AT the age of 75, all that Frank Biribauer, a retired Austrian actor, wants is a small cup of espresso coffee served to him with a smile.

The combination of good coffee and friendly faces is a good enough reason for Biribauer to return to Cafe Coffee Day regularly, ever since India's largest coffee conglomerate opened its first outlet in the heart of the coffee capital, Vienna, in 2005.

Besides, coffee is cheaper here and the decor delightful.

On walking through the glass doors of the cafe, Birbauer looks for a table for two beside a window that overlooks the street.

Here he sits alone with a cup of Kleiner Espresso (small espresso) and a copy of the Die Presse, his favourite newspaper.

'I love India and I feel close to the country here. Very friendly people,' he adds.

Biribauer has not visited a traditional Viennese cafe in a long time where the service is often stiff and the brew not much better.

This is a huge compliment for Cafe Coffee Day in a city that mastered the art of everything to do with coffee more than 300 years ago.

Photograph: Getty Images

The photographs are for representative purpose only.