Old Vienna Cafe

Closed. Now Banter Irish Pub.

cute little corner café. crepes were okay. great place to grab a bite before the movie. they’re doing some remodeling, hopefully they’ll keep the charming décor

I’ve had better food at other cafes and they are way too expensive for being in the Forest Hills area… plus NO Gluten Free options!

We went there last night thinking that the service wouldn’t be terrible considering the mostly empty restaurant. We were seated promptly and given menus. I ordered the jäger schnitzel and my husband ordered the special of the day, grilled rainbow trout. Food was brought out rather quickly, and while it looked nice, the lack of flavor really ruined the meal. I had to salt everything pretty generously, but even then, the sauce was very bland. The schnitzel, itself, was not pounded thin the way it should have been. It tasted like a tough piece of meat that had been breaded and cooked for too long. My husband’s fish was similarly bland and he had to force himself to finish it, and he usually likes seafood. I was hoping that at least dessert would make up for the horrible dinner, but even the waiter didn’t think it was worth bothering with as he presented the list of lackluster cakes (lemon, chocolate, strawberry shortcake) and an apple strudel. With better dining options in the area, I would be surprised to see this place stay in business for much longer. It’s a fact that I will not be going back here.

The only reason we came here was because our friend worked here and we paid him a visit. We just had dinner before coming here so we only ordered tea and dessert. I highly recommend the tiramisu. I’m not a big fan of tiramisu but old vienna changed that. It was very creamy and the flavors were well-​balanced. They serve tea in the cutest teapot I have ever seen!

There is definitely a strong European influence and presence in both décor, staff, and food– mainly in Viennese specialities. I’ve been here on two visits, once with hub and last week for brunch with my sis. The last visit was in celebration of Oktoberfest, I had the Jäger Schnitzel– lightly breaded veal cutlet with mushrooms in hunter sauce. Served with mashed potatoes and red cabbage. Hub had the Bratwusrt and Weiner Schnitzel combo. It came with mashed potatoes and sauerkrau. The staff was very pleasant and attentive to the tables. Our waiter even included complimentary chocolate dipped strawberries and variety of pastries/​cookies to our table. It was a very nice and warm gesture to welcome and thank their customers. I would give a 4 star for the first experience.
Last weekend, I stopped by for brunch with my sister. We had to seat ourselves since there was no host available in the front door. Due to shortage of staff, only 3 waiters were bustling back and forth to attend and accomodate all tables. We were informed by one of the waitress that one of the tables were reserved next to us. If we didn’t mind, we can stay but incase it might inconvenience us pulling in and out of the seats. We changed our tables and found ourselves sitting for quite some time. Finally, a cheery, waitress with glasses acknowledged us and gave us menus. I had the French Toast with caramelized bananas. Each bite was sweet and scrumptious. My sister had scrambled egg whites with home potatoes, and strip steak. For coffee and dessert from the display case/​jars, an extra $ 6.95. We skipped that option and just opt for coffee. Brunch was pretty good. Also, the table that we moved from was occupied again by other customers. As for the reserved table, it was empty even we got up to leave. Clearly, a main component is missing from this picture– lack of management of waitstaff/​host/​service issues. If they focus their overall attention and tweak on these improvements, I’m sure service will be more favorable in the reviews.
Overall, if you don’t mind the slow service, it’s a great place to stop by for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Not sure about the coffee but most def the pastries are a real treat. And, don’t even bother with making reservations (they don’t have a host available). Regardless, be prepared to wait.

Sunday brunch in January was not crowded. Our toddler likes to street watch, and the wall of glass doors provided the perfect vantage for that. Spacious uncrowded seating with movable tables means there is plenty of room for strollers. The remodeling finishes were well done and include granite table tops. Brunch prices are cheaper than many of the older, unrenovated, less spacious places in FH that can’t really fit strollers. Could easily accomodate large groups. Shot of Belgian hot chocolate was nice and rich. Brunch menu is a la carte. This place was an excellent value for brunch. Will definitely come again.

I don’t understand why this place doesn’t do more business. The food is good, the staff is friendly and professional and the ambiance is nice. It’s become one of my favorite neighborhood places to relax and enjoy something warm on a cold night.

I went here for a drink with a girlfriend. By drink, I mean at least one bottle of red. Except they were out of the red we selected which was odd since there’s barely anyone there. We ordered a different one which was more expensive and I think we should have gotten it at the cheaper rate. The waiter never returned to pour our wine but came by several times to almost insist that we order food which we didn’t want and were clear that we didn’t want. The water was filled maybe once. Never again.

