Latest news with #Viennese
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful European city is 'totally walkable' with pristine streets and serene atmosphere
While exploring a city as beautiful as Vienna – where every corner seems to offer up another stunning building and you can visit places such as Mozart's old apartment – it certainly enhances your experience when the hotel you're staying in is also a little pocket of perfection, from the beautiful interiors to the delicious food. And the newly refurbished Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, whose grand Presidential Suite has welcomed stars such as Robbie Williams and Miley Cyrus, did not disappoint. It's such a treat that you could be tempted to spend your entire time here simply kicking back and indulging. But of course, there's a fascinating, culture-filled city to explore first... What to do in Vienna Vienna, on the Danube River, is bursting with history, and even just walking down the city centre's tiny side streets is a delight. We happened upon Beethoven's home by chance, and even shop fronts feature stunning sculptures. Its historic centre is compact and flat enough to be totally walkable, and even when bustling with tourists, Vienna has a laid-back, serene atmosphere, and its streets, unlike many capitals, are utterly pristine. Highlights include the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace – breathtaking when illuminated at night – and the iconic St Stephen's Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, outside of which there are plenty of stalls to pick up a traditional souvenir, or grab lunch and a beer. No trip to this city would be complete without a nod to its huge musical heritage either, with concert halls and museums dedicated to the great composers who lived here, such as Beethoven and Mozart. And, of course, come the festive season it takes on a whole other atmosphere with its world-famous Christmas markets. The Viennese love to stop for a coffee, cake and conversation, and two iconic spots for just this are Café Central and Café Sacher. Get there early or reserve a table in advance, as when we tried the former mid-morning – whose glitzy interiors look like something from a film set – it was packed with tourists getting their perfect Instagram moment. Enjoy 'Little Paris' Less than a 10-minute stroll from our hotel, we discovered Vienna's so-called Little Paris – the charming and tranquil Servitenviertel (Serviten Quarter), a neighbourhood famed for its picturesque streets, cosy cafés and a village-like atmosphere. French-inspired bistros, bakeries and shops make it feel like a slice of Paris within Vienna, and we enjoyed a delicious pastry and some people-watching at bakery La Mercerie. Take a carriage ride We also enjoyed an unforgettable architectural tour in a horse-drawn Fiaker carriage, the ubiquitous mode of transport of the 18th Century, and an iconic part of Viennese culture. Any trip to the city will be punctuated by the sound of horses' hooves on cobbles. It's a fun way to see some of Vienna's most beautiful sights, and a welcome rest for weary feet. Hang out by the river Vienna has an inherently regal air but for a younger, trendier vibe, head to the area along the Danube Canal for a drink or a bite to eat. Numerous bars and restaurants offer a great place to chill out, and a real riviera feel with sandy beaches and cool cocktails. We loved Strandbar Herrmann where, with deckchairs and hammocks, we watched the sun go down. Where to stay in Vienna The five-star Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel – the latest addition to Anantara's European portfolio – is Neo Renaissance grandeur at its best. This is living it up, Austrian style. Designed by famed Austrian architect Theophil Edvard von Hansen and located on Viennese Ringstraße, a grand boulevard circling the city centre, you really do feel like you're staying in a palace. The 152-room hotel's main lobby lounge and bar has had an art-deco style refurb to die for. Sipping on one of their signature cocktails, you can easily imagine yourself in a scene from The Great Gatsby. Our classic yet modern Deluxe Room was a welcome escape from the world outside, with a gorgeous sofa to laze on and a marble bathroom with tub and rain shower. The hotel also has an indoor pool, fitness centre and the Anantara Spa, which combines European and Asian wellness traditions. And as the Austrian capital was warm, we gladly cooled down in the refreshing hydrofinity pool. We booked in for one of the massages and it was divine. The food at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel The food in the Anantara is incredible – a gourmet temple where you can swing by for an afternoon tea, themed Sunday brunch, brasserie lunch or fine-dining experience. Breakfast was so good we didn't want to leave – a feast with everything from fresh fruit to local sausage, washed down by a local sparkling wine. But the standout culinary moment was undoubtedly dinner at the hotel's own multi- award winning, Michelin-starred restaurant, EDVARD. Famed in the city and beyond, do book if you're hoping to eat here. We opted for the multi-course tasting menu with exquisite wine pairings – and it was a total explosion of the senses, from the 'tasting tree' we sampled upon entry to the decadent dessert cart we just about made room for at the end. Viennese chef Paul Gamauf and his team couldn't have been more enthusiastic as they talked us through their courses; each one was a work of art and a journey through their low-waste philosophy. With fresh, seasonal, locally-foraged ingredients, standout dishes included cone with rind and zitrone, dry-aged rind with maitake and miso, and popcorn with kombucha for dessert. How much does it cost to stay at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel? Rooms at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel start from €550 per night including breakfast.
