Vienna calling

Anyone who has been to Vienna before and was able to experience this city knows exactly how wonderful the old and the new are connected. The Viennese seem to understand it very well, to preserve traditions and still keep up with times.

In this article, I have the opportunity to illuminate a tiny detail of the culinary side of Vienna and to explore with you some of the new or newer restaurant concepts. Because the world continues to turn and it would be a pity if we only ever got the same on the table. As good and delicious as the traditional dishes may be.

In the following I will introduce you to three completely different restaurants, but they have at least one thing in common. They are all located in the 1st district, ie within the ring road. And they represent three examples of restaurants in Vienna where vegans and non-vegans can eat together.

I have been to Vienna many times and have even lived and worked there for a year. Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to ask the local people for restaurant recommendations. And that’s what came out of it. 🙂

Wrenkh – The Elegant

Wrenkh was chosen by a dear friend whom I met there for lunch. It was allegedly a pioneer among the vegetarian restaurants in Vienna. Anyway. Nowadays Wrenkh offers a wide range of food and drinks, from vegan to steak. I just call it “world cuisine”.

The menu

Everything was neatly declared on the lunch menu. Vegan, vegetarian, which ingredients. There were soups and French tapenade (olive spread) and Japanese yakitori (chicken skewer) as appetizers. With the main courses, salads dominate the menu – meaning the lighter dishes – who wants it heartier and a bit “heavier” can order catfish fillet or dry-aged steak. The desserts are just as colorful. Here was the choice between chia pudding, chocolate cake and poppy noodles.

I love olives, so we had tapenade as a starter. And it was just as I had imagined. Nice spicy. My companion decided to take “Erdäpfelschmarrn” (crispy shredded potatoes) as the main course. This was very similar to a “rösti” and was flanked by chard vegetables and a herbal dip. I had the lucky salad Styrian-style served for myself. Of course, as a born Styrian, that was a clear thing. 🙂 In addition to the delicious pumpkin seed oil dressing, I found the crispy quinoa a highlight.

The place

Wrenkh is, although everything is very open, a cozy and stylish restaurant. Brown wood paneling on the walls, floor to ceiling windows, dark marble floor. The service staff was very attentive and the kitchen was quick. The lunch break doesn’t last forever. 😉

Right next door is the cooking salon, where cooking classes take place and which is available for all kinds of events. Celebrations or company events with joint cooking, cooking classes or show cooking can be arranged here.

Due to the central location and the delicious food and drinks the restaurant Wrenkh is always well visited. Making a reservation is therefore highly recommended!

Info – Wrenkh

Address: Bauernmarkt 10, 1010 Vienna

Opening hours: Mon – Sat, 11 am – 11 pm, kitchen till 10 pm

www.wrenkh-wien.at

Habibi & Hawara – The Multicultural

Wow, I do not know where to start. In Habibi & Hawara I was on the recommendation of a friend. Together with my Viennese relatives I tried at least a small part of the menu.

But before that, to a definition, because I think not all are familiar with the two terms. The word “Habibi” is Arabic and means lover or friend, darling and sweetheart. Habibi is also an Arabic surname. The word “Hawara” or “Haberer” comes from Yiddish and generally means friend, buddy. It can also be synonymous with man or lover.

The food

The focus of the food is clearly on dishes from the Middle East and North Africa, so to speak oriental food. In addition, you will also find some Viennese classics on the menu or at the buffet. The menu is divided into three parts. “Noon”, “evening” and “is always there”.

If you are not so hungry or in the mood for something special, just look for the right thing on the “is always there” part of the menu. It includes spreads / dips, salads, falafel, fish, meat, desserts and a lot more.

We decided to share an appetizer plate and then each one ordered an individual main course. One Schwarma with chicken and one vegan each with Tabouleh and Hummus were served and one Munirs Toshka (Syrian-Armenian stuffed flatbread).

The premises

A few more words about the location. The Habibi & Hawara is actually quite large, but due to the numerous rooms that are interconnected it seems yet small and cosy. In principle you can walk in on one side, go through all the rooms and then come back to the street again. So you have made a U. Sounds confusing? Take a look at it yourself!

Conclusion

It was hopefully not my last visit there. The menu has so many delicious things to offer. My relatives also would like to come back, they said. I recommend you to book a table, because Habibi & Hawara is very popular. And rightly so.

Info – Habibi & Hawara

Eins

Address: Wipplingerstraße 29, 1010 Vienna

Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 11 am – 3 pm and 5 pm – 12 am // Sat, 5 pm – midnight // Sundays and holydays closed

www.habibi.at

Further locations

Siebenstern

Address: Siebensternplatz 46, 1070 Wien

Opening hours: Thu + Fri, 11 am – 12 am // Sat, 10 am – 12 am // Brunch: Sat, Sun + holidays, 10 am – 3 pm

Phone: +43 1 236 32 25

Nordbahn

Address: Bruno-Marek-Allee 23, 1020 Wien

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 11 am – 12 am

Phone: +43 1 21 27 534

Landstraße

Address: Platz der Sozialen Sicherheit, 1030 Wien

Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 11 am – 4 pm // Brunch: Sat, Sun + holidays, 10 am – 3 pm

Phone: +43 1 7108727

Seestadt

Address: Simone-de-Beauvoir-Platz, 1220 Wien

Opening hours: Tue – Sun, 11 am – 10 pm // Mondays closed

Phone: +43 1 280 50 98

Veggiezz – The “fast food”

I hope the owners do not blame me. In fact, the Veggiezz is far from a classic fast food restaurant. You sit comfortably, you get served and the food is freshly prepared from high quality ingredients. I met a friend spontaneously in Veggiezz on Salzgries 9 for lunch. It had to be relatively fast and there should be something vegan on the menu. Veggiezz is by the way a purely vegan restaurant, which should certainly be interesting for non-vegans as well. Actually, it is already a restaurant chain, because as I found out, currently five Veggiezz restaurants are existing.

The menu

The food in Veggiezz is very divers and the beautifully illustrated menu makes your mouth water. On the one hand you will find very healthy dishes such as bowls and superfoods as well as down-to-earth dishes such as soups and salads. On the other hand, there are burgers, wraps, sandwiches and even vegan steaks. There should be something for everyone, right?

The decision then probably won’t be quite so “fast” at the end. I think it’s good that there are a lot of gluten-free dishes and alternatives. Even the burgers can be ordered in a gluten-free version. In addition, you can supplement your dish with many extras, toppings, dips and sauces.

I would like to mention that there is also a weekly menu with changing daily specials. Siegfried Kröpfl is responsible for the creation of some dishes. He has cooked in many luxury hotels in his life and now works as a catering consultant with a vegan focus.

The location

I’m assuming that all branches are set up in the same style. The walls are covered with white painted wood and the tables are also painted white. Everything in vintage style. It was quite cosy and we felt comfortable.

Conclusion

What we ate was delicious, but of course it was only a very small portion of the extensive offer. If everything tastes as delicious as it looks in the menu, it is great. Anyway, it made me want more.

Info – Veggiezz

Address: Salzgries 9, 1010 Vienna

Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm // Sat + Sun, 12 pm – 10:00 pm

Phone: +43 (01) 53 22 650

www.veggiezzsalzgries.at