Vegan in Vienna: 10 Restaurants You Don’t Want to Miss
In any article or online discussion about the most vegan-friendly cities in Europe, the usual suspects pop up: London. Berlin. Maybe Prague or Barcelona. Vienna? It might not always be on the list, but it totally should be.
In recent years, Austria’s capital has become a paradise for the plant-based. You can find veganized versions of just about anything – from hearty local classics to the elegant pastries and decadent desserts Viennese cuisine is known for.
Vienna offers a tantalizing array of fully vegan restaurants, alongside several vegetarian ones. You’ll also find clearly marked vegan options at many non-veg eateries, cafés, and bakeries, even in touristy areas.
In this vegan guide to Vienna, I’m excited to share my 10 favorite vegan spots in the city. I’ve also included a few honorable mentions that might be worth checking out if you have the time.
Good to Know:
My 10 favorite vegan and vegan-friendly places in Vienna
1. Velani
Velani is a bit out of the way if you’re staying in Vienna’s center, but don’t let that stop you – it’s a quick and simple metro ride from the center, and located just a couple of minutes away from the station.
Once you get there and open the menu, you’ll find a carefully curated selection of traditional Viennese dishes, all made vegan. It’s definitely a challenge to veganize one of the most animal-product-heavy cuisines in the world, but the chefs at Velani do it and they do it well.
I started my meal with the cheese dumpling soup. Now, I could easily write an entire blog post about that cheese dumpling soup. I would eat it every day if I could. I even tried to eat it every day once I got back home from Vienna, but my own improvised versions just weren’t the same. What I’m saying here, in case I’m not being clear enough, is get the cheese dumpling soup.
Choosing a main was a challenge because everything sounded so good – but since I was in Vienna after all, and hadn’t had a schnitzel yet, I decided to go with that. Velani’s vegan schnitzel is huge – I do not exaggerate when I say it was larger than my head – and comes served in true Viennese style, with potato salad, a wedge of lemon, and a sauce of your choice (I went with cranberry sauce).
Yes, I finished the entire schnitzel all on my own. It took a while, but I did it. After all that, the sachertorte for dessert was pretty but a bit uninspired. When I go back to Velani someday, I’ll probably try a different dessert.
2. Tisch
The menu at Tisch can be a bit overwhelming at first glance. There are quite a few pages, but I must say, it’s a pretty fun read. As you’re leafing through, you’ll discover veganized versions of local and international favorites, alongside seasonal specials and a huge variety of beverages.
I ordered the cheese platter as my appetizer, because whenever I’m at a vegan restaurant and there’s a cheese platter on the menu, it’s safe to assume I will order it. This platter had four different cheeses on it, two of them chickpea-based – I’d never tried chickpea-based cheese before, and to be honest, I never would have been able to guess. Since I had announced to the waitress that I was planning on ordering the kaiserschmarrn for dessert, she advised that I save some of the cheese to take back to my hotel with me… but yeah, that’s not what happened.
As you might have guessed, I’m partial to dumplings… and vegan cheese, especially of the blue kind. This means that for my main, I couldn’t resist the spinach dumplings with the blue cheese sauce. I wasn’t even going to put up a fight. And I’m glad I didn’t, because this was possibly one of the best dishes I had while in Vienna, and that’s saying a lot.
I felt like the waitstaff wasn’t expecting me to actually order the kaiserschmarrn after all that, but I did. And yes, it was amazing, and no, I couldn’t finish it, and yes, I took the leftovers back to my hotel room, and yes, it was almost just as good the next morning for breakfast.
What is kaiserschmarrn?
Kaiserschmarrn is a fluffy pancake, shredded and lightly caramelized, and usually served with powdered sugar and fruit compote. It’s a beloved Austrian dessert – rich, filling, and traditionally not vegan, but Tisch has definitely nailed the plant-based version.
I went back to Tisch that weekend for brunch (they don’t always have it – check their socials for info), fully expecting to be wowed again, but it was kind of… meh. The buffet was nothing out of the ordinary and my omelet was just okay. Next time I’m in Vienna, I’ll probably stick with lunch or dinner at Tisch.
3. Chez Fritz
Chez Fritz is a bit out of the way and the opening hours are a bit weird, but if you want to visit the best vegan bakery in Vienna, there’s no way you’ll regret fitting it into your schedule. The tartlets are almost too beautiful to be real – but with flavors to die for, they’ve got some serious inner beauty going on as well.