Metropolis Japan
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metropolis Japan
Rebecca Merlick: Coffee House Vienna
Step into a digital memoryscape of fading cafés and untold stories at Coffee House Vienna, the latest immersive exhibition by acclaimed Europe-based digital artist, architect, and filmmaker Rebecca Merlick. Hosted by CONTRAST, this solo show invites visitors to explore the intimate, vanishing world of coffee houses across Japan and Vienna—reimagined through cutting-edge 3D scanning, interactive storytelling, and sculptural installations. From creaking floors and stained cups to voices and memories of café owners and regulars, Merlick's work carefully reconstructs these spaces as living archives. Visitors can navigate a digitally recreated café environment, discovering hidden fragments and stories as if inside a video game. The installation also features sculptural works using rare Viennese ceramics, bridging craft and technology. Opening with a special reception on July 25 with the artist in attendance, this exhibition is a meditative experience on place, memory, and community in the face of urban change. Tuesday – Friday: 14:00 – 19:00 Sat & Sun: 12:00 – 19:00 Closed: Mondays
NZ Herald
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
William Dart review: Auckland Philharmonia delivers magical Nightscapes concert experience
Auckland Philharmonia's wind principals – Bede Hanley, Ingrid Hagan, Gabrielle Pho and Jonathan Cohen – take centre stage in a charismatic performance of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante. Photo / Sav Schulman THE FACTS The Auckland Philharmonia's Nightscapes may well be one of the most downright enjoyable concerts of this season. With maestro Giordano Bellincampi on the podium, we were transported from the dazzling sophistication of a Viennese ballroom to a soul-baring tryst in a dark, mysterious forest, creating the sort of
San Francisco Chronicle
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area cafes can't stop topping drinks with thick, luscious cream
Only a week after Shoji opened in March, the line to order reached all the way to the corner of the downtown San Francisco building. This was an exciting, albeit unexpected, sight for the cafe manager, Jose Garcia, but things started to click when friends sent him a TikTok video of an influencer trying Shoji's matcha einspänner. The video had amassed over 50,000 views. 'It was kind of a matcha einspänner frenzy that came to our door,' Garcia said. 'We had about a 40 minute wait time.' Over 200 years ago, Viennese carriage drivers invented the einspänner, a hot coffee topped with a thick layer of whipped cream, to keep their beverage warm and prevent spills on a bumpy ride. (The name is German for a single-horse carriage.) Today, the drink has traveled across the globe, becoming a sensation at cafes in Korea and now across the Bay Area. Beyond coffee, it's often made with matcha tea or infused with other ingredients. Goodthing Coffee in Burlingame, for example, places a sweet-salty pistachio cream on top of espresso for one of its einspänners. Convour Coffee in Palo Alto serves an einspänner with hojicha, a reddish brown Japanese green tea with a roasty flavor. With lids and cup holders, a dollop of whipped cream is not the travel hack it once was. But besides the taste — which provides a nice balance of creamy sweetness against the bitter drink underneath — there is one obvious appeal of the einspänner that has helped its popularity skyrocket: It looks really good on camera. Einspänners are typically served in a glass or clear plastic cup, one that showcases the layers of cream and liquid. Playing around with flavors for the base, like a bright green matcha, and adding garnishes to the solid surface of the cream, such as cinnamon or flaky salt, can make the einspänner particularly eye-catching. 'A lot of Korean coffee shops have their signature lattes with a cream top,' said Esther Kim, the owner of the Buoy, a Korean dessert and coffee shop that opened in San Francisco last year. 