One would expect a lot of meat dishes at Schwein (pig in English), but the owners are catering to a different clientele. The name is probably meat ironically since not a morsel of meat can be found at Schwein. Instead all dishes are either vegetarian or vegan, but include such promising items as portobello bacon.
Schwein @Vienna
The restaurant itself has a very comfortable atmosphere. On this morning I was the first to arrive and even empty it looked inviting.
dining area @Schwein
Once inside the no meat concept of Schwein is on full display. Kale and carrots as table decoration are a subtle hint of what’s to come. While we waited for coffee my friend already complained about the menu. No friend of meat free zones, the stylish menu was happily found to be at fault. He couldn’t read the menu properly on the see-through paper. The charm of ageing, we all get there eventually.
difficult to read @Schwein
But let’s be honest, the no meat concept is really on the nose at Schwein. I can understand that it might be difficult for carnivores to accept such a restaurant. Although we both eat vegetarian dishes from time to time, it is different if the choice isn’t yours.
kale display @Schwein
The espresso was okay, but the “Verlängerter” had a lackluster look, missing all crema. That shouldn’t be the case just because an espresso gets “extended”. We ordered breakfast and with much grumbling my friend chose the crispy feta eggs. I thought that sounded delicious, eggs feta and peperoncino, what could go wrong? Quite a lot actually. A simple dish, but if not perfectly executed a disappointment.
crispy feta eggs @Schwein
There was not much crispness to be found with these eggs. Rather they turned out to be soft and squishy, something you don’t want to experience when you are looking for crispy. Otherwise they were okay, but honestly what else is there to say about eggs with feta.
Benni Magic, a form of eggs Benedict, lacked the magic despite its boast about it. One poached egg lay on a toasted croissant with pulled king oyster mushrooms, spinach, and generous scoop of brown butter sauce Hollandaise. A thin layer of parmesan cheese coated the this dish like a blanket of snow. It was beautiful to look at.
Benni Magic @Schwein
But looks can be deceiving because Benni Magic lacked substance. The sauce was cool and must have come from a whipped cream siphon. Not that this a bad thing, but it was cold and I didn’t recognize any nutty flavor that would have confirmed the brown butter. I also didn’t care for the mushrooms. Whatever was done to them to create the “pulled” effect, didn’t work for me. Not bad per se, but not in combination with the eggs. The texture was all wrong for this dish.
The spinach was good enough and I would have been satisfied with eggs Florentine. Especially in combination with the cheese, which was a delightful addition. The toasted croissant on the other hand was disappointing to say the least. Gone was every part that resembles a croissant, toasted beyond recognition and showing up as a hard object. Only the flat shape left reminded me what it once was.
Schwein will fare well in this day and age, and especially in the seventh district. The place is stylish and has a warm atmosphere. The service was friendly and really attentive. I loved that water was readily available at all tables, that is such a kind thing to do in light of other places charging for tap water. Still, this is not my kind of restaurant. Foremost the food needs to be delicious and this was not the case at Schwein. Yours, Pollybert
Schwein
1070 Wien, Siebensterngasse 31/III
Tel: +670 1845777
Email: office@schwein.wien
Mon-Fri: 08:30-24:00, Sat-Sun: 09:00-24:00
https://www.schwein.wien/ 
