Our Tradition

Founded in 1700, the Tomaselli Café is Austria's oldest "Viennese coffee house". Today, it still embodies 300 years of honoured Austrian coffee house tradition in a most stylish way. Exquisite wooden panelling with inlays adorning the walls, marble tables, silver trays, classic newspaper racks, not to mention waiters attired in dinner jackets, all of which takes the guests back to the good old days. 

Time-old waiters and Kuchendamen (waitresses serving cakes)

The Tomaselli would be inconceivable without its waiters. Ever since its opening, they have attended to guests’ every wish, being the epitome of discretion and elegance. They invariably wear a dinner jacket, which wouldn't be complete without a bow tie, white shirt and polished shoes. Only on very hot days does the jacket come off. To be a waiter is not only a profession, it is a vocation. He is never out of reach, yet is noticeable for his elegant, courteous, attentive and unobtrusive manner. However, his air of gentility must not be mistaken for arrogance or even grumpiness.

"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. Every tradition was once a novelty."

Gustav Mahler

He has a personality with all its rough edges, and that is exactly what makes him one of a kind. He demonstrates a remarkable ability to assert himself and to keep calm even in the most stressful situations when the Café is fairly crowded, never losing track of things. A whole host of waiters have remained faithful to the Tomaselli and their guests for many years. They are just as much a part of the Café as the exquisite chocolate glazing on the Tomaselli gateau.

The Tomaselli also pays tribute to tradition with its “Kuchendamen” (waitresses serving cakes), who walk from table to table in their white aprons, carrying trays laden with sweet delicacies. The Café is the last in Salzburg to preserve this tradition. The “Kuchendamen” are Tomaselli’s charming “temptresses”. Without so much as a second glance, they know exactly which clients have already been served a coffee and are longing for a sweet accompaniment. It goes without saying that the “Kuchendamen” also have a sweet tooth and are happy to share their knowledge about cakes.