'It's a fun way to showcase the drink with visuals.' The Buoy might offer more variations of the einspänner than any other spot in San Francisco. There's jujube chai, pina colada cream soda and a Korean tea made with ssuk — a bitter leafy green also known as mugwort. A black sesame version features sesame seed puree mixed with milk, and an optional espresso shot, for the base underneath sesame whipped cream. The Buoy makes the whipped cream from scratch with a touch of salted vanilla syrup; the saltiness makes it stand out and balances the sweetness, Kim said. That thick, surface-level cream is the main ingredient that defines the drink, but the einspänner should not be confused with a similar-looking beverage trend: cold foam. Cold foam is more liquidy — usually an aerated milk mixture instead of heavy cream that seeps into the coffee below. It's a favorite in iced drinks — the lightness of the foam would not work for the einspänner's intended use of insulating heat. At Shoji, a coffee shop by day and one of the Bay Area's best new restaurants by night, Garcia said that one factor pushing him to serve an einspänner was originality — he wasn't aware of other shops in the area offering it. Its place on the menu was kind of a happy accident. Owner Viviana Wang was beating cream for a different beverage and made the topping thicker than intended. She decided to have a taste. 'I was like wait, this is really good,' Wang said. 'I started to look online and [found] that there's actually a drink like this.' In addition to a short einspänner with hot espresso, Mind Coffee offers several iced versions, including with matcha and hojicha. A new seasonal offering is layered with strawberry compote, matcha and milk, with a dollop of baby pink strawberry-infused cream. From the start, Wang said the cafe gained lots of attention for its einspänner and customers would come in specifically requesting them. Today the drink's popularity remains high, so much so that the shop runs out of its einspänner cream every two to three days. Traditionally, einspänners are meant to be sipped with the cream on top to keep the drink warm. At Shoji, baristas advise visitors to first eat the einspänner cream with a spoon — a method that also makes it easier to avoid a foam mustache. 'Then sip the rest as you go instead of mixing everything together,' Garcia said. Shoji's einspänner comes with a dollop of white cream on the surface and a dusting of kinako, a nutty Japanese soybean flour. It took the team four tries to get the proportions of their current rendition, which features luscious cream above the surface of the cup. That change wasn't for the taste but aesthetics, according to Garcia. Thousands of TikTok views later, it's clear those tweaks paid off.
West Australian
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Cosy at the Quay: Elizabeth Quay to transform into free winter wonderland for school holidays
Snow will fall in Perth for the first time as Elizabeth Quay transforms into a winter wonderland next weekend, complete with marshmallow roasting, food trucks and live entertainment. Cosy at the Quay is set to evoke a European winter by offering free, family-friendly activities from noon to 10pm on July 18-20. It will snow each day on the hour every hour from 1pm to 9pm for approximately 15 minutes. Visitors are reminded not to forget their jackets and cameras, and to be quick, as snowflakes don't float for long. At the very heart of the event is a heated retreat called the winter dome, a glowing sanctuary drenched in cosy charm and snug furniture. By day, it's a family-friendly haven with a live piano accordion and kids dance party, and by night, Perth's hottest DJs transform the dome into Euro Nights. If you're craving something sweet, marshmallow toasting will take place by cosy fire pits from 3pm to 6pm each day, with marshmallows and sticks provided for free. There will also be plenty of options to eat and drink – from European-inspired comfort food, including Polish-style toasted sandwiches and wood-fired pizza, to toasty treats and drinks. Other entertainment will include live opera and poetry, Viennese waltzing, stilt-walkers and European folk lessons. For some extra school holiday fun, kids hour will happen from 2pm -3pm on Friday with a kid-friendly dance party bringing the vibes and a special appearance from The Ritz Carlton Perth mascot Leo the Lion.
