A Couples’ Tour of Leipzig’s Romantic Cafés

While there’s plenty to do in the lively German city of Leipzig when the whole family travels together, some experiences there seem tailor-made for a couples’ getaway, like a leisurely day punctuated by stops in Leipzig’s romantic coffee houses. It’s not that children wouldn’t love these wonderlands of sweetness, but the elegant and historic coffee houses of Leipzig are made for lingering — and children rarely want to take it slow.

Leipzig was, at one time, home to dozens of coffee houses, and is believed to be the place where Europe’s café culture began. One of Europe’s oldest, the 1719 Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, is a good place to begin. Look through the coffee museum upstairs to see replicas of three styles of coffee house: French, Viennese and the Arab Coffee Shop, with low deeply cushioned divans and brass coffee service.

Outside, the sidewalk terrace is a good place for a bit of people-watching over a cup of coffee and a wedge of Schumanntorte, honoring the musician who came here regularly.

Leipzig is a city of music, as well as city of coffee, and another café honors composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Sidewalk tables at Café Kandler face St. Thomas Church, where Bach was choirmaster. This café’s most famous product is the Bachtaler (Bach coin): Layers of mocha nougat, chocolate and hazelnuts conceal a whole coffee bean. These foil-wrapped chocolates are a popular souvenir of Leipzig. Bentwood armchairs outside are comfortable for relaxing and watching the world go by.

From there, stretch your legs with a walk across the broad Marktplatz, past the beautiful Renaissance City Hall to the most ornate of the old coffee houses. Don’t miss a visit to Cafe Riquet: Two copper elephant heads guard the door, and above colorful mosaic panels rises a pagoda-like tower. The interior is right out of the early 1900s, with curving panels of exotic woods, Art Nouveau flourishes and elegant table settings.

As at other cafés, you can look in the glass display counter to choose your cake or torte. While the bright red raspberry torte is every bit as delicious as it looks, if you’re not up to it after earlier indulgences, this is a good place to sample the Leipziger Kerchen, a pastry you can only get in Leipzig.

The Leipziger Lerchen has a long history and is protected by the bakers’ guild from imitations made elsewhere. The small buttery tartlets are filled with ground almonds, with a cherry or a dot of red jam in the center. Cafe Riquet’s other specialty, the Pharisäer features sweetened coffee with brown rum and topped with cream.