Why is a glass of water served with coffee in Vienna?

The glass of water is nowadays explainable with the dehydrating effect of coffee and it's aftertaste.

The reason why it was established had something to do with the tradition of coffeehouses and coffee. It wants to say that you as a client are welcome even if you don't purchase anything - it shows real hospitality. This tradition is obviously based on an Arabic background where water was more expensive then coffee.

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so that when u finish u can sip the water to refresh your mouth also during your coffee

yeah, coffee does fry your mouth specially if you have it with no sugar.
Water takes the bitter after-taste.

i don't know.

In case it scalds the mouth off ya

the glass of water is served all over Austria with coffee i think to dilute the caffeine ..some of the cups of coffee are so small like "kleine Braune" and "verlaengete" that something more is needed.......at some restaurants they do not automatically give the water but the Austrians will then ask for it anyway and i have to admit it is a good thing along with a small biscuit

Because coffee dehydrates most people a bit and lots of people are thirsty.
Also, coffee might leave a bad aftertaste and water washes it off ;)

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