Went here for the first time last weekend for lunch. Its a great spot! After hearing all of the negativity associated with it, I was reluctant, but glad I tried it. Great lunch menu — totally reasonable. Had the bratwurst sandwich, it was delicious. Cooked perfectly, great melted swiss on a buttery croissant. They spent alot of time on the interior, it has a nice atmosphere. Service was good as well. I think they missed the mark with their dinner menu and advertising in general. Their dinner prices are too high for what they offer. It should be a more casual small plates, coffee and dessert place. I think the high prices for the neighborhood are driving people away. I hope they adjust and recover, because it has so much potential!

Went for a lunch menu item, Lamb sliders. But its not a complete lunch, just three tiny burgers with lamb meat. They are very tasty, BUT the waiter did not ask how well cooked I wanted it, so they came out as rare as could be and still be considered cooked. The busboy (old man) was totally out of tune with what was going on, filling water that was already ¾ full and making it so full it could not be lifted without getting your fingers wet. He also involved himself in the bill unnecessarily, which I found very odd and again distracting. SO the place is nice for convenience if you like small portions of german food served somewhat mindlessly. I’ll give it another shot sometime.

nice décor, chandelier and space. the waiter seemed nervous and couldnt really offer his recommendations when asked. the prices are STEEP. two glasses of wine, one entrée and one «small plate» with tax and tip…75 dollars! small, sort of weird menu. wine was delish though. i would return to try the café and dessert. not the food again tho. sort of disappointing overall :(

They need to get their act together – there should be ONE person who greets and seats the customers. The night we were there, there were at least three different people doing it at different times and there were missed opportunities to make people feel truly welcome.
We had at least two waiters and the service was scattershot. For instance, we noticed that bread was served to a boisterous group after we’d arrived, but we never received any bread. We also had to ask for the wine that we’d previously ordered. The food was pretty good, but they really need some training for their staff. One of the most important things for a competent wait staff is that they really look at the room and figure out who needs what, instead of just focusing on their own customers.
Also, I’d heard that they were serving bread from Balthazar in NYC. Why don’t they partner with the recently opened (and wonderful) La Boulangerie that is only a few blocks away? Seems like it would be win/​win marketing…

Situated in the former La Terraza spot on Queens Boulevard, the Old Vienna Café was spotted from the zipcar after driving back from some hiking in a not-​so-​black forest.
Care was taken to create an interior that is distinct and is a vast improvement over the previous restaurant’s décor. There’s a series of small café tables for two along with large tables for four nearby a centrally located collection of cookies. I’ll return to the cookies later.
Yellow paint with white trim makes for an easy on the eyes setting that (briefly) removes one from the clutter of Queens Boulevard.
So far a positive initial impression but one area for immediate improvement is in the wait for a seat. It wasn’t clear if there was a host/​hostess present at the time and waiters seemed busy doing things waiters do. We were eventually seated but the same scenario played out several times, resulting in lost business for the business as a few people simply left.
As part of the opening weekend, we were given a complimentary glass of either red or white wine. Be advised, the second glass isn’t gratis.
The bread basket was very average but the butter was easy to spread and not of the too cold, packet type.
The menu is a hodgepodge of small plates, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. There are currently four entrees on the menu: wiener schnitzel ($ 23), steak and frites ($ 24), mixed grill kebab ($ 24) and chicken cordon bleu ($ 24).
Among the available petit plates, you’ll find: cheese platter ($ 15), bratwurst viennini (Think paninni with sausage and melted cheese) ($ 10) and more…
My wiener schnitzel arrived after a significant wait but that may be do to the new operations. Once it arrived and sampled, the wait was forgotten as I feasted on the panko crusted cutlet.
I wish there was more to feast on, to be honest. The side of spaetzle, while tasty, was scarce, hidden underneath the schnitzel and then gone in almost 60 seconds of eating.
So fine flavors but a small portion that made the $ 23 price tag seem a little steep.
Water refills were plentiful and with finely chopped ice.
Now dessert is what makes the Old Vienna Café three star worthy with the potential for more. I had the sachertorte, a chocolate biscuit with apricot confit, walnuts and chocolate nougat. And if that was all I had received, I may have cried «too small» again but instead, the waiter surprised me by asking what cookie I’d like from the display case/​jar/​bucket o goodness.
I opted for a hazelnut chocolate cookie that should really be called a candy bar– it was what made an ordinary sachertorte an extraordinary experience.
Our waiter was friendly enough, though busy but we never felt neglected.
Old Vienna Café has the potential to be a dessert alternative to the always crowded Martha’s on Austin. I’d easily come back for another pastry treat and coffee, relaxing with good company. Welcome to the ‘hood!