4. Jola
If you consider yourself to be a vegan foodie, Jola should be high up on your list when you visit Vienna. Pricey but worth every penny, Jola offers a highly creative, everchanging tasting menu made up of a dozen or so courses. It’s a three-hour culinary experience you’ll never forget.
I could try to describe some of the dishes I had that night, but I feel like I wouldn’t do them justice, and whatever you get will probably be different anyway. So take a look at the photos, be inspired, and make a reservation as soon as you can, because the tables fill up fast.
Fine dining while traveling solo: Is it a thing?
Eating out alone is one of the biggest hesitations many people have when thinking of traveling solo, especially when it comes to fine dining. You might worry that you’ll stand out, feel awkward, or be treated differently without a dining companion. But the truth is, solo fine dining can be one of the most enjoyable ways to treat yourself while traveling.
High-end restaurants are becoming used to solo guests, especially in cities with a strong tourism scene. Places like Jola focus on the food and experience, not who you’re sitting with. You can savor each course at your own pace, soak in the atmosphere, and enjoy the luxury of doing something entirely for yourself.
Even if it feels a little weird at first, try not to worry about it too much. Remember that most people are focused on whatever’s going on at their own table and are too busy to even notice a person dining alone. And if they do notice? Maybe they’ll think you’re a food critic or someone on a business trip. And if they just think you must be really really weird for dining solo? That’s their problem, not yours – and you’re never going to see them again anyway.
5. Pepper & Ginny
Pepper & Ginny is a tiny hole-in-the-wall deli with a couple of tables and a tiny menu, but the food is so full of flavor – and attention to detail – that you don’t really need anything else. The cheese platter wasn’t available on the day I was there, so I had to “settle” for the canapés, but I’d say that worked out quite well. Each little open-face sandwich is like a tiny work of art.
There are also many vegan products to purchase, including cheeses, spreads, jams, sweets, and wine, of course. This isn’t your usual supermarket fare – the products are imported from all over Europe and you can tell that they’ve been carefully selected.
I loved the camembert (the same one from the canapé I had) and blue cheese I bought to keep in my hotel room fridge.
6. Swing Kitchen
When I’m traveling, I’ll usually try to avoid vegan junk food joints – not because I’m necessarily trying to avoid junk food, but because it always feels like they’re the same everywhere and I’d rather not waste a meal on something I can easily get at home. That said, there was a Swing Kitchen literally on the ground floor of my hotel, conveniently open late, so I had to give it a try.
I’m glad I did, because this isn’t your ordinary vegan junk food. Swing Kitchen uses the freshest ingredients and everything just tastes good, without trying to be particularly healthy, as many vegan restaurants do. I had the Vienna Burger, which was a schnitzel in a bun with garlic sauce and veggies, the chili cheese nuggets, which were to die for, and the almond-nougat cake, which I’d gladly eat every day if someone could convince me it was a vegetable. It’s also worth noting that the prices are very reasonable by Vienna standards and the drinks come with free refills.
7. Café Kunst Haus
Let me start by saying this: if you’re visiting Vienna, you need to go to Kunst Haus Wien, because the quintessentially Viennese Hundertwasser is an awesome artist and the museum he designed is really like no other. Now, since you’re going to the museum anyway, you definitely want to stop by the café, because it has lots of clearly marked vegan options on the menu and that’s pretty awesome as well.
When I went to the museum I had just had a big breakfast and I had lunch plans, so all I had was a cup of tea and a piece of lemon-poppyseed pie from the display. But next time I’m in the area, I’ll definitely plan my day differently so I can try Café Kunst Haus for lunch.
8. Lin’s Veggie Dumplin’
I love dumplings. This is the third time I’m saying that in this blog post, but to be fair, the first two times were about Austrian dumplings and this time is about Asian dumplings, which I love just as much.
Lin’s Veggie Dumplin’ is a small, self-serve restaurant, perfect for a quick lunch – or not so quick if you’re like me and you order both a large serving of dumplings and a soup, when either one of these could be a full meal on its own. But how can you resist?
The food here is fresh, tasty, and beautifully presented, and the prices are low. Don’t miss it.
9. Café Harvest
Popular among trendy locals, Café Harvest is definitely a unique experience, with its retro feel and cozy vibes. The menu is almost all vegan, besides cow’s milk for coffee (don’t you hate it when they do that?)
The menu includes some veganized local dishes, some international dishes, some great desserts (you can also choose a cake from the display), and a wide variety of beverages. I had a small potato-bean salad and the goulash, served with spätzle. The apfelstrudel, served with vegan whipped cream, was the perfect end to my day.
