The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne

These days, chefs are giving vegetables more love than ever. Just look at the proliferation of roasted cauliflower on menus across Australia and the world.

And as the murky ethics of the industrial food chain become more apparent, plant-based substitutes like tofu, coconut oil and aquafaba are becoming more popular. Brisbane doesn’t have a huge number of 100 per cent vegan restaurants. But if you’re okay with the people around you eating animal products, many places can cater for you.

Words by Broadsheet Editors
Updated on 10 May 2024

Restaurant

Smith & Daughters

Fire-based cooking reigns supreme at the second iteration of Shannon Martinez’ pioneering vegan diner, suitably housed inside an old red-brick fire station. Choose from Mediterranean-inspired dishes and booze à la carte, or grab a seat at the intimate chef’s table and let the experts choose for you.

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Bar

Ballard’s

An all-vegan cosy local that’s committed to serving up affordable, plant-based dishes and wines. Go for its meat-free takes on pub classics, house-made gnocchi and small bites. Enjoy your meal and vegan vino at the bar, in a booth, or in the beer garden out the back.

Restaurant

Lona Misa

Shannon Martinez’s all-vegan, all-day diner inside the luxury Ovolo hotel is a symbol of the group’s commitment to plant-based eating. Alongside celebrated chef Ian Curley, Martinez is serving Josper-fired peri-peri cauliflower, steamy tamales and “blood” sausage plus spicy Latin American inspired cocktails.

Restaurant

Evie’s Disco Diner

True to its name, this ’80s-referencing, queer-friendly, vegan-leaning American diner packs a nightclub-quality soundsystem and a mezzanine DJ booth. Drag trivia and bingo are held regularly here, alongside glitzy techno and pop parties.

Restaurant

Red Sparrow

A plant-based pizzeria which works with various convincing cheese substitutes.

Restaurant

Kevabs

All-vegan kebabs, halal snack packs and boreks in Brunswick. Plus, there are gluten-free options, colourful salads, dukkah-dusted chips and cardamom-spiked Turkish coffees.

Bar

The Green Man’s Arms

The green heritage-style facade and mid-century decor give all the impressions of another classic pub. Yet the plant-based menu says otherwise. The eggplant “schnitzel” and fried cauliflower stand out; the diverse beers are a bonus.

Restaurant

Shop225 Pizzeria

There’s a seat for almost every diner and their dietaries here. Each of the classic pizzas can be made vegetarian or vegan. Go for the mushroom-heavy 2807 (sans sausage) or the Verde, topped with ribbons of baked eggplant. Plus, vegan pastas and desserts.

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Bar

The Cornish Arms

This warm and inviting pub is renowned for two reasons. First, it's got one of the most vegan-friendly menus in Melbourne – meaning meat-eaters and herbivores alike can get across the entire menu of pub classics. And second, its sunny and expansive rooftop bar ranks among the best in Brunswick.

Restaurant

Babu Ji

Unlimited vegan curries every Tuesday.

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Restaurant

Good Days

Warming vegan pho.

Cafe

Sister of Soul

Vegetarian for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Restaurant

Jinda Thai

This popular Thai stalwart maintains an animal-free section on its menu.

Restaurant

Trippy Taco

This colourful cantina-style space is full of Mexican classics, each with a meat-free twist. Go for loaded tacos – like the tofu asada with cheese, chargrilled tofu, salad, salsa and lime. Or find hefty meat-free burritos, cheesy quesadillas and crispy taquitos. Pair it all with a Margarita or Sangria jug.

Restaurant

Shandong Mama

It’s all in the name at this Chinatown favourite, which highlights dishes from Shandong province. The vegan dumplings (including a zucchini version) have a cult following.

Restaurant

Funghi e Tartufo

Situated on Hardware Lane is this outstanding player in the city’s vegan dining scene. The owner-chef riffs on nostalgic Sicilian dishes using plant-based ingredients, served in a converted 19th-century warehouse full of old-world charm.

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Restaurant

Brother Bon

Brother Bon aims to make vegan food accessible (and enjoyable) to all. Its pan-Asian brunch and dinner menus hit all the right notes with fragrant noodle soups, dumplings, stir-fries and gua bao. Also on the menu are Vietnamese-style cocktails, as well as Australian beers and wines.

Restaurant

Green Acre

From the eco-conscious team behind Small Print Pizza comes this vegan-friendly pizza bar. The menu turns humble mushrooms, potatoes and pumpkins into heroes, and offers plenty of plant-based swaps (including for pepperoni and feta).

Restaurant

La Pinta

There’s always plant-based options at this Spanish-style bar and eatery, and many dishes can be tweaked to become vegan or vegetarian. The chalked-up, tapas-style menu might list a standout house-made pumpkin agnolotti.

Restaurant

Wazzup Falafel

Everything is made in-house at this vegan diner. Stop by for some of the best falafels and fatteh in town and watch owner Ahmad Al Alaea – donning his signature cowboy hat – work in the open kitchen.

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Gong De Lin, Melbourne CBD
It’s easy to miss this meat-free Chinese joint, which is hidden upstairs in a nondescript building on Swanston Street. Head up the lift and order sizzling dishes backed by tofu, vegetables and mock meats. Popular dishes include the pot of braised tofu and fungi with bean paste, sweet and sour “pork”, Szechuan-style eggplant, and kung bao vegetarian “chicken”.

Huong Viet Vegan, Footscray
This cosy, no-fuss Vietnamese diner serves up many of the classics by substituting in mock meat, tofu, mushrooms and other veg. The expansive menu covers most bases, from bright rice paper rolls to spicy bun bo hue and steaming chao ga (also known as congee or rice porridge).

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