One mid-autumn afternoon in the stately city of Vienna, our tour organizer and good friend Cecile Quevenco pointed toward a more-than-just-a-restaurant she insisted we should partake of their offerings before we said our goodbyes to the Austrian capital. Once a student, with some family members as residents, she considers Vienna as her European home. And her expert recommendations were from personal experiences — so we knew we were in for an indulgence.

She previously hosted me at Figlmüller, the most iconic restaurant in the world, “a title awarded by the prestigious global food database Taste Atlas, due to its uncompromising century-long specialization in the perfect Viennese Schnitzel.”

This time, we took a brief walk from our hotel for a taste of imperial Vienna — the Gerstner K. u. K. Hofzuckerbäcker — which roughly translates to The Imperial and Royal Court Confectioner.

Set within the elegant Palais Todesco, Gerstner was a three-floor masterpiece. The ground level showcased a confectionery shop filled with an impressive array of chocolates, a decadent selection of cakes, and neatly wrapped tempting sweets. Right above was the café-bar, the ideal destination for intimate coffee and tea breaks, and relaxed groups for wines and spirits. Oh, if only walls could talk!