Viasko - Bar und Restaurant

Incredibly rude staff. Whilst grabbing my coat, they asked my wife and I to remove our faux fur hoods. Should I have removed my faux leather shoes? My faux leather belt? My faux wool socks? My faux wool jumper?
When I questioned this and said it seemed a bit weird that they dictate what I wear within the restaurant, they laughed at me, opened the door and said 'well out you go then'.
I get the whole abolitionist thing, but I don't think it's progressive in any way and all it does it make vegans look like extremists - and that's no way to convince people to change their entire lifestyle.
My wife and I have been vegan for 2 years now and have made an effort to change everything in our wardrobes, so it's quite insulting to be told that despite this, it's not enough.
It's all a shame because the food was alright last time we came here, but I will most definitely never ever recommend this place to anybody, vegan or not, especially when there is better food and supremely better service in a hundred other places in Berlin. After all, it's the best vegan location in Europe apparently!
I know Viasko won't care about this review and that's fine with me.
I'm writing this because it's -6 outside and a lot of people will be wearing faux fur trim as it redirects the wind away from your face, so just know this if you're going to wander in to a not so great area that doesn't really have any other options nearby - you might be asked to remove all of your clothes if they look slightly wool/leather/fur etc.
Maybe we should all walk around in tracksuits in -6.

I do think Happy Cow should state that this could happen to it's users if they consider attempting to get some food at this place. It was an overall rubbish experience and had I had forewarning, I'd have not bothered going.
ALSO - I see from the reviews both on here and on Facebook, that this isn't the first time it has happened to someone.

My husband and I have been vegan for over two years now, and have made a conscious effort to rid our wardrobes of any animal products. We decided to visit Viasko for dinner as we had visited on our last trip to Berlin and enjoyed ourselves. Upon arrival, we were greeted by an unfriendly waiter (which is unusual for vegan restaurants in Berlin, everyone is so friendly!) and after telling them we had a booking, the waiter grabbed at the faux fur trim on my husband's coat and told us in broken English that it had to be removed in order for us to be allowed to sit down. We naturally thought that he's mistaken it for real fur (Berlin is full of Canada Goose after all!) and assured him it was faux. However it would appear that it was the 'style' that they did not agree with. The waiter continued to repeat himself without an ounce of kindness, and I walked out as I felt humiliated in front of a restaurant of people, and suffer from anxiety which was not being helped by this situation. My husband stayed, and told the waiter that he didn't think this policy made sense, nor was it very fair, and another member of staff pushed past him, opened the door and said 'well out you go then!' while sarcastically smiling. My husband then left and said 'see you later' and the waiter called 'no you won't!' after him. The whole experience was highly unpleasant and embarrassing, especially as we are on holiday.

Now, I understand that some vegans don't like to wear faux fur as they feel it promotes the use of fur. I completely understand that view point. However, I feel that Viasko are enforcing this rule purely to be pretentious, and not to make any real point. We were wearing faux leather shoes, should we have removed that? My cardigan was faux wool, should that have come off too? What if one was wearing a silky looking top? Or suede effect boots? It's unclear where this 'rule' would stop. It's Winter in Berlin, dropping to -6 some evenings, and the use of faux fur on our jackets is to redirect the wind. Re-buying jackets without faux fur when we went vegan would have been environmentally wasteful.

I also feel that belittling people in front of an entire restaurant, whilst not even cracking a smile or being polite, goes against many of the core principles of veganism. I know that some people are abolitionists, but to create such an unwelcoming atmosphere does nothing to help promote the cause and be inclusive. Lastly, to have our clothes physically grabbed at was completely unacceptable to us. Honestly, the food was nice last time but not groundbreaking, the area is pretty shady and after this treatment I honestly wouldn't say it's worth visiting as a tourist. We know, given their reaction to us, that Viasko won't care what we think, but we wanted to leave a review to stop this happening to others. It really affected us for the rest of the evening and was very upsetting. We also think Happy Cow should list this dress policy on their entry.

The food at Viasko is not only delicious but the portions are large! It's medium priced but I think the quality is worth it. The atmosphere is like a punk-pub with music to match (a good thing in my opinion). It was dark and warm with lots of little nooks - very relaxed. Plus there were board games

I had the salad with fried tempeh (such a good idea!) which came with a generous bread basket.

The cheesecake after wasn't the best ever but was gigantic!

I also have to say that both staff members there were really friendly, attentive, and polite, and bore with my bad German with patience.

Will definitely come back - I want to try the brunch!

My mom and I went to Viasko the first time.
She ordered a pumpkin soup and a peppermint tea and I ordered the greek meal and a lassi.
I don't have anything bad to say about it - it tasted amazing and the super nice staff also happily cared about wish some extra wishes.
Also great atmosphere. Everything you'd wish for.

//
Meine Mutter und ich sind dort zum ersten Mal zum Essen hingegangen. Sie bestellte sich eine Kürbissuppe und einen Pfefferminztee und ich bekam das griechische Gericht und einen Lassi.
Ich habe echt nichts auszusetzen - es hat super lecker geschmeckt und bei Extrawünschen wurde auch alles gern umgesetzt. Die Bedienung war super freundlich, die Atmosphäre toll, .. alles was man sich wünscht.

We were there brunch, reserved a table for good. Huge variety of dishes at the buffet - everything fresh and delicious. At the beginning long waiting lines, but later no problem. Good price. Interesting atmosphere.

