Please note: this article was first published on The Vegan Tourist and last updated in February 2012.
I had lunch at the Vegetarisches Formosa Food last week. This small restaurant claims to be 100% vegan, which I’d say is about 99% true. No need to worry about cross-contamination then. Yeah!
The Formosa specializes in dishes with mock meats/fish and they offer several daily specials, which are served with either soup or salad. Average price is 7.50/8.00 Euros. They also serve vegan “fast foods” like hamburgers, or fish and chips. Last time I was there, I chose the fried “chicken” with potato salad.
This is a family-run restaurant, and the service is incredibly fast and friendly. I come here whenever I need a quick protein fix.
The Formosa isn’t just a restaurant; they also sell mock meats/fish, vegan cheeses, cakes, a few sandwiches, and other foods. A few of those items aren’t 100% vegan, but they are clearly labeled. If you’re unsure, ask the staff for help.
I took the time to read the labels of quite a few of the mock meats/fish and only found one item so far that contains whey protein (the crab steaks). As a tourist, this shouldn’t concern you, just stay away from items on the menu that contain “crab meat” and you should be fine. Most of those items contain sugar, though. (See the FAQ section about concerns in regard to sugar.)
The restaurant is very small. There are only four tables in the main room (seating two people each) and three additional tables in the back room. This (very small) room is dominated by three huge refrigerators, which make a lot of noise – not a whole lot of fun, I’m afraid. In the summer, there are also a couple of tables out front. As the Formosa is located in a pedestrian zone, there’s no traffic. This is rather nice. The Barnabitengasse (the street) is quite steep, though, so hold on to your food and drink or they will slide off the table.
The Formosa is so small, it might be more accurate to call it a café (that also serves food) than a restaurant. Just know that they got rid of their coffee machine a while ago, due to lack of demand. Try the mango lassi instead.
The owners are in the process of setting up their own website. It’s not up and running yet, so check back at a later date.
Address: Barnabitengasse 6, 1060 Vienna, Austria
This street crosses Mariahilferstrasse, Vienna’s busiest shopping street, so the restaurant is very conveniently located for tourists.
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Phone: +43-1-5811112
Website: http://www.formosa.at
(Website is under construction in March 2011)
Update, February 2012: I checked out their Website again, and there’s no information about the restaurant on the site; it’s just a webshop to sell vegan products, which are also available in their Viennese restaurant/store.