...or where can I get a 'Melange' in London?
Yesterday my lovely and sweet cousin forwarded me a small tidbit from her (unbeknownst) surely also lovely and sweet sister (thanks again!):
First Austrian 'Kaffeehaus' (coffee shop) opened in London. Simply called 'kipferl'.
(A 'kipferl' is an Austrian crescent-shaped pastry, a bit like a French croissant, and usually eaten for breakfast with butter and jam. It goes classically with coffee. Although 'kipferl' really only describes the shape, and hence comes in many disguises so for example in a smaller vanilla variant, the Vanillekipferl, a really yummy Austrian cookie - a 'must-try' in my book!
'kipferl' is roughly pronounced 'KEEP-furl').
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The coffee shop is not very big, but that's befitting since neither is Austria. Just 3 tables, offering room for 10-12 guests. But it's a start. And it's brand new, opened not even 3 months ago. (There was quite some buzz about this on Austrian radio I heard and in other Austrian news reports, but these are easy to miss when living in London... Though that's what good friends are for, friends still living in Austria.)
'kipferl' offers original Sachers brand coffee served in the classical Austrian brown-on-the-outside-white-on-the-inside 'Melange' coffee cups - alongside a glass of water and a small individually wrapped piece of Milka chocolate. As it should be, in perfect Austrian style. Melange, literally 'a blend', is the most favourite coffee in Austria. It's a blend of coffee and milk with a dollop of frothed milk on top.
Coffee wouldn't be typical Austrian without a piece of homemade cake or pastry on the side: Topfentorte (cheesecake with raisins - highly recommended!), Linzercake, poppyseedcake (in a charmingly honest fashion proclaimed as 'perhaps a tad bit too soggy today') and Vanillekipferl (simply a dream, among the best I ever had!).
Here's a small selection:
Luckily they don't just offer coffee and cake! A whole wall is filled to the brim with yummy Austrian delicatessen:
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...and semmeln (Austrian rolls, these are a lot 'denser' and intensive in taste than fluffy UK rolls), pretzels, Vorarlberger Alpine cheese (not pasturised, with a very strong flavour, probably Austria's best cheese), Käsekrainer (yummy grill sausages with chunks of cheese in them), Landjäger (small dry sausages), Kümmelbraten (pork belly with crispy skin), Krakauer (a larger sausage), Polnische (another sausage), Tirolerspeck (Tyrolean speck),...
Motto: Would you like a bit more?
All in all excellent choices on offer!
But of course you could simply ask for a 'Wurstsemmel', the typical Austrian 'sandwich': a semmel roll sliced in half and filled with sausage of your choice and a sliced pickled gherkin. Yummy.
Or you could opt for a pretzel filled with speck, or, or...
Christian Malnig, the owner, seems very nice. I'd guess he's around 30, maybe less. Originally from Gumpoldskirchen (a small town about half an hour's drive south of Vienna, famous for its wine) he's been in England for 7 years now (a long time compared to my 3). Initially he worked as software analyst in Nottingham, but is now living his dream: being the owner of an Austrian coffee shop / delicatessen in London. Together with his girlfriend.
Best of luck!
Address
kipferl ltd.
Austrian delicatessen
70 Long Lane
London EC1A 9EJ
Tel/Fax: 020 7796 2229
(literally 1 minute around the corner of Barbican Tube station, close to Smithfield Market)
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri: 9am to 7pm ('though we're here mostly till 8pm')
Sat: 9am to 5pm
Sun: 10am to 4pm
See you there!
Andy
Disclaimer
I'm in no way affiliated with 'kipferl'. I'm just some Austrian guy who finally found a place where he can buy Austrian food in London and have a really good Austrian Melange too.
Page last updated November 2003.