The perfect spot for a sunday brunch... Price is fair for the buffet... Everything is delicious, from the salads to the pizza, the hummus, the cakes, the fruits... You wish you had a bigger stomach to eat more! It's a place for activists too, so fur is not welcome! I like that they are consistent with their ideas. Can't wait to go back!

I did not eat at Viasko, but had a vegan Lassie, which tasted really good! The other flavour my friend ordered was delicious as well. We sat inside, but the old pub look interior was not very cozy to be honest - the tile floor gives a rather uncomfortable atmosphere. To be fair though, the outdoor seating area seemed beautiful and a great place to enjoy your food on a warmer day.

One thing I would like to mention is the toilet area. The toilets contained many typical and graphical anti animal-industry messages. As a vegan, I understand the anger about these horrific things and people that support it. However, I think projecting these things in the toilet of a vegan restaurant is a counter productive way of communicating with possible non-vegan customers. I know how frustrating humans‘ unfairness towards animals is, but if you argue from a rational perspective, which main goal it would be to attract as many people as possible to veganism, you need to welcome everyone and work within their framework of understanding instead of pointing fingers and holding up terrible pictures. Nothing useful will result from this, neither from rejecting people wearing fur or even fake fur, which is something I read in other reviews. Welcome every human into your restaurant and show them how awesome vegan food can be, how delicious it tastes - show them what it's like not to miss animal products in a meal. Be kind, be positive, and lead by example. Don’t spoil their appetite for your dishes – fascinate them. And let toilets be toilets :)

Went to Viasko for dinner on one of my nights in Berlin at the recommendation of a friend. I'm really happy I made it - the food was outstandingly delicious. I ordered the house made gnocchi. It was flavorful, had a great mix of textures with the gnocchi and mixed veggies, the sauce was perfect. Overall one of the best meals I've had out since being a vegan. The patio is inviting when the weather is warm, they had a nice variety of beers on tap and the staff was friendly.

Amazing experience eating here. Great outdoor space, chilled out vibes and really good choice. Interesting menu and very good wine list /booze options. 7 of us ate from ages 5-45 and we all really impressed, vegans and non vegans alike. We will be back!

the best vegan restaurant in Berlin. I been there over 20 times. I just love the food. The plates are pretty big so it's more than enough food.

I loved the food the first time I was here, so when I came back to Berlin I had to eat here again. It was as good as I remembered. I also like the atmosphere in this place.
This time I had Spätzle, a German kind of pasta, with cheese, fried onions and smoked tofu. There was also a small side salad. It was delicious. The fried onions were a nice touch I would never have thought of myself. The dish was very creamy.
It was raining and I did not want to leave so I also had tiramisu. The portion was huge and the plate looked very good. The taste was even better, best vegan tiramisu I've had so far.

This place is really cozy and serves great food, also staff is really friendly. We had the spätzle and the viasko panini, weren't disappointed!

The food is good, but the music is bad. When I go out for dinner I do not want to listen to depressive or aggressive lyrics of indie music while I eat. But this is some point many vegan restaurants will have to learn. I would love to come back one day to enjoy a nice meal, maybe in some years after they changed the music. Check out Masaru Emoto to understand my concern. By the way, the brunch is awesome, but people should not be able to smoke on the terrace outside while other people eat.

The food here was fantastic! We sat outside in the outdoor courtyard and enjoyed the casual laid back vibe. My husband ordered the lemon risotto which was tastes, not too salty and slightly "creamy". I had the Flammkuchen, which is similar to a pizza with a thin crispy base. It was topped with grilled onions, beetroot, rocket and walnuts, great fresh flavours.
For dessert we had Tiramisu and a lemon and strawberry mousse "lasagne" they layers were made with fried wonton wrappers.
The tiramisu was delicious and "creamy" while the mousse was so light.
The desserts are huge and the main meals are generous in size.
Delicious all round

Recommend the gyros! Yummy!

This hot recommendation resulted in a nice happycow-ambassador meeting sharing one starter and two meals.
We had the Jalapeno-"Käse"Krapfen, the seitan roast and the "Käse"-Spätzle. Accompanied with tap Rothaus-beer.
Perfect combination, great people here & a very friendly dog.

One comment on excluding people: "No entry with fur or fake fur." In the decade of the Arctic Parka an understandable rule - personally, I have a huge problem being confronted with fur all the time, and right now we do see more fur on the streets as several years ago.
But I am not so sure about excluding people completely and thus losing the chance of discussing matters.
Besides that - where do you draw the line? Fur is not ok but a leather jacket? Belt? Shoes? Omnivores? Vegetarians? People driving non-vegan cars?
IMHO this attitude is intolerant - please avoid building concepts of enemies...

Came to visit beautiful Berlin and took a break to eat at Viasko. The food was amazing, the staff very nice - all in all very recommendable.
If I'm going back to Berlin, I'm definetely going to take another visit.

A beautiful brunch buffet with a bouquet of options for the hungry vegan traveler. I was overwhelmed with options at the buffet and everything I tried was fantastic. Would highly recommend a visit here.

Great food :)

Viasko the best vegan restaurant I've ever seen. There were great atmosphere, warmblood stuff, not to mention really good tastes.

I tried gyros teller and panini viasko last summer. I still remember tastes.

Vegans must see Viasko and try the dishes

First of all, note that their weekend buffet ends at 3 PM, not 4 PM (as one sentence notes in the summary above). I arrived a bit too close to 3, and they were about to close, but they were kind enough to let me stay and eat what was left over (which were most items). Anyway, their food was great--lots of variety, including main dishes, salads and desserts--both breakfast and lunch items.

