Hotel Sacher Vienna

Opposite the Vienna State Opera, Hotel Sacher Wien has been staging its own performance since 1876. Commissioned by Eduard Sacher, son of the cake’s creator, the hotel perfected a brand of imperial theater that lingers in its red silk walls, crystal chandeliers and portraits of Habsburg grandeur. Queen Elizabeth II and John F. Kennedy signed the guest book; Herbert von Karajan practically treated it as an annex to the opera. In the café, waiters glide with practiced discretion, serving slices of Sachertorte with the seriousness of diplomacy.