Outside the Hotel Imperial and beyond the walls of the Café Imperial Wien, the Viennese torte’s lasting legacy spans cafés near and far, enticing travelers to explore the broader world of Viennese pastries and desserts. The torte has also influenced Viennese café culture across the pond.
Take, for example, Café Sabarsky on the Upper East Side of New York. Housed in the Neue Gallery, a museum devoted to twentieth century German and Austrian art, Michelin-starred Executive Chef Christopher Engel is churning out Viennese desserts, including multiple variations of tortes and a wealth of strudels and tarts in an atmosphere outfitted with Austrian period objects inspired by the great cafés of Vienna.
“We take the Viennese pastry tradition very seriously,” says Mr. Engel. “As Café Sabarsky is housed in a museum, we have a particular interest in the history of our recipes, which we delight in sharing with New Yorkers.”
Further downtown, at Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner’s iconic Austrian restaurant Wallsé, diners clamor for reservations to experience the eatery’s famed schnitzel, goulash and, of course, chocolate tortes. Beyond New York, there’s Café Savoy in Prague, Le Zimmer in Paris, Kipferl in London – the list goes on.