Tried this place during a 4 day visit in Berlin and was very happy with the choice. Wellsized portions, lots of tastes with simple ingredients and seasoning, friendly staff. Good prices. Recommended!


Updated from previous review on Sunday September 13, 2015

This was our first vegan meal upon flying into Berlin for a 4 day visit. Viasko was a great choice. We both ordered different dishes that were not familiar to us and split them - very satisfying food with great taste. For dessert we split a tiramisu which went well with coffee. Pleased we ate there.

Great food, very nice staff, cool location, fair prices. Best experience in Berlin so far.

We went there, me and a friend, and had a great time! The atmosphere is extraordinary, the waiters are nice and can recommend you the wine brands listed - and yes, those are certified vegan brands. Food is not that cheap, which is totally normal if you´re in an exalted place like this, and it´s also far from being standard dishes. There are not too many dishes to choose from, which speaks for the restaurant. I heard they also have brunch on the weekends, but I couldn´t go yet. Reservation is recommended.

Very nice staff, great atmosphere, delicious food and georgous cocktails - all in all a wonderful evening :)! Thanks and applause to the team.

I LOVE VIASKO. The food is amazing. The Tiramisu is out of this world. Even if the kitchen sometimes keeps you waiting, it's worth it. The food is that good.

It sometimes gets a bit crowded, so it might be a good idea to make a reservation before you come here.

The place is situated in tranquile surroundings. The birds were singing, the personal were lovely, the food was so tasty and the desserts so yummie. A bit expensive but definitely worth it. Coffe was not that good though. But if I lived in Berlin I would be a regular.

I have been at Viasko once only and it was more than a year ago – but since I'm logged in I thought I should give credit to this place ^^

I just had a salad because I had already eaten somewhere else (but I wanted to try this place as well); it was not cheap – more than 8€ I think – but when it came it was a pleasant surprise; what I thought would have been a en-cas was actually a copious salad, very tasty with delicious seitan bits.

The bar/music club relaxing atmosphere was nice too.

I ate here with my colleagues on a Thursday night. The place was packed, but they managed to free up a table for us. The service was quick and the food was delicious, especially the chocolate mousse dessert. This is a great place to take omnis for their first experience with vegan food.

I went there two times for the brunch and was so excited because everybody gave me so good Feedback on this place!
But I ate one plate and got sick but really sick. I think they put flour everywhere in their dishes without saying it, and I was feeling really bad, get cramps and I couldn't eat anymore. The brunch was really expensive for two as well...
I gave it another try but it was clearly the same: Even my friend who hasn't allergies has been sick!
The brunch food was very german very heavy the corn soup tasted awful.
I will never return this place again...

Viasko is truly amazing. Set in an 'olde worlde' pub it offers an extensive range of vegan meals. The portions are huge and delicious! I hihgly recommend the seitan kebab.

Very cosy place. Books and posters on the wall. Feels a bit like a pub. Big portions of food! Great desserts! I will return.

people you must visit this !!!

good variety and great location , especially when warm

This was seriously the best brunch I have ever had. It includes bread with fake cheese, seitan, tempeh and many different dips, about ten different salads, hot meals like baked beans, scrambled tofu and chili sin carne, plus cold vegetable wraps and great Nori sushi with soy sauce. Finally some really good deserts. It is so much to choose from, that you will hardly be able to taste it all in just one visit. The staff is friendly, the place is really cosy. Highly recommended!

Well, this place lived up to expectation! A quirky, broody setup, not sure what the building used to be, but it lends to a great atmosphere with books in the corners, board games, low lighting and friendly staff. The outside seating seemed nice, but we fancied a quieter and less smoky inside experience.

The food was EXCELLENT, as was the service, always friendly and perfectly timed. Our meals were original, creative and very tasty. We slowly picked through to try and identify more than was listed in the menu. Really, really nice.

It was on the slightly more expensive side for Berlin compared to other place we visited over a long weekend, but it was totally warranted.

Nice restaurant with good food. It's nice to sit outside in the summertime. The inside is ok. But the food is very yummy - not cheap (for Berlin) but still ok.

We were here for the brunch on Saturday.
It's a huge vegan selection with many delicious stuff. There are both cold and hot dishes, salty and sweet. Although overall everything was very good, there were a couple things -2 out of the 25 choices- which were disappointing (they tasted a bit as if they were expired honestly). However it's safe to say that all the dishes are good quality.
The coffee is as predictable not included. The capuccino with vegan milk (you can choose what kind) was very good and rather big.

The atmosphere is very cool.

Highly recommended!

On a recent trip to Berlin (where we ate at many other vegan establishments), we went out of our way to visit Viasko. We hadn't booked, but decided to make the 25-minute train journey and 10 minute walk there anyway. On arrival, we stood by the doorway and attempted to smile and make eye contact with the barman and also a server who walked past several times. No eye contact was made ... After several minutes of waiting, we asked if there was a table available, and were told very curtly 'No' by the server, who didn't even stop to answer us. We could see several tables empty. No suggestion of returning later, no checking a reservation book, no apology. Remarkable. Even if they were short-staffed, there is simply no excuse for such abysmal customer service. As a result of this poor treatment however, we travelled on to Mio Matto, which was excellent (food and customer service).

I have read on other review sites that the owner takes great exception to customers wearing fake fur, and has refused to serve them. It was barely 5 degrees outside when we visited, and I was wearing a coat with a (very obviously) fake fur trimmed hood. If this is true, perhaps the owner should check the labels on all customers' shoes and belts as well, and perhaps check his own while he's at it so as to avoid glaring hypocrisy.