10. Vevi
Unlike the traditional Viennese cuisine, Vietnamese food is quite easy to make vegan, but not so easy to do it well. It just so happens that my last trip before Vienna was actually to Vietnam, so I came into Vevi one night with high standards.
I had the wonton soup (oh, look, dumplings again) and a bánh mì, which is one of my favorite things in the world. Was it as good as a vegan bánh mì in Hanoi? No. Was it still pretty damn good? Yes. What makes Vietnamese food good is the fresh flavors and mix of textures, and Vevi definitely gets that right.
The pineapple bun I had for dessert was a nice quick bite to end the meal with.
Vegan in Vienna: Notable mentions
Veganista
Veganista is a chain of fully vegan ice cream parlors with branches all over Vienna, but unfortunately, as I was visiting during the winter, they were all closed. However, I got to try their branch at the Vienna airport while on layover on my infamous flight to Iceland. The airport branch has more than just ice cream – they’ve got sandwiches, pastries, snacks, and other grab-and-go items. And let’s face it – on some days, there’s nothing more exciting than a 100% vegan place at an airport.
Veggiezz
The trendy Veggiezz is pretty much your stereotypical vegan restaurant with all the stereotypical vegan things – you’ve got your poke bowls, your veggie burgers, your quinoa salad, your falafel wrap. This kind of menu doesn’t excite me much, but I still had a nice lunch at Veggiezz. The vegetable-quinoa soup was nice on a cold day. The club sandwich felt like every vegan cliché you can think of stuffed between three slices of bread, but although the combination was a little weird, it wasn’t untasty.
Anker
This huge bakery chain has branches practically on every street corner and in every train station, and the vegan pastries are clearly marked. If you’re spending more than a couple of days in Vienna, you’ll probably end up eating here sooner or later.
Billa Pflanzilla
A large-ish, separate vegan section in a Billa supermarket. I’ve heard a lot of the products are available in regular Billa supermarkets, but what’s nice here is that they’re all in one place, you don’t have to check the ingredients, and there are some fresh pastries available as well.
Schwein
This vegetarian restaurant wasn’t on my must-visit list, but I discovered it by accident while roaming around. The big chalkboard sign outside read “Vegan Reuben,” and I wanted a vegan Reuben, so I went in and sat down, only to discover they weren’t serving it that day. There were some other interesting vegan options on the menu, but most were pretty much vegetable-based, so you’d probably need to order a few different dishes to fill up.
I had the cauliflower steak, which wasn’t bad, but it was basically a roasted piece of cauliflower served with cauliflower cream, so not particularly satisfying.
That said – the dessert I had at Schwein was incredible. All three desserts on the menu were vegan and I got the semolina-raspberry cake, served with vanilla cream, and just perfect all around. I don’t know if they have this on the menu all the time, but if they do, you should get it.
Pizzi & Cream
My experience at this 100% vegan pizzeria was weird. Service wasn’t very friendly, and I was told that since I was only one person, I could only order slices and couldn’t choose my own toppings. So I had a couple of slices. They were okay, but not the toppings I would have wanted. Even though there were a couple of other customers, the place was completely silent – like eating pizza in a library. Just an uncomfortable experience all around.
If you can get good vegan pizza where you live, I probably wouldn’t bother going here – there are some way more interesting vegan places in the vicinity.
Schwarzbrot
This is a small, 100% vegan bakery that’s kind of hard to find, and the options are kind of limited. That said, I had the nougat croissant and it was pastry perfection, so it might be worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Map of My Favorite Vegan Spots in Vienna
FAQs: Vegan in Vienna
Yes! Vienna is surprisingly vegan-friendly. There are many 100% vegan restaurants and cafés and even a few shops and bakeries. You can also find clearly labeled vegan options and many non-vegan places.
Austria as a whole is increasingly vegan-aware, especially in larger cities. While rural areas might be trickier, places like Vienna, Graz, and Salzburg have a solid vegan presence and growing demand for plant-based food. Even big chains like Anker and Billa have vegan options.
Velani and Tisch are two vegan restaurants in Vienna which serve vegan versions of Viennese classics, like schnitzel, dumplings, goulash, and even kaiserschmarrn. Café Harvest also serves a few veganized local favorites.
That depends on what you’re looking for. For traditional Austrian food, go to Tisch or Velani. For a creative, fine-dining experience, try Jola or Tian. If you’re just after some tasty vegan junk food, Swing Kitchen is sure to hit the spot.
Why am I not eating all this food RIGHT NOW?! You’re doing an unbelievable job with the pictures and the descriptions. Looking forward to drooling over the other entries!
Yay, my first comment! Thanks so much!