Alt Aachener Kaffeestuben 'Leo van den Daele'

Bags of printen, Aachen's famous spice cookies, line the shelves of the Alt Aachener Kaffestuben 'Leo van den Daele', the city's best-loved coffeehouse. Two of the serving ladies take a breather after taking a huge order for printen from two Saudi women wearing black abayas, Birkin handbags and clouds of rose perfume.

This establishment was established in 1890 by Leo van den Daele, a Belgian baker from Gent. It's home to some of the finest cakes in Aachen, a city renowned for its centuries-old baking tradition. The coffeehouse today is comprised of 4 townhouses, the oldest of which was built in 1655. It's a charming warren of rooms on different levels inter-connected by creaky stairs that aren't entirely straight. Its antique-filled rooms echo with laughter and gossip and gasps of delight as first-timers experience their first taste of Spiessfladen, a torte made with a special apple-pear paste that makes me go weak at the knees whenever I think of it.

Definitely worth a detour if you have a calories-be-damned approach to happiness through food. Life's too precious to waste at Starbucks.

Alt Aachener Kaffeestuben 'Leo van den Daele'
Büchel 18
52062 Aachen
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)241- 35724


~ a backblip ~


Yesterday's.