Vienna is famous for it's traditional, grand coffee houses. What you might not have heard about, are the excellent non-traditional coffee hangouts.

The cosy, modern, easy-to-work from, artistic places, where creative people spend their time. The kind of places I scurry to in the dreary Autumn weather, to enjoy a cosy afternoon curled up with a book.

It seems you can take the girl out of Melbourne, but you can't take the Melbourne coffee-snob attitude out of the girl.

I spent my early twenties in the heart of Melbourne's Italian influenced Lygon street, my weekends and hungover Sundays roaming Fitzroy, Brunswick and Degraves street, searching for the perfect coffee.

While I love Vienna's traditional coffee culture, sometimes I need a taste of the slightly hipster, ramshackle, coffee shops that I miss from home.

I've made it a mission over the last few years to uncover Vienna's cosiest coffee shops. After much thorough 'research' (otherwise known as lazy afternoons), these are some of my favourite cosy coffee shops to chill out in Vienna.

Liebling - Best decor

Liebling is one of my favourites (pun most definitely intended). Its not too overrun, the music is always at a manageable volume and the atmosphere is cosy but not cluttered.

It's tucked off to the side of Mariahilferstrasse on Zollergasse 6, but somehow always seems filled with young locals rather than exhausted tourists and shoppers.

It has the required shabby-chic furniture, and the coffee is good - not incredible, but good enough to sustain an afternoon session of reading, writing and crowd watching.

Cafe Nest - Best relaxed vibe

Cafe Nest is surrounded by some better-known hotspots in the 4th district, but holds its own for the calm, relaxed ambience. The decor is retro 70's and you can always be guaranteed a table.

Service is relaxed (as always in Vienna), but it means you can while away your afternoon without feeling pressured to buy more coffee. I adore this place for unwinding after work.

Still, relaxing, heavenly

Coffee Pirates - Best for Whiling Away Hours

Tucked beside the Altes AKH and University of Vienna grounds, Coffee Pirates is a welcoming, warm wooden sprawl of a coffee shop, with home made cakes and their own coffee roasted on site.

There are multiple communal tables, and the back section has couches that will envelop you warmly, to tuck into a book and some banana bread. In peak study periods it can get busy during the day, but you can normally find a perch to enjoy the cosy atmosphere and reconnect with your inner artistic student whiling away the hours.

Alternatives

These last few are well known, but will suffice in a pinch. You can't always be guaranteed a seat, and the coffee quality really varies, but for a different coffee shop experience they will do the trick.

Cafe Phil

I've mentioned Phil before, but it is such an institution in Vienna, it has to be included. With brunch options, decent coffee, second hand furniture, it ticks all the hipster hangout requirements.

The Vinyl and book selection is huge, but very few options are available in English (more motivation to learn Deutsch!).

Phil was the first cafe that gave me hope in the early days of living in Vienna that there was more beyond the traditional coffee houses. It can get very crowded and hard to get a seat.

Wifi is available, but normally its so busy you are better off using your own mobile data hotspot.

Ulrich

I've been here a few times for brunch, friends birthdays and attempted to relax here for a coffee and chill out session. It has all the right ingredients - ace location, great brunch menu and decent enough coffee.

And yet, Ulrich never quite cuts it for me. Its always super busy and crowded, loud, and in my opinion pretty over-priced. If you can get a table outside in the summer, or nestle in the back room in winter it can be relaxing, but 9 times out of 10 it is really hectic.

You need to try it once to know what all the fuss is about, but as far as cosy coffee goes, Ulrich only just scrapes in for a mention.

Even with all these options, I still occasionally miss the Melburnian coffee experience. The good news is, that very shortly I'll be able to get my fill.

As I hinted at last post, we have got some big plans unfolding next month - we're heading home for the first time in two years.

The first real visit since we announced our shotgun Visa wedding in 2013. The first visit where we might just manage to have a small holiday and explore Australia. Most importantly, the first visit where I can indulge my inner-coffee snob for a whole month. I cannot wait to tour around the latest coffee shops and share what we find with you guys.

I'll be writing more about the lead-up to a big trip soon, but if you have an insider coffee tip for Vienna or Melbourne, I'm all ears!