We had a dinner in Viasko on saturday evening, after having found other vegan restaurants completely full elsewhere. They sympathetically welcomed us even if they were almost full this evening and we had no reservation. The place has a really pleasant and warm atmosphere, they offers great cocktails and fresh fruit juices. In terms of food, their Flammenküchen are really tasty, as well as their pasta or their seitan with a red wine sauce (even if I expected a more fine dish). We tried their vegan tiramisu for dessert: amazing! Prices are really fair for the food quality of the restaurant. Higly recommended if you are in the area!

Nice pub-like atmosphere. Great soups and salads and a friendly staff who speaks English.

what can I say. I don´t know a place with such a great choice for brunch. Most of it really tasty. I end up way overloaded. If you go there take it slowly and take very small portions, otherwise you won´t get through.
The only thing I don´t like so much is that there is not a lot of fresh stuff on the buffet. Also the "Mozzarella" tastes nothing like the original but really bad. They try to imitate a lot of cheese and meat. For me, this is not necessary. And if I believe the writer here it´s a bit weird if they throw out customers with fur imitation while serving meat or cheese imitation.
I would never wear fur, still I have some leather shoes and I ask myself why they draw the line there.

If you like salty, greasy, faux meat, then you'll like Viasko. We like eating whole vegan food that's not loaded with salt and oil. Viasko wasn't bad, but not great. We ordered the potato tortilla for starters and that was good, but it had so much salt our tongues were stinging. For our mains, we ordered the gyro dish, which didn't turn out to be what we expected. It was a big plate of greasy fake meat. Some people may like it, but it didn't go done well for us.

We had one evening in Berlin and came here for a meal and are very glad we did. The atmosphere was very nice, the staff very friendly and the food very good. It is good value for the quality and what you get and the food. The menu had a few things that were new to me and I'd like to be able to go again to try them. I recommend giving the place a try if you are in Berlin.

We loved this place. It was the best restaurant we went to during our holiday in Berlin. The food was fantastic, the staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was just right. The mains cost around 12 euros each, which is good value when you consider how good they are and the effort that goes into them. You can either eat in the main part of the restaurant or in the booths in the candle-lit cellar. (We loved the cellar). During our two trips, all the food was of a high standard.
Viasko is highly recommended. (It gets pretty busy at weekends so book ahead).

We went there on our first night in Berlin a few weeks ago (on a Saturday night). It was lovely food with polite and friendly service. The food didn't take ages to arrive. The staff spoke English and were very helpful. A great start to the holiday. I was only disappointed that we didn't eat there again because of our schedule.

Viasko has quickly become the go-to standard for nice but not over-the-top dinners out. The regular menu never disappoints and the changing seasonal dishes are always worth checking out. I especially recommend the Viasko Salat with Tempeh and whatever Knödel or Gnocchi happens to be gracing the menu. For those craving Gyros, the Döner Teller is wonderful. It's a great place to take non-vegans and larger groups, though reservations are recommended for the latter. The service can be slow, it's a large restaurant and the owners would be well-advised to have another server working busy weekend nights.

Hi,

well the brunch at Viasko is really good (lots of choices, even desserts) but the treatment you might get is about the worst I ever had. I´ve been there three times. One time was ok, I wouldn´t say I was treated in a friendly but at least neutral way. Two times I don´t know really why I staid (probably because I was sooo hungry). The point is, I didn´t do anything - literally. I went there with some friends and we wanted to wait for a table in front of the restaurant (not blocking the entrance or anything) which did not seem to be ok. Then a table became available, so we sat down. We were almost screamed at by a waiter who said he had explained us five times - which he hadn´t - that there were not enough plates at the moment (it was weekend brunch). My friend asked him if he hated his customers and he really answered: "At the moment, yes, I do."

So I guess three tries have been enough. No more Viasko for me.

I was there for dinner and the experience was really good.
Let me recommend the "Hausgemachte Käsespätzle (Homemade cheese noodles) with smoked tofu"

Main dishes are around 11 euros, but be worth it.

Relaxed restaurant with good outside seating area.In a nice little spot on a quite tree filled square. Which came as a bit of surprise, as the main road it's off is pretty busy. Really impressed with the food - everything we had was tasty and portions good.

We arrived before it opened and waited in a nice little cafe next door, so when we came back we were really hungry, I got the gnocchi, it was so fresh and tasted amazing, totally un expected for some reason. I would go back for sure. Mmmmm

The best vegan food in Berlin!

I've tried to eat here several times. Firstly last summer, we just wanted to have a small lunch as we'd already had breakfast, but we were forced to either have the whole brunch packet or have nothing at all. As we were not that hungry, we left.

Last Easter weekend we were visiting Berlin again and this time, we made reservations for the brunch on saturday morning - at least that's what we thought. When we went to the restaurant friday night to have diner, we were told that the place was full and there would be no table available, not even for just an hour (while many tables were actually empty). Also, it turned out that our reseveration for the brunch hadn't come through so the next day we weren't welcome as well. Since we were pretty hungry after a long trip to the city, I asked the waitress for the password for their wi-fi so that we could find our way to another vegan establishment. Unfortunately she didn't even want to give us that and started acting very rude... she clearly wanted to leave us right away.

So leaving is what we did, and I'd never go back here.

