Tian Bistro am Spittelberg

Tian Bistro is the casual sister restaurant of Tian, the swanky Michelin-starred fine dining temple in downtown. The Bistro is located in the hip part of Vienna, in District 7’s Spittelberg neighborhood. The claim to fame of both places is their vegetarian-only lineup (guests can also opt for vegan).

Without the crutch of meat protein, these seasonal veggies pack more flavors than most of us are used to. The highlight is the €57 six-course tasting menu – the professional servers arrive with striking plates where colors, textures, and flavors play off against one another, as with the creamy, crackly, and charred zucchini variations filled with polenta. Or with the baby corn appearing as a paste, on the cob, and as popcorn. The cheesecake topped with chunks of marinated rhubarb was astonishingly good. There's an excellent wine list heavy on Austrian producers. Reservations are a must.

After your meal, for a change of pace, you can drop in to one of the watering holes around the corner from Tian: Kreisky or Bukowski.