Demel bakery or Hotel Sacher for Sachertorte?

I prefer Demel, it's a little less sweet.
But I had an amazing Banana Split at Hotel Sacher!!!!!!!

You posted this in the Hungary forum. As Demel and Sacher are both in Vienna, I presume you made a mistake here.

Anyway, I strongly prefer the strudel in Vienna, but I'd choose Demel as the atmostphere is very special.

Try them both! Then go back for seconds to the one YOU choose as your best!

I really did not like very much the torte at Sacher. My general advice for confectionery is Heiner in the Wollzeile, maybe better than Demel but not as touristy.

Demel is just a magical place, if I ever get to Vienna again it will be the first place I head to!

Sacher so you can say you did. Then when you get to Budapest you have to try any of the great Cukrászdas and compare them to the best you found in Vienna and report back:

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/hungary/articles/hungary-for-pastries-5-best-places-in-budapest/

http://welovebudapest.com/cafes.and.restaurants.1/11.classic.cake.spots.in.budapest

We tried to get into Demel twice and couldn't. The staff seemed to only care about the locals. So off we went to the Sacher Hotel. The Sachertorte was dry and tasteless. We can get better here at home. We tried a third time and got into Demel. The service was curt and the coffee was great.

Ruszwurm in Budapest.

My favorite is the Auguszt Confectionery in Pest. Fewer tourists, more local. Great staff. Visit the courtyard out the back door for some really interesting shops too. You should also visit Café Gerbeaud and the New York Café for the sheer experience of it; especially the New Your Café. With the possible exception of the Művész Coffee House on Andrassy ut, I think you will find the service in most of these places "European" but very kind and welcoming. Something common in Budapest.

I'm with Phillip -- try them both. If you can only try one opt for Demel as that seems to be the favorite of the locals.

I'm sorry, but local don't go to either Demel or Sacher as it is grandma that makes the best Sachertorte (or the one that you buy frozen at the grocery store and thaw out). As noted above, I am not a fan of the Sachertorte, it is dry and grainy - it is meant for a long shelf life. There are much better options and I'm perpetually puzzled why this cake is so dang popular.

Because it has become elevated to the position of cultural icon of the Austro Hungarian Empire. It even has its own holiday. (I don't care for them much either) Since this is still in the Budapest forum I offer a variation:

We believe that Auguszt's Sacher-recipe starts with the following
indegriments: "a welcoming atmosphere and a place where you can feel
at home". Years of tradition, professionality and home-grown peach
guarantees the memorable dessert - not to mention the homemade whipped
cream, which is really the icing (or the cream?) on the cake. Their
version is the "classical" Sacher, which everybody tried and tasted at
least once in his/her life - but you can be easily surprised that you
could miss this life-sweetener for so long.

And try and beat this for a snack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e6smj-23cM
or this little gem tucked away in a book store https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeEO_bxHVFU