Decent, but in comparison disappointing vegetarian experience: Restaurant TIAN (7. April 2023)
When I visited the TIAN last time in 2019, I was completely blown away by the exquisiteness of the vegetarian cuisine. Hence, my expectations were quite high for this visit. And they were definitely not met. It started with the fact that I had booked the table back in August 2022. When sending an email about some food allergies, they couldn’t find the reservation. Ultimately, it was confirmed, but given the fact that they wouldn’t have had the reservation if I hadn’t sent the email was already a not so good start.
In any case, there is not much to pick from, so we went for the “8-course tasting menu” (EUR 168.00) with the “wine pairing” (EUR 107.00).
The evening started with a bite of the “Jerusalem Artichoke (Brussels sprout, juniper)” combination of amuse bouches. And this was absolutely decent – something to tickle your palate. Something to get you going.
The first course was “radicchio, salsify, koji” and this was one of my favourite courses. It reminded me a bit of the “beet root tatar” I’ve had in the Piazza Duomo (2020 and 2021) and was a truly enjoyable course. Not at the same level of sophistication, but good.
I also quite enjoyed the cracker with which it was served.
The next course was “champignons, cabbage, false flax” and it looked so promising since a mushroom broth can be amazing, especially when it’s prepared in a way that it’s intense. However, this version was rather lacklustre. It was just lacking something, or rather, it was lacking intensity.
The “back to the roots – butter” on the other hand was great and went perfectly with the …
… “back to the roots – bread”. The little huckleberries with which it was served were something of itself. A berry like a blueberry with a core in it, combining sweetness and sourness in one. Definitely very enjoyable.
The “celery, Chinese pink, bergamot” course was my second favourite one, since it actually had intensity in terms of flavour and the Chinese pink created some kind of ham experience (despite it not being meat obviously).
Even the “nibble” side dish with which it was served was good.
The “spring onion, wild garlic, egg” looked incredibly pretty and while I liked the texture of the egg, to me, it was lacking a bit of intensity. Especially considering that the wine pairing was with unfiltered and natural wines, which somehow are intense, hence, the dishes were often ‘too weak’ for my palate.
The “bite cheese, pear, sig” combination was okay. But mainly, it was leek with a bit of sauce. Sure, not, not interesting, but also nothing memorable.
The “magnolia, poppy miso, kwas” looked quite interesting, but was too dry for me. The granola element was too much compared to the liquid.
The little taco based on the same ingredients, which was served with it, though, was absolutely delicious.
The first sweet dish was a pre-dessert and was somewhat interesting and light.
The actual dessert was called “sweet underground, arhuaco, cornelian cherry, kombucha” and looked interesting, when it was finalized at the table.
But it also looked nice once it was finalized. On top of that, it also tasted nice, but to me, the amount of chocolatey elements was too much.
The second dessert was “curd, mirabelle, pistachio” and it did not only look pretty, but it was a nice selection of refreshing and light flavours.
Last but not least, you would get to pick your own friandises, i.e., the ones you wanted to try.
However, instead of everyone getting his or her own, we just got all together. Which is kind of defying the purpose of the whole idea of you get to pick yours. In any case, the ones I had picked, were quite tasty.
The place itself is generally speaking nice. It is relatively crowded, but due to the little niches on the side, you still have some kind of privacy. In the basement, when you are looking for the toilets, there seems to be yet another area to relax and enjoy.
The service is friendly, jovial, and attentive, so nothing to complain there. In all fairness, there was nothing bad, but given it was kind of mind-blowing last time, I was just really disappointed with the whole experience. Would I tell you that the TIAN is a good vegetarian restaurant? Yes. Would I absolutely recommend you to go visit it any more? Nope. In any case, if you decide to go, book early, and make sure to reconfirm your reservation.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant TIAN
Himmelpfortgasse 23
1010 Vienna (AT)
Tel.: +43 1 890 46 65
E-Mail: wien@taste-tian.com
Homepage: http://www.tian-restaurant.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
