Opulent Vienna Recommendations?

For good tea, consider the Haas & Haas Teahaus on Stephensplatz. It sounds like afternoon tea probably would not be your friends... well... cup of tea due to the sweets that generally accompany it, but the Teehaus offers breakfast, and later in the day, offers soups, salads, pastas, and main courses. It was recommended to me by Emily! https://haas-haas.at/pages/tea-house

I don't know that it is opulent, but Karl & Otto Cafe in the basement of the Otto Wagner Karlsplatz Straßenbahn Pavilion is cool (as is the pavilion). Wagner was known for Judenstil! AKA art nouveau. It's like stepping back in time. I only had coffee there -- did not try the food. https://otto-wagner-pavillon.at/

Will you have some time in Budapest? If so, New York Cafe is an excellent choice for your friend. Pure opulence.

Thanks Dave, I'll check those out!

And no, Barkinpark, just a quick trip to Vienna. Vacation days are hard to come by in fashion. But that cafe is definitely the vibe I'm looking for, just in Vienna.

It is not a cafe per se, but I would consider a visit to a Viennese institution, the Dorotheum. The Dorotheum is the action house and pawn shop, it has many agencies in the city but the main house is at Dorotheergasse, hence the name. You could consider it as a museum where items are on sale. An interesting feature is the jewelry shop at the top floor; it sells many pieces of new jewelry, often with Viennese designs; but the interesting section is the used jewelry section. Here the items from the pawn shop that are too cheap to be auctioned (mind you, "cheap" may still mean several thousand euros) are sold directly; you can often find old little pieces from late 19th and early 20th centuries at reasonable prices, often with Art Noveau designs no more to be found elsewhere. I once had a free morning in Vienna and a distinguished lady to entertain; I brought her to Dorotheum and she was enthusiast. Dorotheum has a cafe, too.

Hopefully, Emily will pop in, but here is her post on a thread from 2023:

I'll reiterate some fo the coffeehouses that I have recommended in the
past. Cafe Sperl - best apfelstrudel and the look that you are going
for. Cafe Diglas on Wollzeile - really excellent cakes. Vollpension -
run by grannies who bake their favorite cakes, fun for kids. Gerstner
- an uber-elegant cafe (be sure to go the upper floors) with amazing sour cherry strudel. Alt Wien Kaffee - really cosy, local vibe and new
to my list of favorites. Café Prückel - Breakfast at Tiffany's vibe,
good for lunch.

I will also share cafes to avoid - Sacher, Demel and Central. These
are all completely overtaken by Instagrammers and long lines. Sadly,
they used to be great, but now they are tourist factories.

I will also share my new favorite with you via private message.

And, if you haven't found it, her thread from 2021 on favorite dining experiences: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/my-top-ten-food-experiences-in-vienna

Lachera, she loves vintage jewelry, so that sounds like a perfect stop, thank you!

And Dave, I have read Emily's posts, which is where I got half of my ideas lol. I know she always recommends against Demel, at least as far as eating inside. I just think for the location and time constraints it still may be a good option for us, and hopefully in late February it won't be as mobbed as during the prime tourist season. I also think she typically judges based on the quality of the food (which makes sense for most people asking), but for this case that's our lowest priority, so I'm interested in her take based more on aesthetics/ambiance.

For whoever may offer input later, I've made some changes, so here is the latest plan:
SATURDAY:
- Breakfast at Gerstner Cafe
- St Stephen's
- Coffee/snack at Paremi
- Jesuitenkirche
- Possible snack at Würstelstand zum Hohen Markt
- Organ music at Peterskirche
- Taxi to Schoenbrunn
- Carriage Museum
- Schoenbrunn
- Taxi to hotel / refresh
- Café Schwarzenberg
- Classical concert at Musikverein (19:30-21:30)
- Dinner at Plachuttas (Opera location)

SUNDAY:
- Annaskirche
- Breakfast at Joseph Brot
- Mass at Augustinerkirche
- National Library
- Lunch at Palmenhaus
- Schmetterlinghaus
- Kunsthistoriches Museum
- Possible snack at Bitzkringer
- Refresh at hotel
- Drinks at Blaue Bar
- Opera at Staatsoper (19:00-22:00)
- Dinner at Rote Bar

MONDAY:
- Breakfast at Vollpension Johannesgasse
- Taxi to Belvedere
- Belvedere Palace
- Taxi to restaurant
- Zum Schwarzen Kameel
- Imperial Apartments + Sisi Museum
- Imperial Treasury
- Café Demel
- Dorotheum
- Refresh at hotel
- Dinner at Glasswing Bistro
- Taxi to concert at Stadthalle (19:00-late)