Australia is spoilt for choice when it comes to fabulous vegan restaurants and cafes. Trust us when we say it is not easy to narrow the immense list!
We are well known for our café culture and love of fabulous food and, with many people turning vegan – or simply loving fresh, healthy food – there is just so much to choose from and it all looks incredible! Since we’re so spoilt for choice, you can imagine ow hard ot was to narrow down the top vegan restaurants in Australia, but we’ve given it a crack. Let us know if we missed your favourite!
© Bodhi
Bodhi – Vegan Yum Cha restaurant in a stunning setting
Established in 1988 and family owned and operated for three generations, Bodhi is a stunning restaurant located near St Mary’s Cathedral in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.
Tucked under ancient Moreton Bay fig trees, Bodhi is a critically acclaimed and award-winning restaurant that pioneered and specialises in vegan Yum Cha and Pan-Asian cuisine. The produce is locally sourced and organic where possible and the food is hand crafted using traditional techniques by expert chefs, creating a range of seasonal mouth-watering dishes to choose from.
© Kitti Gould
Yellow Restaurant – Plant-based European dining in Potts Point
In opening Yellow, their third restaurant, in 2013, Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt were inspired by the European dining scene that has given birth to a new way of eating: contemporary food and wine served in an informal atmosphere at affordable prices. Yellow was the first 5 Star Sydney vegan fine dining restaurant; Brent has long been renowned for his inventive vegetarian dishes but going wholly plant-based was a first for the business. Check out their website for their amazing seven course degustation menu
© Speedos Cafe
Speedos Café – Bondi’s coolest breakfast spot
Right in the heart of Bondi’s trendy north side, Speedos has become a favourite amongst locals and tourists alike. Serving up what they refer to as “the world’s most Instagrammable food with a view to match” there’s something for everybody; raw meals, organic herbal teas, as well as offering some of the tastiest vegan, gluten and dairy-free options.
Breakfast sounds delightful, from French toast and pancake stacks to a Golden Gaytime smoothie!
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Eat Drink Raw – Perfect for health-conscious foodies in West Perth
Raw Pad Thai, buddha bowls, vegan burgers and burritos and a delicious lentil bolognaise, Eat Drink Raw began as a delivery service in 2014. It proved so popular it became an eat-in café too. Their mission is to make healthy food both accessible and delicious, and they still offer delivery to several suburbs in and around Perth.
Eat Drink Raw is a 100 percent whole foods cafe – everything they serve is free from any chemicals and preservatives, so customers can be certain that what they’re consuming is completely clean and unprocessed.
© Ten Acre Block
Ten Acre Block – High-end vegan restaurant in Perth
Renowned for its innovative, expertly curated and deliciously fresh dishes, Australia’s first high-end plant-based restaurant Ten Acre Block is named after the 10-acre plots of land that were owned by famers and growers in rural Perth back in the 60’s and 70’s.
Ten Acre Block’s dishes feature a range of different spices, forms and flavours to celebrate the various cultures and backgrounds of the growers that worked the land. We love the sound of slow cooked heirloom carrots, blackberry gastrique, toasted almonds, wild rice granola – delicious!
© Ovolo Hotels
Za Za Ta – A culinary melting pot in Fortitude Valley
Open for lunch and dinner, Za Za Ta is described as a place where worlds and cultures collide amongst a sprawling, colonial backdrop and buzzing open kitchen celebrating ethical eating and conscious cuisine.
Experience the soulful vibe of Tel Aviv with its menu reflecting a blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, with a distinctly modern twist to centuries-old flavours, while delighting in plantation rum and artisanal cocktails, inspired by the vibrant Tel Aviv bar scene.
Photo: @andyfromhk
Grassfed Vegan – Brisbane’s go-to vegan burger joint
Grassfed prides itself on not overcomplicating things; the menu is small, but offers six incredibly delicious burger options along with five sides and of course the iconic “I Should Coco” ice-cream menu.
They also have a limited range of changing specials – follow them us on social media to keep up to date. Each burger looks like a work of art and is lovingly crafted using only the highest quality, sustainable, local ingredients.
© Good Love
Good Love Vegan – Beachside vegan restaurant in St Kilda
Good Love is a beachside vegan restaurant in popular St Kilda, priding itself on preparing all of its vegan dishes from scratch.
Try the Masala curry, with potato, tomato and chick peas with a side of sour cream and fruit chutney. There are also buckwheat berry pancakes, vegan cheeseburgers and rainbow bowls – sounds like a perfect brunch to us!
© Herbivore
Herbivore – High-quality fast food in Melbourne CBD
Gone are the days of greasy, fast food that makes you feel heavy and sluggish. Think fast, affordable, delicious and nutritious; these are some of the words the chefs at Herbivore want you to think of when you dine at the vegan restaurant.
We love the sweet potato fries, fava bean falafels and chicken-less burgers. You’re also in the heart of Melbourne’s popular shopping district so it’s a great place to stop for a meal as you catch your breath from pounding the pavement.
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Kevabs – Best vegan kebabs in Melbourne
This Turkish vegan restaurant has delicious salads as well as its “kevabs” – filled with vegan meat substitute and salad.
They also have vegan boreks (vegan meat filled pastries), gözleme (spinach and vegan feta pastries) and, for dessert, who can resist Turkish delight?
© Veg Bar
Veg Bar – Plant-based classics in North Hobart
Veg Bar Hobart opened in 2017 with a focus on using fresh and nutritious whole foods to create some classic vegan dishes. They aim to make plant-based food fast and accessible, without compromising on flavour.
Veg Bar was the very first lunch/dinner restaurant in Hobart to have an exclusive vegan food menu, and has since become an iconic hang out for locals and tourists.
We can’t wait to try the Matcha bun with crispy fried cauliflower patty, honey mustard and salad. Delicious!
© Metta Sol
Metta Sol – Feel-good vegan food in Adelaide
Situated off Goodwood road, Metta Sol is 100 percent plant-based, with food inspired by the owners Vietnamese family roots. All food is free from msg, preservatives, and chemical additives and they source authentic, local and organic ingredients and products where possible.
The menu includes dishes with the likes of pho with warm spiced vegetable broth. We’d also love to try their six course French degustation! You can also find Metta Sol at the Adelaide Central plaza market and they also sell “make your own” meal kits to take home. Breakfast includes a paleo banana muffin with espresso coconut cream, and toast smeared with mushroom “paté” – sensational!
How to get to your destination
Rex Airlines flies into over 60 different destinations throughout Australia. This includes Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Coolangatta, and Canberra along with regional cities in each state and territory, excepting the Northern Territory. See the map below for details on the routes Rex Airlines flies and book your flight here.
© Regional Express Holdings Limited
Plant-based or plant-curious and looking for some more foodie inspiration?
Byron Bay is a vegan haven with plenty of delicious eateries and bars on offer. Adelaide also packs a punch when it comes to plant-based dining.
Lead image by Gourmand and Gourmet.
