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An Easier way to try Sacher Torte in Vienna

A high bucket list thing to do in Vienna is to eat the famous sacher (pronounced "soccer") torte. The cafe is located in the Sacher Hotel. Earlier this week I counted over 50 people lined up to get in at 5: 00 P.M. on a very cool evening. In warmer weather I imagine the line can get longer. There is a way to avoid the line.

Within sight of the Sacher Hotel is the Hotel Bristol. The Sacher Group purchased the Hotel Bristol a few years ago, so you will find the sacher torte on their menu. Both hotels are 5 star hotels, so if you are going to drop in, smart casual attire would be prudent. The Sacher Hotel has a person immediately inside the main entrance to greet you (and turn away non guests). If you happen to get past him, there is another uniformed person standing in the middle of the hall waiting to do the same. In other words, you will not get into their dining room. However, this is not the case at the Hotel Bristol. We have just returned from a week's stay at the Hotel Bristol, so these instructions are accurate. (early October, 2022)

The doorman on the street at the Bristol does not stop anyone. Just walk through the revolving door. Once in, keep walking straight ahead. The small lobby you enter has a concierge desk on the right. Just pass it. Keep going straight into the next area that has the reception desk on the right. Ignore it and walk straight ahead to the dining room. If there is someone at the podium, just tell him that you are there for lunch. If no one is at the podium open the door (they are usually kept closed) and find a table. When the waiter comes just tell him that you would like a coffee and a sacher torte. I saw people using credit cards in the dining room, so you do not need to be a hotel guest. Why waste 1-2 hours standing in line at the Sacher Hotel cafe when you can walk right in just 100 yards across the street. Time is valuable when you are travelling.

BTW: The torte is decadent. You really should try it. If you decide to bring some home, they told me it had a shelf life of 18 days. They ship it all over the world. They sell three sizes in their shop that is around the corner from the big line up. There will be no line to get into the shop. Enjoy!

Posted by
27063 posts

I think that is the reason many/most locals seem to order such desserts with whipped cream.

Posted by
11136 posts

And if , like me, you are not a chocolate lover, Vienna’s Apple Struedel is delicious. We even found them sold at take out windows.

Posted by
2602 posts

I did have the Sacher torte—with schlagobers, the word for whipped cream that is somewhat amusing to say—at the Sacher hotel’s outdoor cafe, where they allow non-hotel guests to eat. It was a Third Man experience for me, and my entree was delicious, the torte a bit dry even with schlagobers.

Posted by
2288 posts

From the Guardian :

"I received many complaints that Sachertorte is dry and boring; as Nigel Slater has noted, many people find the “elegant simplicity” of “the world’s most famous, grown-up chocolate cake” a bit of a disappointment. It shouldn’t be. Done well, the Sachertorte is soft but firm, delicately chocolatey and luscious with apricot jam, but never squidgy or gooey. As Rick Rodgers writes in his book Kaffeehaus, “for this reason, Sachertorte is always served with a big dollop of lightly whipped, gently sweetened, heavy cream. You are actually supposed to dip each bite of cake into the cream to moisten it before eating. So, don’t be shy!”

Posted by
4140 posts

I'm not a fan of it either , the dryness is secondary . Mostly I don't care for the combination of chocolate and apricot preserve , a bad marriage . On the other hand , Mozart Torte is very nice . Our favorite is at Nobauer's just around the corner from the tram halt in Grinzing .

Posted by
1896 posts

This is an everlasting discussion what grade of dryness a Sacher Torte should/should not/must/must not have.

I am not a fan of it, but when I ate one, I went to Aïda, the pink styled, oldfashioned café chain. The Sacher Torte is softer there, not so dry as the original, and much cheaper.

Posted by
3835 posts

EuroTraveller,

I am delighted that you LOVED your Sacher Torte. Thanks for sharing this tip for others who want to try it.

Posted by
265 posts

Also not a fan. Too dry, and don't appreciate the apricot with the chocolate. I am a fan of but not together. I'm with Suki. Love the strudel in Vienna, with or without schlag. But to each their own.

Posted by
1942 posts

My parents went to Vienna and the Hotel Sacher to try the torte. They also were not impressed and said it was dry.

Posted by
5372 posts

The Sacher Hotel is a big tourist factory now - it is absurd as they plunk you down, give you a slice and then send you on your way. The exact opposite of a Viennese cafe experience, but I guess folks gotta get those photos on Instagram. I personally think that Sachertorte is terrible - the cake is dry and I do not like the apricot/chocolate combo, but to each their own. You'll catch me ordering a strudel in cafes outside of the First District where the experience remains authentic.

Posted by
740 posts

I am in Vienna now. Tried the torte two times. Once from a street vendor. The second at a brewery (homemade beer and homemade torte). Second one had whipped cream. Apricot flavor is almost non existent. Cake is dry. I would say that a boxed cake mix in the states would surpass a sacher torte for moistness and chocolate flavor. Tried one time the strudel. It was OK. A strudel seems to be wrapped with a rather think pastry/crust. It adds very little to the overall flavor. I think that any decent apple turnover which is made with puff pastry or a good apple pie is better than a strudel.
Vienna has cafes all over and you can buy a lot of different cakes that easily surpass the sacher torte in moistness and flavor. I don’t know why the sacher is such a big deal.