It’s already the second day of our Christmas vacation in Vienna, 2025. After a fairly successful first day culinarily speaking, we are wandering through several restaurants, two of which are closed but not marked as such on Google Maps. A bit of frustration mixed with the impatience of hunger is creeping up on us. But eventually, we find something quite decent.

The place is called Cafe 7Stern. I run into it while searching for activist spaces, not necessarily vegan ones. It’s only vegetarian, but since it is close to where we are coming from and it is still freezing outside, we enter. The place is beautifully decorated: plants flooding the exterior glass walls, diffused light creating a pleasant atmosphere, and tables arranged intimately, spaced well apart.

Simple ingredients, and deep flavors at Cafe 7Stern

I like the place, but the vegan options on the menu are few to none. However, the waitress’s benevolent attitude is what makes us stay — she gets genuinely sad when seeing us checking our phones for other places nearby. So she promises to add extra toppings to a dish that we later discover to be a kind of thin-crust pizza.

The dish is quite simple: a sheet of dough, basil pesto, zucchini, tomatoes, and pumpkin. But the taste shows us what using quality ingredients means. The vegetables complement each other well, the crust is crispy, and the pesto ties everything together harmoniously. We didn’t have high expectations, but since we had a pleasant surprise, we go for dessert as well.

We order a slice of berry and chocolate tart, the only vegan one on display. It's good, but not to die for. The coconut is making it far too dry for my taste, and the chocolate layer is too thin to compensate. However, the sweet-and-sour combination almost saved it.

With these two snacks, we somewhat appeased our hunger until the next stop. 4.5 stars out of 5, because they have few vegan options.

Lin’s Veggie Dumplin’: variety is an understatement

The menu at Lin’s makes our decision difficult. We want to taste a little bit of everything. Luckily, they have a combo option with 5 types of dumplings for the curious types. They arrive quickly, and we devour them just as fast, forgetting to take photos. “Delicate” is the adjective that characterizes them all, both in texture and taste. I would prefer more intense flavors, but I’m not complaining — it is a colorful and varied appetizer.

We knew from the moment we walked in that we'd order soups for the main course. After a few days of dry food, the need for something liquid is acute. We take the ramen with tempeh and goji, and the curry ramen with fried dumplings, broccoli, and pineapple.

Ramen with tempeh vs. curry ramen – which is better?

In terms of flavor, the curry ramen wins. However, it’s quite spicy for me, so I can only enjoy this perfect combination for a short while. You can feel the creamy soup coating your insides before heating you up, which isn’t bad at all on such a cold winter day, even for me. 

The fruity sweetness of the pineapple brings a surprising note to the taste, while the crunch of the broccoli and fried cashews completes the texture. The fried dumplings are clearly better than the steamed ones from the appetizer, even if they soften as the soak in the curry. 

It’s a true pleasure to look at this plate, with such a clear contrast between colors: yellow, green, brown, black specks from the sesame, and thin red lines from the saffron. It’s also very filling, thanks to the generous portion of wheat noodles.

Who Else Loves Tempeh?

As we ordered, I thought the tempeh ramen would be the star, but it isn’t quite so. Still, it’s nothing to turn your nose up at. In fact, I’d be super happy to find something like this at any restaurant in Romania.

The soup is clear, less aromatic, more traditional. Rice noodles share the bowl with a generous handful of Chinese cabbage. Three slices of crispy tempeh sit on a skewer above the soup. I’m glad they've placed it that way so it doesn’t get soggy, even though the texture is too dry if you try them separately.

When I taste the soup, I wonder what those reddish, sweet bits are. I had forgotten I read “goji” on the menu. Once hydrated, they don’t resemble the goji berries from my homemade cereal mix at all. It seems like an interesting choice that brightens up the dish.

We can’t finish it all, so the rice noodles, along with some soup, end up the next day in a slightly weird but super tasty recipe: pasta with 3 types of vegan cheese and sausages. Lin’s Veggie Dumplin’ receives 4.5 out of 5 stars, as service and ambiance are not necessarily its strong points.

Schwein: A Final Memorable Stop in Vienna

Another place I would visit again is an ovo-lacto vegetarian restaurant with vegan options. And what vegan options! The plating — a bit more gourmet, and the place — a bit hipsterish. What wins me over immediately upon entering: the fact that they are using vegetables as decoration on the tables.

We got the table with fennel, and I could barely refrain from nibbling on it. It’s by far my favorite salad. At the neighboring table, a beetroot took center stage, while a large communal table boasted an entire spread of vegetables, pumpkin included. The thought that it’s a cool idea combines with the anti-waste hope that those vegetables will end up being cooked, after being displayed on tables.

As we go through the menu, we decide on a fried artichoke appetizer, plus a portion of bao buns. The waitress helps us choose the second main course when she assures us that the meatballs with tomato sauce are homemade, not supermarket versions.

When the Appetizer Becomes an Interactive Experience

It is my first time eating fried artichoke, and I am surprised by how good it is. They sprinkled it with vegan parmesan, making it extremely tasty. However, after half the portion, it becomes a bit heavy due to the high oil content. Therefore, I think a less greasy sauce than the mayo they brought would have worked better. Or maybe some pickles.

We haven't yet finished the artichoke when the bao buns arrive. It is my first time seeing them deconstructed: two fluffy buns on one plate, and on another plate — two thick slices of tofu with soy sauce, crunchy red cabbage, strips of pickled cucumber, and a dense peanut sauce. This way, we can add as much sauce as we prefer and get involved in the plating. 

With all the ingredients added, the dish is good but not extraordinary. What makes it interesting is that we can combine it with the fried artichoke, using it as a substitute for french fries.

What to expect from some vegan meatballs

After a while, the vegan meatballs arrive. They look much better than I expected. Large, crispy, on a bed of tomato sauce, with two slices of bread on the side. On a separate plate, we have spinach, with the same tasty vegan parmesan on top. 

The red interior of the meatball reveals what they are made of: beetroot and quinoa. The contrast between the crispy exterior and the soft interior stands out. Quite good, though I personally would prefer smaller meatballs for an extra crunch. 

They go very well with the sauce and toasted bread, while the salad completes the dish with some subtle aromas.

And since we are pleasantly impressed by everything we eat, we decide to order dessert as soon as we find out that what they brought to a nearby table is vegan. 

Ready for the best dessert of the trip?

Apple strudel, with sauce. At first, nothing spectacular. But from the very first bite, we realize it is the best strudel we’ve ever tasted. 

The sheets combine with the apple semolina filling, the vanilla sauce on top is divine, and the raspberry jam adds a bright, tangy note. 

Hard to describe in words, but so good that it will definitely make me stop by again when I’m back again in Vienna. And I’ll definitely get some to go next time.

The taste, decor, and service lead me to say that Schwein deserves 5 out of 5 points.