Whenever I long for a taste of the pastry shops of Vienna, I can head over to Julius Meinl, which now has two cafe locations in the city, plus a new patisserie and coffee shop. But rather than go for the predictable dobos torte or strudel, I always gravitate toward the luscious almond cream croissant: a masterful combo of sweet cream, crisp shell and butter-laced pastry. I went to the Lincoln Square location this week to eat just one more (duty calls).

Here are a few photos of the Meinl location at Southport and Addison.

Assortment of almond cream croissants

The front counter at Meinl

The luscious almond pastry cream inside the croissant