Café Leopold

Frommer's Review

Even before it was built, everyone expected that the cafe and restaurant within one of Vienna's newest museums would be trendsetting. And indeed, critics have defined the place as a postmodern version, in architectural form, of the Viennese expressionist paintings (including many by Egon Schiele) that are exhibited within the museum that contains it. Set one floor above street level in the Leopold Museum, and with a schedule that operates long after the museum is closed for the night, it's sheathed in the same pale pink sandstone as the museum's exterior, but enhanced with three tones (jet black, "Sahara cream," and russet) of marble. There are a minimalist-looking oak-trimmed bar, huge windows, vague and simplified references to 18th-century baroque architecture, and a chandelier that cynics say looks like a lost UFO suspended from the ceiling. During the day, the place functions as a conventional cafe and restaurant, serving a postmodern blend of mitteleuropaïsche (central European) and Asian food. Examples include roasted shoulder of veal with Mediterranean vegetables, Thai curries, Vietnamese spring rolls, and arugula-studded risottos. Three nights a week, however, from around 10pm till at least 2am, any hints of kitsch and coziness are banished as soon as a DJ begins cranking out dance tunes for a hard-drinking denizens-of-the-night crowd.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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