Swing Kitchen
My very first vegan find in Vienna, this is definitely one for when you’re hungry, but I’d say it’s everything vegan fast food should be. With an impressive selection of burgers and wraps, all their ‘patties’ are plant-based, using organic ingredients but without the expensive price tag. They have several locations around Vienna and the rest of Austria, and the seating area (both indoor and outdoor) doesn’t feel like you’re in a fast-food restaurant. Generous portions, variety, and the best lemon mayonnaise sauce I’ve ever tasted. Definitely one to revisit.
Maran
A small independent vegan supermarket, Maran is tucked away just off Mariahilf Strasse, and has all the essentials for a balanced plant-based diet. A bit pricey for every weekly shop, it’s ideal for more specialist items, but isn’t horrifically overpriced either, and they even have a little deli counter where you can get daily changing hot dishes and pastries.
Harvest café
It’s a shame this cafe/restaurant/bar isn’t nearer to my apartment, although maybe better for my purse! They really do have everything, from light lunch bites to tapas in the evening to heartier meals, vegan lattes, brunch, and homemade and impressively elaborate vegan cakes. There’s something for every price range, and my ‘club’ sandwich was masterfully put together. The service was a little cold, and you can only pay cash, but the decor is beautiful and so is the location, on a little square facing a church. Definitely worth the trip across the river.
Simply Raw Bakery
While it might live up to its title of ‘raw’, I wouldn’t call this trendy little centrally-located cafe a bakery, and their offering is far from simple. It’s on the expensive side, but that can be excused given the location, and the quality of what they offer. Another extensive menu spanning both savoury and sweet bowls, coffee and cake, brunch menus, snacks and light bites, it’s perfect for any time of day. I opted for the Hello Dolly cake square, which impressed despite it’s small size, and was the perfect rich accompaniment to a matcha latte. I say rich because although it feels indulgent, everything they offer is refined sugar-free and plant-based, so it’s all the taste without any of the guilt! I’ll definitely be back, this one is a favourite favourite find.
The Lala
Temptingly located on my walk to the language school every day, this trendy vegan healthstore has one little shop on Neubaugasse, and the original cafe on Neustiftgasse. It’s decor is aggressively girly and pink, and I unashamedly love how basic bougie vegan girl it is. It comes at a price, and I’d be lying if I said the energy balls weren’t a little overpriced, but their refined sugar-free baked goods, (protein) smoothies, and vegan lattes really are to die for, with good quality nourishing ingredients. They also sell their own granola and plant-based protein and superfood powders, as well as a selection of mouth-watering savouries, so it really is an ideal spot for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or even just an energising snack. I’d recommend the millionaire’s bar, on an oaty base and sweetened with dates, and if you’re lucky you’ll get a free sample on your way in (and out!)
Veggiezz
With two locations in the 1. Bezirk, this plant-based restaurant has an impressively varied and affordable menu. Hearty, nutritious mains from wraps to salads and soups, burgers and bowls, it’s ideal for a wholesome dinner with just a bit more pizzazz and creativity than what you might serve at home.
Gorilla
My review of Gorilla is summed up very simply: the perfect vegan burrito. Located just off Karlsplatz, it’s an ideal stop-off on the way to Schloss Belvedere, it’s very reasonably priced, and has options for omnivores, carnivores and herbivores alike. It’s a simple menu with a few burritos and some options for sides, but they really nail what they do, with a toasted wrap (folded to perfection to avoid sauce leakage), ideal balance of rice and beanpaste, salad, and tasty tofu bites. Can’t be faulted for a lunch on the go
Vevi
This Vietnamese vegan restaurant has an almost overwhelming choice of dishes, all of which seem to offer a perfectly balanced combination of plant-based protein, rice or noodles, and plenty plenty of vegetables, not to mention some kind of tasty sauce. I’m no expert on Vietnamese food, but the combination I opted for was simply delicious, and really did feel like a perfectly balanced meal, with absolutely no compromise on taste.
Veganista
If you want vegan ice-cream, this is the place to go - they are all over Vienna and have a huge range of flavours, from the simple classics to more exciting combinations like chia seed granola or matcha. With biodegradable iopots and some naturally sweetened options, it’s the perfect place to stop for a cooling vegan treat.
My Secret Garden
At the risk of overstating, My Secret Garden is, I think, everything a vegetarian restaurant should be. Not too expensive, with a daily changing menu of one hot bowl and one salad bowl, it has enough choice but not too much, top quality ingredients ranging from simple superfoods to more unusual, creative stuff, interesing combinations and generous servings of veggie goodness. Gorgeous and nutrient-packed, my mushroom buddha bowl was satisfying, tasty and perfectly balanced. The dressing was especially noteworthy, and the whole thing was a masterclass in how to make plant-based food so tasty that everyone will want to eat it. Add to all this a beautiful, tucked-away location, and a selection of tasty-looking vegan cakes, you’ve got a perfect little hidden gem.
Formosa
Equally tucked-away just off Mariahilf Strasse, this vegan-Chinese restaurant has a wide range of tasty offerings at very reasonable prices, and seems to be a specialist in replicating all types of meat, from duck to calamari, all with plant-based protein. I tried the teryaki wrap and battered ‘squid’ rings - I can’t vouch for what a meat-eater would say but I found them both really quite tasty, and would be intrigued to sample their other inventive creations.
Zina’s cafe
Just down the road from my apartment on Gumpendorfer Strasse, this modern coffee shop is more American style, offering health-food based brunch and lunch options, with everything from protein pancakes and green smoothies to porridge and sandwiches. I returned two days in a row to sample as much of their menu as possible, was warmly welcomed by the owners both times, and even the music was perfect. The cacao nibs on top of the porridge were a particular highlight, everything was beautifully presented, and the substance lived up to the style. I’ll definitely back for a third, and undoubtedly fourth and fifth, visit.
Holis
Primarily a zero-waste supermarket for plastic-free shopping, Holis also has a little cafe session with a daily changing menu of soup and a choice of two main courses, both organic meat options and entirely plant-based. Alternating between simple classics and interesting new takes, it’s good home-cooked, nutritious food, at a good price, perfect for a weekday lunch.
Tolstoy
Just off the Naschmarkt, this fast-food style restaurant is anything but - admittedly you order at a machine and the service is very quick, but the options of plant-based salads, one pots and flatbreads are closer to restaurant quality. The cookies and milkshakes are a little
more indulgent, and looking at them it was hard to believe they were vegan. But like the vegetarian writer the cafe takes its name from, everything they make is meat and animal-free, but tasty enough that there’s no sacrifice. Inexpensive, good quality, and a handy location, it’s definitely one to repeat