he would start to go through the long list of coffees that are typically sold in Vienna and lectured the usually rather intimidated tourists that filter coffee is not on the menu and simply no option at all to be served in a respectable café.

To save yourself the hassle, simply order a "Verlängerter" (which is the coffee sold in Austria that is the most similar one to ordinary filter coffee) or a "Melange", the most classic option. A melange is very similar to a cappuccino in Italy, whereas a cappuccino in Austria is usually made with whipped cream instead of foamed milk. The picture above shows a Melange, served in a café in the 13th district of Vienna, Hietzing: Espresso at the base, complemented with foamed milk and sugar, served with a silver spoon and a glass of water. The traditional way in Vienna, where there is no such thing as "coffee".