Café Landtmann — Vienna’s storybook coffee house
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For 150 years, Café Landtmann has sat on the famed Ringstrasse in Vienna, opposite the Parliament and in the heart of Austria’s capital. In that century and a half, the Querfeld Family have steered the institution through crises, both global and local, to establish it as a venue for celebrities, politicians and everyday Austrians alike to pop in for coffee, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Approaching the landmark anniversary, I sat down with Ferdinand, from the family’s third generation, to talk about all things Vienna, coffee houses, the family’s growing group, and his personal journey.
I was early for my meeting with Ferdinand but this is one of those places that you’d happily kill 15 minutes time and time again. That is the very essence of a coffee house and it’s one of the first things that strikes you when you walk in. As I’d later have explained, the coffee house is a unique concept. The interiors are huge and airy, meticulously decorated and with tables adorned with white table clothes and laid to convey that sense of intense luxury. All the staff are dressed in suits and the customer is put at the centre of everything. Despite that though, the feeling is relaxed and there are just as many people here sitting with a coffee reading the newspaper as there are large groups celebrating momentous occasions. That mix, together with the true mélange of people from all across the social spectrum, breeds a welcoming atmosphere different to any other kind of eatery.
Ferdinand himself has been on a quite remarkable journey. Being born into the family renowned around Vienna and the whole of Austria as the owners of the Landtmann you might have expected him to hop straight into hospitality and a cushy role within the famous restaurant. The truth is quite different.
Ferdinand Querfeld
Now 27, he escaped Austria to study political economy at Berkley in the US in 2015. Even more surprising than that might be the athletic career that fuelled this move — a full rowing scholarship saw him represent the university in the United States as well as his home country at international level. By 2016 his crew were U23 World Champions and the path to the Olympics seemed set before various injuries combined with COVID to take that opportunity away by the cruellest of small margins. After that, Ferdinand seized an opportunity on the Danube and took over a restaurant at Das Bootshaus (The Boathouse) and modelled his new eatery on an English rowing club for a brand new addition to not only his family’s growing group of restaurants but the Vienna food scene altogether.
The number of restaurants and cafés in the Querfeld group is indeed eclectic to say the least. Ranging from the original Café Landtmann to Crossfields, an Australian pub that is now more than 20 years old, the family run eight different eateries with the same focus on quality, hospitality, and consistency.
The all-important konditiorei counter
Ferdinand is quick to point out though that none of them are the Landtmann. The opportunities to grow that brand across the years have been numerous and taken every form under the sun but by keeping the original café unique, it retains the standout qualities and special atmosphere that you can only get at independently owned establishments.
It is worth pointing out too that although it might be one of the oldest remaining, Café Landtmann isn’t the only coffee house to be family owned in Vienna. In fact, almost all of them remain independent to this day. This makes it almost impossible to draw parallels with the UK, the US, or the rest of Europe, where even the most historic restaurants are almost all now run by larger groups, be them domestic or international. In this city, the soul very much remains. No doubt that is helped by the family’s friendliness and openness with Ferdinand not only warm with me but keenly discussing the community of restaurants, cafés, and establishments, old and new, that make up Vienna. Not only does everyone know the Querfelds but, much more importantly, they know everybody too.
As much as the ‘vibe’ is important to the family, the most important thing to the is quality across the board. Ferdinand describes father Berndt to me as the the ultimate perfectionist blended with the traits of a mad scientist. After studying horticulture, all of the siblings know the trouble they will be in if any of their restaurants’ flower beds are dry and dad regularly arrives with batches of flowers. Just as regular are the crazy and brilliant ideas that he comes up with and relies on his family and larger team to implement. Perhaps it is that vision that has seen the café and the group as a whole grow so reliably since he took the reins in 1988.
Gradually taking over other cafes and restaurants, 2006 was somewhat of a seminal moment as Querfeld established their own dedicated bakery to supply all of the their enterprises. By taking that pastry preparation out of the individual restaurants, they have maintained the consistency and quality in pastries and cakes that defines the family’s reputation.
That reputation is so large that it is almost impossible to sum-up in an article such as this. Everyone I speak to in the city and the country before the interview knows the Landtmann. The famous guestbook contains the names of regulars from yesteryear like Sigmund Freud, to modern day icons like Paul McCartney and Hilary Clinton. These days, politicians and celebrities are common sights at a table taking a coffee break or indulging in extravagant desserts. Alongside the numerous private meeting rooms is The Landtmannsaal that has become the capital’s go-to venue for the press conferences of football teams, businesses, and politicians alike — if something important is happening in central Vienna, it’s a safe bet that it is happening at the café.
Guglehupf
All in all, Café Landtmann is unlike any other restaurant I have ever visited and perhaps the best was to sum it up is with the Apfelstrudel. Years have been spent perfecting the blend of different apples and gratings along with the pastry to create the perfect flavour and texture when cooked at any of the different restaurants. It’s a timeless classic, voted Vienna’s best, and it’s unpretentiously priced at €6.90. More than that though, it warms you up inside. Most of all, just like the restaurant, it makes you feel at home.
THAT strudel
