Although Austrian cuisine is traditionally meat-heavy, there are plenty of innovative vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the city of Graz, so anyone in need of a speedy snack or hearty dinner will find the right restaurant.
Vegans want treats too, of course. Swing Kitchen is the Austrian vegan’s go-to joint for fast food—partially devoid of guilt. Burgers and chips are the focus, with a good few varieties to choose from. The Vienna burger offers vegans the chance to experience a veal-free version of the city’s national dish, Wiener Schnitzel, made using a breadcrumbed soy patty. All the fast-food essentials feature on the menu: nuggets, coleslaw, onion rings, and wraps. Even the desserts impressively follow suit with the vegan theme—with offerings of tiramisu, muffins, and “cheese”cake.
Indian food is a fantastic option for vegetarians and vegans—with fiesty curries that offer a refreshing departure from lazy meat-free menus of soups and salads. Mumbai Cuisine has a changing daily menu, with delicious dishes such as mushroom masala and palak aloo. A great option if you’re visiting Graz on a shoestring—a takeaway curry box is just $4.50. Creamy mango lassi and Masala Chai are available to counteract the chili.
Exclusively vegan, Café Greenhouse has an impressively diverse menu featuring salad bowls, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and meat-free soups. The interior is as fresh as the cuisine, with clean white tiled walls and a stripped down vibe. Hidden away in the alleyways of Hauptplatz, it is a conspicuous gem that is sure to delight vegans and carnivores alike.
When Ginko opened in the 1970s, it was one of the first exclusively vegetarian restaurants in Austria. Using seasonal ingredients, the chefs create dishes from all around the world—from Middle Eastern Indian cuisine to Austrian specialties. Their in-house bakery produces a delicious selection of cakes and pastries, with many lactose and gluten-free versions available.
Veggiezz, part of a chain of restaurants around Austria, “sees itself as a first-class restaurant with exclusively vegan food and beverage offers, freshly prepared from high-quality, honest ingredients of local provenance, predominantly in organic quality.” The menu features daily specials, such as pasta arrabiata with vegan parmesan, avacado pasta, and vegan curries.
Translating to mean “the green carrot,” this unique and casual restaurant has cleverly recreated many meaty dishes using alternative ingredients. Their version of a cheeseburger is made using a seitan patty with vegan cheese. They even offer the chance for vegans to sample the favorite Austrian dish, schnitzel—served in the form of a burger and remastered using soybeans.
PARKS-Art pride themselves on serving wholesome, homemade food made using fresh, seasonal produce. Daily specials are offered, with scrumptious dishes including bolognese to a “five elements Jaipur curry,” made using zucchini, carrots, yellow rice, and rocket salad. They are also passionate about their coffee, and offer a range of alternative milk, such as soy, oat, or almond.
Serving mainly organic vegan and veggie crêpes, with a selection of delicious fillings, from savory pancakes with pesto to sweet marmalade. The atmospheric garden is open until 8 p.m.
The menu at Yisu (which is Chinese for vegetarian and vegan) offers a wide range of exciting dishes. The chef creates delicious specialties using ingredients such as soy, vegetable extracts, shitake mushrooms, and seaweed.They are based on the taste and appearance of the original meat and fish dishes and offer an excellent impersonation.
This savvy restaurant offers vegans the chance to sample famed Austrian speciality, Wiener Schnitzel, supplementing the traditional veal for soya, with chips and a salad on the side. Other highlights on the menu include a vegan cheeseburger and a generous selection of vegetarian wraps. Their aim is “to make people happy with delicious vegan food.”
