Manchester

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

Druckers Vienna Patisserie

More Photos
Liam Hetherington
Liam Hetherington
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
3
Photos
Editor Pick

6) Druckers Vienna Patisserie - No Vienna?

6) Druckers Vienna Patisserie - No Vienna?

Austria - 29/01/09

I’m not exactly sure what qualifies Drucker’s as being Austrian other than the fact that the original Patisserie in Birmingham was founded by an Austrian emigre. The Druckers I visited is hence one of a chain of coffee-houses / cafes (I believe there is another branch in the Trafford centre). And while Vienna (and indeed much of central Europe) is famous for its coffee-and-cake-loving lifestyle, there was not much to suggest a Mitteleuropean ambiance. Which is probably well. Wood pannelling, curlicued seat-backs and an air of faded fin de siecle grandeur would look horrifically out of place in the perma-lit mall of the Arndale Centre. The glass curtain walls, chocolate and mint colourscheme, and gleaming counter are much more in keeping with the location.

Unlike your Starbucks or Caffe Nero’s the clientele at Druckers upon my mid-week lunchtime visit was comprised entirely of pensioners. As well as the hot drinks on sale, they also offered hot paninis. But what caught my eye was the ‘patisserie’ section – a long chilled display cabinet stuffed with cakes and pastries. All of which, I have to say, looked pretty inviting. But where was the Austrian theme? Where was the strudel and the sachertorte? Instead was a rather generic display of the kind of cakes you could find anywhere.

Determined to press on with my aim of ticking off ‘Austria’ I singled out the two most Germanic desserts as possibilities. And in the end the Black Forest Gateau lost out to a slice of Bavarian Apple Tart. This cost me £2.10 to take away (with VAT to eat in it would have been £2.45). It was packaged up in a rather nice looking chocolate-brown and mint-green box and a similar plastic bag – certainly no need to feel ashamed of turning up somewhere with a Druckers box!

Back in the office it was time to see if the Tart was worth it. And the judgement is yes! The pastry was not soggy, the apple slices were tart and had a refreshing crispness, and the base had a light lemon-y flavour to it. All in all, a thoroughly nice piece of cake. And as someone who has munched cake from Salzburg to Sarajevo and Budapest to Krakow I can tell you this – the Habsburgs can rest assured that the legacy of Vienna remains in safe hands.

From journal Around the World in 80 Meals! (part 1)

Compare Manchester Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Manchester Travel Deals