You are warned - by other reviewers and also by a sign at the door: Do not wear anything which is or looks like fur! Even fake fur trimmings are not welcome and should be hidden (at least). If you do not bring in this kind of problem, the staff is very friendly.

The food is standard German fare but all in vegan style. The kitchen does a very good job and presents almost look- and taste-alike German standard dishes: we tried Königsberger Klopse (meatballs in a caper sauce) and Hackbraten (meatloaf). Vegetables are cooked al dente - the perfect way to enjoy the flavors, the portions are just right. In fact, if you want to taste German favorites vegan style, this is a place to recommend. Have a good beer or a vegan wine with that.

But do not expect anything extraordinary - interesting ingredients, exotic spices, fascinating combinations of food - there are other places in Berlin to look for that.

I visited the viasko on a saturday morning for vegan brunch buffett. Love it. Love the bar, love the food. Very nice people. I am definitely coming back.

Wirkliches tolles veganes Brunch Buffett. Ich komme wieder. EC Zahlung funktioniert auch.

Well, I can't say anything about the food, but I definitely had an interesting experience here. My mother and I were staying in Berlin over Christmas of 2012, and as being healthy eaters was proving to be difficult there, we were looking forward to trying Viakso. We walked in on a particularly cold, slushy night, and were excited to eat dinner. We hadn't eaten all day and were starving. Immediately upon entering the smiles left our faces, because when the server saw us walking in he started to laugh and shake his face. He walked over to us shaking his finger, very agitated, and said, "No, no, no, you cannot stay in my restaurant, you need to leave." We were shocked and exchanged confused looks. The server then said to us, "You are wearing fur," and pointed to our coats. We then laughed, relieved, and said, "Oh, no, these are fake fur! Its just really warm." Problem solved, right? Nope.

The coats were cheap, and did not look remotely real, but as it was about 20 degrees outside, they were very warm and cozy. Again, clearly not real fur. Well, after we told him they were fake, he at first refused to believe us, and then said that he "didn't care" if they were fake, and that just looking at it upset him anyway. He finally told us that we were "allowed" to stay and eat, but that we would have to "hide" our coats on the floor or outside, as it might "upset" his customers. Aside from that suggestion being ridiculous, we were the only customers in there at the time.

After we received this array of crazy reactions to our appearance (we hadn't said one word while he was talking, we were so shocked), I just started laughing and we walked out. He followed us out and called us names, as did a woman who we assumed worked there as well.

Starving, we ran away laughing at the whole ridiculous episode, took a cab back to the hotel, and ate gross rice cakes from the BioMarkt in our hotel room.

Again, the food may be amazing. I have no comment on the food itself, as we never even got to see a menu.

Just been there yesterday shortly after opening time at 3.30 pm. We felt very warmly welcomed and the choice of the dish was difficult as everything sounded very promising on the menu. I choose the daily soup of red beet creme and a typical german kale dish with dumplings, smoked tofu and vegan sausage. My wife had the gnocchi. We both were very happy with our choice. I liked very much the idea of preparing a seasonal dish with ingredients from a ecological vegan farm near to Berlin - congrats to that! Some people think its pricy here, I think it's totally worth for what you get. Our bill was 33€ for two people and we both had a beer and I an espresso as well. We definitely will eat there again!

Amazing food, great if you want something special. Worth the price.

My wife and I went to Viasko to have a fixed 6-course x-mas menu.
Absolutely delightful! The food was outstanding, delicious and creative!
Staff very friendly.
The place has two levels, we were sitting downstairs in a kind of cellar, which has very cosy romantic seating options and tables for two.
Upstairs it's more like a regular restaurant but with very relaxed atmosphere.
Definitely a huge recommendation!

Went there twice within 12 months when visiting Berlin for weekends and had the gyros plate both times. This is so much better than at any of the usual veg fast food places in Berlin. Tastes great, has fresh sides...The place has a pub-like atmosphere which felt better than I thought judging from the pictures I had seen before visiting for the first time. Friendly and helpful staff.

Thursday June 09, 2011:

Viasko has been a great experience with a decent variety of
delicious food for very affordable prices. The main courses aren't fancy as many reviewers commented on. However they were very yummy nonetheless.
The desserts were to die for and you must try them if you've got a sweet tooth!!

Monday, December 3, 2012:
I went again with a group of friends last week and again I fell in love with with place. Located in a more dodgy area, people are scepical when I ask them to meet me there but again everyone was convinced it was the perfect choice. The food is prepared with a lot of love and will satisfy even meat eaters.

This place we thought was so good we went twice during our stay in Berlin. One thing of note which is unusual for most 100% vegan restaurants is that they don't shy away or hide actual animal rights messages. I personally believe that animal rights is interconnected to veganism (one is the principle, the other is the practice), and it is nice to see a vegan restaurant state they are vegan not for health or other personal issues, but *for the animals*.
As for the food, it was excellent all around--not just the usual average burgers and wraps found at other vegan places in Berlin, but creative and tasty food made from fresh ingredients sourced from a farm owned by a farmer committed to no animal agriculture. Here you can have your principled cake and eat it too!

The staff was very friendly, and actually took the time to chat with us, the atmosphere was very homey and comfortable, and the restaurant was set in a quiet leafy area back in a bricked plaza with outdoor tables and umbrellas (would be a nice place to relax in the summer, no doubt), a true hidden gem.

Extra points for having decent German beer on tap, as well. :)
Updated from previous review on Tuesday November 13, 2012

We have eaten at Viasko's many times - it's my boyfriend's favourite restaurant in Berlin so he's always keen to go. The food generally is really good quality although it's got a bit more expensive over the last 12 months.

