Gerstner K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäcker Schloss Schönbrunn

Gerstner occupies Kavalierstrakt 52 at Schönbrunn, beside the courtyard reached after leaving the palace rooms. The Viennese company began as a confectioner in 1847 and now runs this café-restaurant at a different address from its Kärntner Straße branch. That distinction prevents the experience or reviews of another outlet being assigned to the Schönbrunn table. A dining room and garden offer somewhere to sit after the visit; the appeal is a Viennese coffee break before travelling back across the city.

This branch's menu brings together melange coffee, cakes, variations on strudel and hot dishes such as schnitzel. Gerstner lists daily service from 10:00 to 20:00. In the same complex's historic bakery it demonstrates strudel-making at 11:00, 12:00, 15:00 and 16:00; the show needs a separate ticket and should not be confused with ordering a slice in the café. From the main entrance, the café lies to the left of the courtyard. Decide whether you simply want a table or have time and budget for the demonstration too.

Visitors repeatedly praise the strudel and the respite offered by the garden, and some describe attentive service. Others report uneven service or a high bill for what they received, a useful qualification at a busy tourist site. The café works well as a pause beside the building before continuing into the gardens. For a full view back towards the palace from above, walk on to the Gloriette: these are different experiences at different addresses.