A Mini Vegan Food Tour of Vienna

I won't lie - a lot of my holiday planning comes down to the food. I mean, remember Berlin? It was going to take a lot to top that, and this year our city break took us to, granted a place I knew very little about, Vienna! My pre-holiday reading did not go as well this time round. I buried myself in histories of German flânerie and memoirs of Isherwood living life in the capital before we went to Berlin, but one 500-page book about the Habsburg dynasty absolutely flummoxed me this time around. I went in completely unprepared, Vienna a complete mystery to me (besides a very last-minute ravenous read of The Third Man, a well-chosen birthday present). Needless to say, it was an absolutely stunning city, quiet and relaxed in pace, and an absolute dream food-wise.

Whereas Berlin was a veritable feast of vegan food, new discoveries to be found on every corner, Vienna was a little better at keeping her secrets. We spent a lot of the trip having lunches at the extraordinary Veggiezzz, a vegan cafe of sorts, specialising in enormous burgers, the world's greatest fries (I will die in this hill), and even vegan bratwurst. There were three or four of these establishments in the capital, but somehow we kept accidentally stumbling upon the same one at just the right time of day. I even found myself enjoying the sauerkraut, after telling myself I wouldn't like it. If you're in Vienna, this place is an absolute must.

I'm not kidding about the fries. Look at them.

Another cannot-miss on your vegan Viennese adventure is Veganista, another chain, but this time ice-cream. And I'm not talking sorbet. This is proper ice-cream, made from a variety of non-dairy milks, including soy, coconut, and rice. The flavours are absolutely stunning, my favourite being the hazelnut, and the staff were happy to give away samples if you weren't sure whether you were going to like a flavour. The price wasn't too bad either, especially if you're used to London gelaterias charging you a fiver a scoop. Like many other places in Vienna, they had a poppyseed flavour (which I didn't try), but it was near-impossible to go into a Viennese establishment without finding something peppered with this. I must research why! 

I am still dreaming about this hazelnut ice-cream...I was so hypnotised by it, I actually cannot remember what the other scoop was of.

Look, it's another burger! This time from Swing Kitchen, just a few doors down from a Veganista joint, so that's dinner and dessert basically begging to be had. Vienna was pretty much burger heaven the whole time we were there - I don't think I've ever tried so many different kinds of vegan burger. I've never been a huge fan of seitan. The similarity to real meat texturally really puts me off, but so many of the patties were made in a way in Vienna where that wasn't an issue for me. Topped off with some moreish fake cheese and zingy salad, you couldn't really ask for more from a burger. 

Those were the big hitters of Vienna, but there were many other places that still rated highly. Gorilla Market did a mean latte, with their neighbour establishment Gorilla Kitchen selling delicious burritos, burrito bowls, and sandwiches. Many bakeries on the market boasted both vegan and gluten-free goodies, and the nearby Voodies was yet another place that specialised in meat-free burgers.

Vienna is a stunning city, with plenty to do without being absolutely heaving with people, and everything feels beautifully laced with history. Take your camera, some comfortable trainers to walk in, and a healthy appetite.

 - Megan