Anyway, I recently found out that they have started doing a brunch on Sunday, I think from 11.30 until 4pm. So, we went along yesterday to check it out and it was AMAZING! Really, really fantastic. There was a huge selection - from yoghurts, fresh fruit salad & muesli, to pancakes, a huge array of lentil, bean, vegetable salads which were super tasty, and hot food such asroasted vegetables, tempura, a tofu scramble and baked beans, klopse & gyros - the list goes on... oh and dessert! there were chocolate brownies, all sorts of cakes and other puddings. YUM.

At €12 euros per person, it's a little too expensive for me to do every week but for an occasional (monthly?!) thing it's hard to beat. It loses one cow-rating from me for the high prices unfortunately, but everything else is spot on.

Oh, and one last thing - one previous review mentions things running low at around 1.30pm. I have to say, we didn't experience that at all. We arrived after 2pm and they were bringing out new things until at least around 3pm and nothing was running low at all, there was still loads of choice.

I absolutely love this place! First of all, it's located in a lovely, quiet, leafy residential area which is opposite a small park and right near to the Landwehrkanal. You go down a few steps and enter into a small terrace and then into the restaurant itself, which was previously an Irish pub, and it still has a the warm, relaxed atmosphere. The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel welcome - not something to be taken for granted in Berlin.

The food itself - which is 100% vegan - is fantastic. They have imaginative starters and around 8 main dishes (half of which vary depending on seasonal ingredients or the chef's inspiration) with a mixture of traditional German meals with a contemporary twist and international cuisine. They also have a range of desserts, including freshly baked cakes that vary daily. In addition to the usual beverages they also offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

They also have a brunch buffet at the weekend with a huge range of delicious salads, breads, spreads, some hot food and even cakes and pancakes. You can stay as long as you like and eat until you're bursting!

Make sure you book ahead as it's very popular, especially for the Sunday brunch.

I found the food at Viasko good (I had the gyros plate and also tried the gnocchi and the tarte flambee.) but by far not as excellent as at some other vegan places in Berlin. Prices are OK, portions are rather big and it has a pub-like athmosphere.

First day in Berlin and we headed out for dinner. We shared the freshest bruseta and salsa I've ever had and the accompanying salad was very tasty-peppery rocket, toasted seeds, alfalfa sprouts, tofu. Mains-I had rigatoni which was packed with flavour and the veggies were so fresh. Nice touch with soy cheese and the cherry tomatoes were marinaded to perfection. My partner likes his fake meats and had seiton with purple potatoes and cauliflower in an amazing sauce. We had no room for pudding! It was quite a trek from our hotel but so worth iy. Waiting staff lovely; polite and attentive and spoke English. 1 shared starter, 2 mains, 2 beers 36euros. Ps they also do vegan wine at a reasonable rate. Bit quirky. Very tasty. Loved it all.

Wow! Amazing place. I've been here twice and both times the food was wonderful. Portions were big and the quality was phenomenal. Everything tasted super fresh and probably made from scratch.

I'm surprised this place isn't always packed. I think that has to do with it's location. Although it's really easy to get to, it's not in the middle of a busy part of Kreuzberg. It's about a 3 min walk from the Kotbusser U-bahn

We tried the weekend brunch and it was amazing. There were tons of choices including all different kinds of warm & chilled dishes, salads, dips/spreads, desserts, and even pancakes! Everything was delicious. Price was €12/person. Drinks not included.

We didn't get in till like 1:30 in the afternoon. A lot of things were running low and the kitchen didn't seem to be churning out food anymore. So do plan to arrive in the AM.

Excellent food! Clearly some thought has gone into the recipes and the presentation, and tastes are full.

The Viasko salad is highly recommended! The mixed salad is already quite varied and tasty, and the added nuggets are wonderful: soft and crunchy at the same time.

Portions are generally big.

We paid around 50 euros for a dinner for two (starter, main, and drinks).

It can be busy in the weekends, so it may be wise to make a reservation.

My girlfriend and I walked to this place from our hotel on the Spree river (about 2 miles) and it was a lovely walk with a nice surprise at the end. This place had a pub-like feel, but not dive-y like some pubs in the USA or UK - it was brightly lit, clean and homey. The food and service were great. English menus and English-speaking staff. If you're near Kreuzberg, worth a visit!

'Rich' and 'hearty' are not often associated with vegan food unfortunately...but Viasko sets this straight! My partner and I shared two mains, one was a delicious pesto pasta that exceeded expectations, and the other main was a soy or seitan steak with potatoes and various veges all prepared perfectly. Really tasty, fulfilling comfort food. The deserts were also something special- a white choc mousse, and a cheesecake.

The atmosphere is kind of casual and semi-activisty, but is in a great location and has a lovely outdoor area. Perfect for a warm night.

Oh another thing I really liked about this place was the menu mentioned that all the veges are sourced from a local organic farmer that is not involved in animal agriculture at all. Now that's progressive.

I have been may be 5-6 times in Viasko, especially cause it is very close to my place. It is a bit expensive and we didnt have always luck with our food. Last time i have been there the food was amazing, I had an amazing risotto and nice creme-soup, eventhough the place is a bit expensive.
Anyway advise to visit and may be u will find something for ur taste

Inexpensive? Ok so let's be honest two secs, Berlin is supposed to be a really inexpensive place, so when there is only 2 main which are less than 10 euros I don't call that inexpensive at all.
Generally Berlin take advantage of the popularity of the veganism to raise the price.
The service was pretty bad when we were there as they forgot about us, brought the ustensile later than the plate and we had to beg for the check.
Although is seems like this place has great review, so :
Or we were there at an extremely bad time, or they got lazy thinking they re the best .
About the food, I got the gnocchi which were ok but not really great, not that tasty either.

