After the success of buzzing Bootleg Italian in Paddington – which dishes up vegan spins on Italian classics like cacio e pepe and tiramisu – owner Sam Overton turned his attention to sandwiches. At Sandwiches by Bootleg, every item is completely plant-based – from the schnitzel to the cheese.

Sandwiches include spins on classics and a few in-house creations. There’s a crowd-favourite Reuben (made with “pastrami”, Russian dressing, house-made sauerkraut, tasty cheese and pickles); the show-stopping Hot Chick (house-made schnitzel, cabbage and apple slaw, and chipotle mayo); and a vegan take on the BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato). And the “Hang Over” is truly a hangover-slayer: it’s stacked with tofu scramble, maple “bacon”, hash browns and smoky barbeque sauce.

While the sourdough is from social enterprise The Bread and Butter Project, the sea salt and rosemary focaccia, “meats” and cheeses are all made in-house. Meat replacements are crafted using seitan (vital wheat gluten) with herbs and spices.

The cosy venue, which is opposite Centennial Park, seats just eight diners, and there’s a couple of extra seats outside. As well as the sandwiches there’s coffee and a range of sweets (Overton tells us the salted-caramel scrolls are a must-try).