Café Sperl: Timeless Elegance Since 1880
Café Sperl opened its doors in 1880, founded by Jacob Ronacher, and quickly became a favorite haunt of Vienna’s artistic and intellectual elite. Its strategic location near the Naschmarkt and several major theatres attracted a crowd of painters, writers, composers, and actors, many of whom left their imprint on Viennese cultural life. Over time, it welcomed regulars like Lewinsky, Girardi, as well as a rotating cast of characters from the military, aristocracy, and academia.
What set Sperl apart then – and continues to now – is its authenticity. The original Thonet furniture, parquet flooring, and crystal chandeliers remain largely unchanged. This is rare even in Vienna, a city proud of its traditions. While many historic cafés have undergone subtle updates, Sperl seems to have consciously resisted modernization, instead preserving its atmosphere as a living museum of Viennese café life.
Its significance also lies in how it reflects the role of coffeehouses in Vienna’s social fabric. In the late 19th and early 20th century, cafés like Sperl functioned as intellectual salons, second living rooms, and creative incubators. Newspapers were provided, debates were encouraged, and time limits were nonexistent. This cultural institution was so central to Viennese identity that UNESCO officially recognized Viennese Coffee House Culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.
More recently, Café Sperl has been featured in several films, including Before Sunrise and A Dangerous Method, lending it a certain cinematic familiarity that adds to its quiet mystique.
Today, it continues to strike a delicate balance between serving as a destination for travelers and a steady routine for locals. Popping in for a quiet coffee, escaping the cold with a bowl of soup, or enjoying a delicious cake, you’ll find that Sperl offers a rare sense of place – deeply Viennese, delightfully unhurried, and wholly timeless.