++ for being able to see the kitchen staff making our food

Viasko is great for Sunday brunch (it's packed too so make sure you call to make a reservation). There are loads of different hearty dishes to choose from. Very friendly atmosphere, with mostly a young crowd.

Tasty food, affordable price, nice environment. Nothing specal, but I really enjoyed visit.

I visited in September 2011 and thoroughly enjoyed my meal here, whilst my partner did not. Yes he chose a dish that looked great but tasted bland- a pizza with soy cheese base covered vegetables and rocket. The seitan in orange sauce I chose was brilliant. I would say it was the best seitan dish I have ever had. The atmosphere was more a pub than restaurant and full of groovy youngsters. I would definitely go back.

All rave reviews here, but I have to disagree. I was excited about trying this place and this idea that it was a really nice restaurant with delicious vegan food. I was sorely disappointed. It was not the kind of place to go for a romantic dinner on my birthday. If I was with a bunch of friends and wanted some overpriced pub grub, this would have been a good choice. The gnocchi was good, but nothing special and on the small side. My companion got the pflammküchen or whatever it is, at the server's suggestion, and was not thrilled and was still hungry. Both were pretty plain and completely uncreative. We decided to perservere and try the cheesecake for dessert. We were traumatized by the experience. It tasted and felt NOTHING like cheesecake, more like flavorless, gelatinous pudding in crust. It was indeed the absolute worst piece of cheesecake, and perhaps cake, that I have ever tasted.

I'm not sure how to explain, but the menu and setup don't quite match the venue. A rowdy vegan pub would have been a much better direction. I know I would have been happier with that choice. Overall, Viasko had absolutely lackluster food in a pub-type place for not-great prices. I am a highly critical person, my partner is not. We both agreed, Viasko was not quite a fiasco, but definitely a waste.

I went here twice when i was in berlin this summer. Food was always great, lots of it and nice staff. Great music good beer and tasteful dessert.

I ate here twice on my holiday in Berlin. I loved the wide selection of 100% vegan food on offer. On my first visit I chose the gnocchi which came with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. For pudding I had creme brulee. I had never had either of these dishes before and I was mightily impressed with both! The second time I went here I had the schnitzel which came with dumplings and mushrooms. While perhaps not surpassing the gnocchi it was an enjoyable meal. They have English menus here, which I found very helpful. The staff are friendly and contribute to the relaxed atmosphere of the place, which has outdoor seating. The prices are good, and much better than anywhere comparable in England. Recommended.

In my recent trip to Berlin I visited this restaurant twice. On my first visit I had the pear rissotto, which I felt could have been prepared slightly differently so that I was not left with a massive slice of pear and hardly any rice to go with it, due to the pear being hidden under a small pile of rissotto rice. The meal itself was still delicious, but perhaps cut the pear into smaller pieces. On the second night I had the soup of the day, which was cream of pea, one of my favourites, and it did not disappoint. For my main meal I had the gnocchi with a mix of mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in a creamed tomato sauce. This was delicious and I would happily eat this all the time! The added bonus of this restaurant was that they offered English menu cards, for people like me who unfortunately don't know a lot of German. The staff were all very friendly and helped to create the very relaxed atmosphere that surrounded the restaurant. I would definitely come here again if I was ever back in Berlin.

Our expectations were high after hearing many positive things about Viasko and we were not disappointed. We had the gyros platter and the chick pea stew, and we both loved it. Especially the gyros were quite something else! I am allergic to gluten, and the staff were very accomodating and offered me substitutes to what had gluten in it. The apple/pear pie was great as well. And best of all, it's all bio/fair trade stuff.

Both the staff we talked to spoke good English and were very friendly. The food was presented pleasantly and the portions were neither too small or too big.

The restaurant itself is very clean and has clean toilets. Many seats outside and quite spacious inside as well. Lots to choose from on the drinks menu, but they have the sense not to offer a million things on the food menu - it's always better to concentrate on a few choice courses!

We were so satisfied, we came back on our last day in Berlin and brought a non-vego friend who also loved their food.

super brunch with a great choice of vegan cuisine.
really cheap and quite.
A good place!

Even thought of taking a non-veggie there.

Outdoor dining in a tree-filled terrace.

I was a bit shocked to see a negative review about Viasko, especially now that they have a new chef. I've been visiting Viasko at least every fortnight for the last 6 months and as much as I enjoyed it from my first visit, I think they have improved considerably over the last 6 weeks since they have the new chef. The soups are some of the best I've tasted, and dishes I've had are full of color and flavour. Don't take my word for it, try yourself, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

The restaurant looks like a pub, in a nice part of berlin, i m sure the outside terrasse under the trees will be delightfull in summer ... we've enjoyed this place !!!

Great place and folks, super cheap. The food is very good, however I have never eaten anything at Viasko that I wouldn't prepare at home too (and most probably do better at home). So I really wish they would come up with something more unusual on their menu. Other than that this is nice place to eat out.

The relaxed atmosphere is one of the most striking features of this restaurant, which is nicely located in kreuzberg.
The staff was very friendly and the food was of excelent quality. Only the portions could have been bigger for my taste.

The menu didn't offer a lot of choice, but taht is compensated by the fact that it changes weekly.

