JeanneinDoha Explores: Healthy Vegetarian and Vegan Cafés in Vienna

My husband, Matthias, and I were fortunate to spend a wonderful few days in Vienna this July. Whilst we both love Vienna in the summer, we quickly tire of eating large amounts of meat, cheese and other rich foods. Moreover, I often find the produce sections of Central European supermarkets to be decidedly sparse in ironic comparison to our supermarkets out here in the desert. However, with a little help from Instagram, I was delighted to find a few cafés that could satisfy my leafy cravings. And so, in search of micronutrients, we set about exploring Vienna’s vegetarian and vegan scene. 

Simply Raw Bakery

Drahtgasse 2 / Am Hof, Vienna 1010

Menu available online in German but Google Translate is your friend! An English language menu is available at the café.

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Nestled among the stately buildings of Vienna’s first district, a short walk from Kärntner Straße and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, is Simply Raw Bakery. We visited twice during the course of our vacation and would have made a third trip had we had the time. Simply Raw specializes in organic, vegan, gluten free food, ranging from beautiful brunch sets to delectable raw energy bites. I tucked into the Oriental Green brunch plate which comprised of zucchini hommous, raw bread topped with microgreens and tomatoes, a green shot, a vanilla and goji berry chia pudding, and a choice of hot drink (a matcha latte for me). The staff at Simply Raw were incredibly kind and happily allowed me to order off the brunch combo menu even though we had arrived at 12.30pm - 30 minutes after the cut-off time for the special. Matthias’ big Buddha Bowl consisted of a heartening array of grains, spiralized vegetables, avocado and sprouts, topped with an almond cream and tamari dressing. We also tried a few of the rich, raw desserts including the raw banana bread, which we found dense  and moist - sweet without being overpowering.

Oriental Green Brunch Combo | Big Buddha Bowl

Superfood Deli

Mariahilfer Straße 45 / 17-19, Raimundhof, Vienna 1060 

Superfood Deli has a number of cafés across Vienna but the Mariahilfer Straße location is probably the easiest to find if you are exploring as a tourist as it is located close to many of the city's major museums.

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A couple of metro spots away, along a hippie back alley in Vienna’s Museumsquartier is Superfood Deli. Superfood Deli’s menu is filled with luscious smoothie bowls, smoothies, and other vegan treats. In particular, the deli specializes in incorporating the superfood, açaí, into menu items. On my first visit, I treated myself to an avocado cacao banana smoothie bowl and creamy turmeric latte. A few days later, we returned to Superfood Deli for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. I opted for an açaí protein smoothie and Matthias picked up a green detox smoothie made up of apples, bananas, dates, kiwi, spinach, orange and spirulina. We couldn’t have been happier with our choices.

Superfood Deli Shopfront | Cacao-Avocado Smoothie Bowl

It’s hard to explain how happy I was to discover these two gems while exploring Vienna. As someone who has never cared for schnitzel, I know where I will be heading when I return to Vienna in a few weeks‘ time!