Vegan in Vienna; Sweets & Mock Meats galore!

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When thinking of vegan friendly places in the world, a location in Austria likely wouldn't come to mind. To my surprise, Vienna or Wien, as it's known in Europe, is chock full of vegan eats, sweets, & treats! Of course, having a fabulous tour guide like Melanie certainly doesn't hurt when it comes to finding these treasures.

Fresh off the plane & ready to roll, we wandered around the streets of Vienna, in awe of the amazing architecture. In the 7th district, you'll find vegetarian Taiwanese spot Vegetasia, home to an all you can eat lunch buffet with everything from Miso Soup & Gyoza to Curry "Chicken" & fried selections galore. The buffet is about 85% vegan, they do use egg, honey, & have creamy dressings, but ask the staff & they'll be happy to tell you what is suitable for vegans. While the flan is not an option, the fried bananas ARE & I was sure to partake in my fair share (& possibly the share of others.)

Vegetasia is located at Kaiserstrasse 45, 1070.

While you may have thought Copenhagen was the land of vegan croissants, that's not the case after all! Organic bakeries are popping up all over Europe & Vienna has their share as well. At Bäckerei Waldherr you'll be welcomed with a hand written sign titled, "For Our Vegan Friends", letting you know what's available to you. I had to get some of the Chocolate dipped, Raspberry Jam filled Croissants & while they were a heartier wheat pastry & not all that flaky, they still hit the spot! I also acquired a Nougat Heart cookie & an Apple Pie-like pastry, neither of which were a disappointment. I went to the Bäckerei Waldherr located at Naschmarkt, an awesome outdoor market with fruit, veg, & local artisan goods like pickles & sauerkraut. You can also find some of the Bäckerei Waldherr goods in DM drugstores with snack bars called "Gesunde Pause". While you're picking out your Vegan Society labeled skincare items, you can grab a snack as well!

Bäckerei Waldherr is located at Naschmarkt 1040, Marc-Aurel-Straße 4, 1010 or at the "Gesunde Pause" in DM drugstores.

Relatively new kid on the block, Landia opened their very vegan friendly doors just months ago, but are already delighting the locals. The 100% vegetarian menu rotates daily & vegan options are clearly marked. On the night we went to Landia, they just happened to have seitan döner on the menu, which Ryan quickly snatched up! Flavorful house-made seitan, thinly sliced cucumbers, & a tangy vegan yogurt sauce in pita bread all complemented each other in this tasty treat! I went with the traditional dish Schnitzel, which is a breaded & fried cutlet that came with a generous portion of potatoes. Everything we had at Landia was delicious & I could see myself eating there time & time again.

Landia is located at Ahornergasse 4, 1070.

As a major fan of candy, I was thrilled to find out Manner Original Neopolitaner, the pride of Wien & a confection consisting of crisp wafers filled with Hazelnut Cream are vegan! I started stockpiling these babies almost instantly, then found out there was also a Lemon Creme version & a Chocolate dipped version! By the time we hit the Manner store by St. Stephen's Cathedral, I was on overload.. sugar overload, that is! While not all of the confections by Manner are vegan, many are, so check those labels. There's even a German guide to vegan Manner on their site! I've already spied a spot here in San Francisco where I can get Manner bars, so you may be able to find them locally as well.

On a sunny, but cold afternoon, we headed over to Formosa, a restaurant & vegan food shop not too far from a bustling shopping street. As we entered this small shop with two tables & floor to ceiling goods for purchase, we were greeted by the smiling faces of the ladies who work there. Trying to take a break from the mock meats & fried foods, I opted for the Tofu & Vegetables with Rice. The tofu turned out to be fried & a bit cornstarch flavored, but the vegetables & rice in a flavorful sauce were just fine. Ryan opted for a vegan Cordon Bleu, a fried cutlet filled with soy cheese & ham with a side of potato salad he declared the best he's ever had! After dining, I filled up a basket with far too many goodies like vegan gummies, biscuits, white chocolate bars, baked treats by local brand "Vegan Bakery", & No-Muh-Chäs, a vegan cheese by Vegusto. While the food at Formosa was nothing to write home about, the selection of goods was excellent & I would recommend a stop there to check it out.

Formosa is located at Barnabitengasse 6, 1060.

Of course, the best sweets out there are the home baked sort! Imagine my surprise when Melanie revealed that Chocolate Chip Scones had been baked for us to enjoy. I hate to admit it, but it was my first scone experience. Luckily, it was a great one, so I'll have to try these treats again sometime!

By the way, for more vegan Vienna options, check out Tupalo.com. I was surprised that we weren't able to hit all the spots available to vegans, so I suppose I'll have to go back sometime!