About us: a Viennese coffee house since 1985
Café Stein is a coffee house at Schottentor in Vienna's 9th district, opposite the Votivkirche and a few minutes on foot from the University of Vienna. Ossi Schellmann opened it in 1985 in a former launderette, designed by architect Gregor Eichinger. Marcel Gega has run the house since 2003: 200 seats on three floors, 200 on the terrace, breakfast into the afternoon, hot food until 11 pm and, in the basement, the event room Stein's Diners.
From launderette to coffee house
In the 1950s the corner of Währinger Straße was home to the "Zur Robbe" shoe shop, later a launderette. In 1985 Ossi Schellmann turned it into a coffee house. Five years earlier he had founded the U4 club and now wanted, as he put it at the house's 40th birthday, to switch to daytime business. The opening began at four in the morning, with office workers mixing with the night owls from the U4.
The interior is by Gregor Eichinger of the practice Eichinger oder Knechtl, for whom Café Stein was the first café. Many more followed, among them the Palmenhaus in the Burggarten. In 2012 the FALTER wrote that the once unmistakable eighties style had long since become timeless. From the start there were photo exhibitions, readings and fashion shows; in 1995 Schellmann opened Austria's first internet bar at Café Stein. In 2003 he handed over the house, and Marcel Gega has run it ever since.
The house
Three floors with 200 seats, connected by the red staircase: downstairs the bar and the tall windows onto Währinger Straße, plus sandstone walls, wood and the blue benches. The terrace beneath the trees of Währinger Straße has another 200 seats, is open from March to November, partly covered, and looks onto the towers of the Votivkirche. In 2023 Mayor Michael Ludwig opened Vienna's pavement-café season here.
In the basement lies Stein's Diners, the room for parties of up to 100 guests, with its own bar, projector, microphone and music system.
Forty years in eight lines
- 1950s
- The corner is home to the "Zur Robbe" shoe shop, later a launderette.
- 1985
- Ossi Schellmann opens Café Stein, designed by architect Gregor Eichinger. The opening starts at four in the morning.
- 1987
- Stein's Diner follows, in the same corner building on Kolingasse.
- 1988 to 1998
- Photo exhibitions under the title "Blitzkontakte", plus readings, fashion shows and parties.
- 1995
- Austria's first internet bar opens at Café Stein.
- 2003
- Schellmann hands over the house; Marcel Gega has run Café Stein ever since.
- 2023
- Mayor Michael Ludwig opens Vienna's pavement-café season on the Café Stein terrace.
- 2025
- Forty years of Café Stein: party on 12 June with more than 250 guests, hosted by Eva Pölzl.
Kitchen
The menu has 189 items, from a bread roll to veal Wiener Schnitzel. Provenance is on the menu: organic eggs, sourdough from the Schmidl bakery in the Wachau valley, ham from Thum, Wiener Gemischter Satz from the Christ winery. Allergens are listed with every dish, vegetarian and vegan dishes are marked. To the menu
Studying and working at the Stein
Free Wi-Fi, 200 seats on three floors and opening hours Mon–Wed 8 am–midnight, Thu–Sat 8 am–1 am, Sun & Holidays 9 am–11 pm: the main building of the university is seven minutes away on foot, the NIG and the Juridicum five. If you come with a laptop, the upper floor usually has a quiet table; breakfast is served until 11.30 on weekdays, the lunch menu from 11 am.
Who came and went here
According to the house's press release, early guests included Karl Schwarzenberg, Claus Peymann, Elfriede Jelinek, Elfie Semotan, Eva Pölzl and Andreas Vitásek. The comedian Gunkl worked at the Stein as a waiter before taking to the stage. Portraits in the gallery
At a glance
- Address
- Währinger Straße 6-8, 1090 Vienna
- 9th district, right at Schottentor
- Open
- Mon–Wed 8 am–midnight, Thu–Sat 8 am–1 am, Sun & Holidays 9 am–11 pm
- Hot food Mon–Sat 8 am–11 pm, Sun & Holidays 9 am–10 pm
- Breakfast
- Mon–Fri 8 am–11.30 am, Sat 8 am–4 pm, Sun & Holidays 9 am–4 pm
- Lunch menu on weekdays from 11 am
- Seats
- 200 inside on three floors, 200 on the terrace
- Terrace March to November, partly covered
- Getting here
- U2 Schottentor, trams D, 1, 71 and 37 to 44, buses 1A and 40A
- Votivkirche 3 minutes on foot, University of Vienna 7