"Krone" tests

Hot: Where are the best doughnuts in Vienna?

Editor Kathi Mötzl tested her way through Vienna's variety of doughnuts.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

The carnival season is in full swing - for many, it's a must during these weeks: Doughnuts. But not all of them are worth the calories.

No matter which bakery or pastry shop you walk past - the golden yellow doughnuts are everywhere. But do they taste as good as they look?

"Krone" tests its way through Vienna
We put them to the test and tasted four different desserts made from yeast dough. The first stop is at the branch of the traditional Groissböck bakery on Favoritenstraße. Hardly anyone can walk past the display without getting a taste for a doughnut. We order a classic apricot doughnut, which is what most customers order here. "We sell 80 percent with apricot jam, 15 percent with vanilla cream and five percent with pistachio filling," says the sales clerk. Before we receive it on a plate, the pastry is sprinkled with powdered sugar once more. Either way, it tastes heavenly. It's not for nothing that the Groissböck pastry shop was named "Gault&Millau" doughnut emperor last year. And indeed, the dough is fluffy and the jam with a light rum flavor is delicious. Nevertheless, the sales clerk apologizes: "If you want really fresh doughnuts that have just come out of the fat, you have to come to the branch in Neilreichgasse."

At the cult bakery Groissböck at Favoritenstraße 128, the doughnuts are delivered fresh every day.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Not a bargain
At 1.80 euros, the doughnuts are not cheap, but every bite is worth it. So the bar is already set high after the first stop. Next we go to Ströck on Reumannplatz. As well as normal doughnuts, there is also a mini version. At 1.05 euros, the dessert is also cheaper, but it doesn't pass the taste test. The pastry is dry and no longer seems fresh.

The "Krone" tested several doughnuts

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Vegan doughnuts: can they taste good?
Next, we want to try a vegan doughnut. The search is more difficult than we thought. We call several bakeries and are often turned down because they don't have a vegan doughnut in their range. We finally find one at Anker near the Naschmarkt. And how does it taste? Different to a conventional doughnut, that's for sure. There's something missing, it's also less sweet. And of course, the vegan version is also the most expensive. The fluffy carnival dessert costs just under two euros.

Can Diskonter keep up?
From the most expensive to the cheapest, the last doughnut we try is one from a discount store for 69 cents. What does it taste like? It's not bad, it's fresh and, surprisingly, they don't skimp on the jam either.
But it doesn't come close to the first doughnut from Groissböck - none of them do. Clearly the winner of the "Krone doughnut test"!