Das Bruckner Kaffeehaus, Linz, Austria

Das Bruckner Kaffehaus, Linz, Austria...

I was sitting in Riva, a 'swanky' Italian restaurant, when I suddenly realised that this arrogant establishment wasn't going to bust a gut and fetch me a menu. I decided, therefore, to simply get up, put my coat back on, don the bobble hat (without a bobble) and deprive them of my hard-earned money. I would probably be sitting there now, waiting for a menu, if the truth be known. I walked out of the front door with not a word to the silly-looking waiter and searched around for somewhere else to enjoy lunch. And how glad I am that I made that decision because I soon found Das Bruckner Kaffeehaus, an excellent café with a pleasant vibe.

The waitress service was second to none – friendly, attentive and nice – and the food offering was perfect beyond belief. The menu was fairly extensive, offering everything from daily hot specials, soups, snacks, breakfasts, hot dishes (of which more later) beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks, not forgetting a fruit tea (Julius Mienl's Organic Fruit Symphony). And yes, that's the only fruit tea they have, I was informed. Whether it's the only fruit tea they have, full stop, or whether they have temporarily run out of other brands, I'll never know, although I might try to make a return visit before heading for Vienna.

Calming classical music was doing its job of keeping customers happy when I arrived at around 1316hrs ready for something decent to eat. The place was virtually empty, but as the day wore in it got increasingly busy. By 1430hrs it was jam-packed

Das Bruckner Kaffeehaus certainly lived up to its name – it was more of a coffee shop than a restaurant, but it was licensed too and the hot food was extremely good.

Home-made apple strudel – seriously, it's really, really good

I ordered beef goulash, which came with a hot bread roll. The meat was very tender and the sauce was thick and warming and tasty and with the assistance of a fruit tea – Julius Meinl's Organic Fruit Symphony – and a Fever Tree Sicilian lemon tonic (both nicely presented) I was made up, so much so that I decided to push the boat out and order a home-made apple strudel, which was equally fantastic.

This was a bright and airy establishment with friendly and efficient staff and I loved it, so much so that I paid cash and tipped the waitress with a well-earned five Euros (well deserved in my opinion).

Lastly, this is not a small place either. It's not huge, but as I got up to leave I noticed there were tables at the far end of the establishment too, so there's plenty of room!