All in all a highly recommended place

This place is amazing! The food was amazing, wholesome and creative. The service was great and the decor was comfortable and cosy.

I had a home made gnocci with pfefferlinge (german forest mushroom!) sauce. It was delicious. My partner had a polenta stuffed zuchini with capsicum and pumpkin puree.

The desert was off the chart too! Incredible mousse!

Meals between 6-8Eu.

Highly recommended!

Viasko is going to Be the place I take visitors to. They kept the interior of the former Irish pub so it's all very cosy and nice.
The menu doesn't feature a huge variety of things but what you get is absolutely amazing. I tried the delicious panini for 7€, a friend had the Gyros and loved it and my partner ordered the classic Flammkuchen - when after more than 30 minutes that hadn't arrived at our table yet, the waitress came to tell us they had forgotten to do the Flammkuchen; they were going to do it now and we would get it for free. Then even the cook came to us and apologised again for the inconveniences. Eight minutes later my partner got a free meal :) That's what I call good service!
As for dessert, I tried the stracciatella mousse which was delicious aswell, even though a bit small for 3,90€.

VIASKO is a great place for going out, also for drinks (they do cocktails), and I will certainly recommend it to others.

Before I tell you how awesome the food is, let me warn you that is may be hard to find. We looked at a map, and when we got off the Ubahn, it was confusing and we took off in the wrong direction for several blocks, so just be sure you are headed the right way.

OK, so we got there and it's this warm cozy atmosphere. The waitress was really nice and spoke English. We got the yummy warm potato soup. I got that Gyro that everyones loves, and yes, it's one of the two best things we ate in Germany. Wow. My husband got a beautiful tofu goulashy thing? I don't remember, but he loved it. Unfortunately, he had a headache, so we left without dessert. But everything we had was fantastic.

My favorite meal in Berlin came from Viasko - the gyro (recommended by the waitress). This gyro is certainly not healthy as it's very greasy and has tasty french fries in it, but it tasted VERY good. My bf also tried my meal and stated that it was one of the best vegan things he'd tried thus far. Definitely check this place out if you're in Berlin, and get the gyro!

This is the best vegan Restaurant we have visited in Berlin. We expected a lot, because of the Ex-Owner of the "La Mano Verde" who is the owner of the Viasko - and we were impressed. The Menu has not that wide range of dishes, but every single dish from starter to dessert were really amazing! I had the best potato soup I have ever eaten. The staff is friendly, the ambiente is cozy and the prices are absolutly suitable. We will come back soon!

This is the last restaurant we have visited in Berlin and it is by far the best. Amazing food (the menus change every week), big portions, super friendly staff, nice ambiente and good prices. Everything was close to perfect.

This is my new favourite restaurant not only in Berlin but in general. I gave some other restaurants in Berlin 5 stars, but I would have to give them all just 4 because this one is just better.
Need I say more?
Go there!

The Viasko-crew has turned a very comfy Irish pub with wooden paneling into a serious contender for Berlin's best vegan restaurant.
Food is fresh, not expensive at all and the service is very friendly and professional.

We had the Viasko-interpretation of bruschetta with courgette, sweet pepper and smoked tofu. Very good.
The Vlammkuchen with tofu was really good, too, even better was the falafel plate with hommus, and eggplant pate.

We were not able to find room for a desert in our stomachs, but plan to come back...

A few minutes away from Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station on the U1 line this is a wonderful setting for a great vegan establishment. They have a spacious outside seating area and when it's cold or if you want to eat inside the interior is quite spacious and exquisite. The food looks great but we only had a cup of tea and a vegan chocolate cake which was of a good standard but could have been more succulent. I will definitely eat here again in the evening when I am sure this place is at its best. There appears to be a good crowd that come here from the environs of hip Kreuzberg.

Viasko is on a leafy green corner in the basement of a gorgeous, chunky building. We visited on a beautiful sunny afternoon and sat outside, but I'll bet it's great inside on a cold winter night. A perfect spot for a drink and the food is fab.

T and I agreed that his mushroom soup was probably the best we've ever had. How did they do that??? My apple and celery was good, but too salty for the delicate flavours. Nice, tasty, solid white bread came too. We gambled on the unfamiliar for a main course and shared a kuchen - a thin, crispy flat bread topped with onions and smoked tofu. This turned out to be delicious and, with the soup, just the right amount for the two of us.

Staff at Viasko were especially helpful and friendly, there was an English verion of the menu and the cost was fair. It's great to get to meet the people who cook, especially when they too are passionate about great vegan food. Of all the places I've eaten in Europe, this is the one that I'd like to transport to within walking distance of my home in England, to share with friends on a regular basis.

very very very good :-)
Taste muschroom soup and bluberry pancake.
Strarter, drink, bread, dish and dessert for 16 euros !

viasko is a new vegan restaurant in berlin. very nice location, got the flair of an original "biergarten" fpr normal people.

i had the red beet cream soup- it was so tasty! great! then the lasagne- good also and as dessert a stracciadella mousse on berries. really good. (but expensive, go there bevor 3 pm- it's cheaper)

stuff was anxious that you feel good and asked often if food is tasty. really nice.

so- go there and try it!

We visited this place for lunch when we were in Berlin last week, and were impressed enough to come back for dinner the next day! The service is extremely friendly, the menu is varied and very tempting, they do *wonderful* things with pfifferling mushrooms, and the puddings are some of the best I've ever tried. This isn't just a great vegan restaurant, it's a great restaurant, full stop.