Some houses you do not visit, you enter. Demel is one of them. The “Demelinerinnen” in their black dresses still address guests in the third person, the cakes sit like jewels in the display case, and behind the glass wall of the show kitchen the Kaiserschmarrn is made.
Founded in 1786 as a confectionery opposite the Burgtheater, Demel moved to the Kohlmarkt in 1888 and supplied the court. Empress Elisabeth had her candied violets sent from here, and the dispute with Hotel Sacher over the “original” Sachertorte kept the courts busy for seven years. Today Demel is part of how Vienna sees itself: a little strict, very charming and sweet at its core.
