There was a time when all roads led to Vienna. As the capital of the magnificent Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was the centre of culture and power in Europe. When I visited the coffee houses around the old palace, a new travel theory dawned on me; the cuisine in imperial cities is almost always good. There’s something about the invention of dishes intended to please kings and their courts that lingers forever in a place’s food culture. Take Vienna’s finest coffee house, the ornate and decadent Demel, which continues to produce the wonderful sweet delicacies that so delighted the monarchs of past – an array of cakes, strudels and, most famously, the sachertorte. This rich, chocolate and apricot-glazed confection is Vienna’s most enduring culinary symbol. Many claim to own the original recipe, resulting in an ugly legal stand-off between Demel and the Hotel Sacher that lasted for decades.

The city’s extraordinary cafe culture is another global export. The Viennese pioneered the art of lingering in a coffee house on a cold day, alone or with friends (evidence suggests they exported it to France and Italy). A favourite pastime is to spend an entire morning reading and slowly sipping a coffee topped with an ‘Alp’ of whipped cream or flavoured with liqueur.

Lesser known are the small vineyards within the city limits – these come alive in the summer months when afternoons are fuelled by Vienna’s gemischter satz (field blend). So whichever season you visit – summer, winter or opera – this graceful capital always holds a regal allure.

Click here for David’s decadent sachertorte recipe.

Feeling inspired? Be sure to check out our ultimate chocolate recipe collection here.