Café Bellaria

Café Bellaria in Vienna, Austria

Café Bellaria in Vienna has served as meeting place for coffee connoisseurs, gourmets and bon vivants since 1870. The interior design firm BÜRO KLK has taken the light, airy space in the fin de siècle building on Bellariastrasse and renovated it with great care, giving the coffee house a modern feel without losing any of the historical building’s heritage. It now features a monolithic lava-stone counter and a striking curved light sculpture that weaves its way along the ceiling, but it is the iconic 209 and 214 bentwood chairs by Thonet in a vibrant coral red that really breathe new life into the space.

The Thonet 214 (previously No. 14) bentwood chair with Viennese canework seat brings together coffee house tradition and the present day. This model, which became famous as a coffee house chair, is an iconic piece and its clear, minimalist aesthetics have made it a fitting addition to a wide variety of settings for over 160 years. Vivid coral red versions of the 214 as well as the 209 – another elegant bentwood classic from Thonet – were used in Café Bellaria’s new interior design. The seat of this comfortable armchair – whose shape appears minimalist yet organic, like a sculpture in the middle of the room – has been upholstered with a copper-coloured velvet. The bar counter made of glazed lava stone, which takes centre stage in the dining area, is both decorative and functional, and is complemented by the black bar stools from Thonet’s 118 H range chosen by the interior designers from BÜRO KLK. This contemporary design by Sebastian Herkner reflects the familiar shape of the archetypal Thonet bentwood chairs and can be used in a variety of restaurant settings thanks to its minimalist design and light, elegant shape. As a tribute to the history of the place, the seats of these bar stools also feature Viennese canework.