Melbourne has fast become the vegan capital of Australia and is a great destination if you are a vegan foodie.
The number of restaurants here offering great vegan options here is incredible, but it could also be overwhelming if it’s your first time here.
In this guide, I’ve narrowed down the best vegan Melbourne cafes and restaurants that you need to visit. Mark them down in your foodie bucket list:
Funghi e Tartufo
This fully Italian restaurant located in Hardware Lane in Melbourne CBD is one of the best meals I’ve had in my Melbourne trip.
The dishes here are authentic and superb. Amazing depth of flavours. Everything tastes amazing, but I’m especially wowed by the desserts.
For primi (main course), the fried eggplant Napoli tagliatelle and truffle mushroom pappardelle are standouts. Afterwards, definitely get the cheesecake al cioccolato (tastes like a Ferrero Rocher in a cheesecake form) and pistachio gelato (superbly rich and flavourful) to finish off your meal.
Service is also top-notch. Friendly and helpful staff even though the restaurant was completely full when I visited.
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Red Sparrow Pizza
This vegan wood-fire pizzeria in Melbourne has two branches. I visited the one in Collingwood.
The pizzas are some of the best I’ve had. Fresh and fragrant base and tasty toppings. Tried the cheeseburger pizza (with crumbled burger patty, cheese, pickles, sesame seeds, etc) and G.O.A.T pizza (a special with vegan goat cheese, caramelised onion, tomato, pine nuts, etc); Both of the pizzas are great.
Another dish you have to try is their Not Wings vegan chicken wings. The texture is one of the best I’ve had. Perfectly meaty and delicious. And the wings are coated with a sweet sticky sauce. Don't miss this if you are a fan of vegan meat alternatives.
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Sable
Amazing vegan cafe in a back laneway in Cremorne. They specialise in bagels and cookies.
The selection of bagels here are amazing. My friends and I tried 3 of their bagels: Reuben, Big Kev and Uncle Phil. All the bagels are huge and delicious. It’s hard to choose a favourite as they are all great.
Definitely get a cookie and ask the friendly staff to heat it up for you. I had the Nutella cookie and it was perfect. Chewy texture filled with hazelnut sauce inside. Perfect way to end a delicious meal.
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Nuttea
Nuttea makes delicious bubble tea with thick cream made with 5 types of nuts - Walnut, hazelnut, cashew, almond and macadamia. It’s hard to find a vegan cream that’s this thick, creamy with a nutty flavour.
I would highly recommend getting a drink with the thick cream, like the earl grey with chocolate nut cream or the matcha nut mylk tea.
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Union Kiosk
Union Kiosk specialises in jaffles, which is a closed toasted sandwich. Everything is vegan here and they have a great selection of toasties with coffee.
I tried the tofu scramble, ham, cheese and hollandaise toastie. It’s cheesy, comforting and delicious!
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Neko Neko
Although Neko Neko is not a vegan restaurant, many of their dishes are vegan. The vegan options are marked with a 🌱.
If you are a cat lover, you will also love the cat magazines and decor here. “Neko” means cat in Japanese.
All their ramen are vegan by default, and you can add extra toppings or change to gluten free ramen for extra. They also have vegan bento, curry and bento.
The vegan tan tan ramen, which is a soy mince ramen in a creamy sesame broth, is delicious with a flavourful broth. The texture of the ramen is also great. Recommended!
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Sister Of Soul
Sister Of Soul in St Kilda is a 100% vegan restaurant with an Asian focused fusion menu.
The food in general is pretty good, although nothing really stand out to me. Pleasantly surprised to see okonomiyaki on the menu, as it’s not common to see a vegan version. It’s a panfried cabbage pancake drizzled with tonkatsu sauce and mayo. One of my favourite dishes that night. However, the Nasi Goreng and Zen Balance Bowl are not very memorable.
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The Green Canopy
This vegan cafe in Fitzroy is a great place to stop and relax in the busy area. The first thing that jumps out to me is the beautiful space with warm-toned decors and natural textures.
The food here is also great. The herby mushroom omelette with fried mushroom, feta cheese and balsamic glaze is deliciously cheesy and flavourful. They were testing a new menu when I visited, so I hope this omelette will stay!
Lona Misa
Lona Misa is a vegetarian restaurant at the Ovolo hotel in South Yarra, Melbourne. When you first arrived, you’ll be welcomed by its funky and colourful decor. You’ll definitely be obsessed with the space if you like taking photos for Instagram.
I visited here for breakfast; They have 4 vegan choices in the breakfast menu. The Tom's famous dumplings are served with black soy vinegar, fermented chilli and goji berries. It’s tasty with deep flavours thanks to the vinegar with chilli. Another dish that I love is the crispy potato rosti. It’s like the better version if a hash brown.
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Frozen
This pay-by-weight fro-yo shop is located in Melbourne Central. It had two clearly-marked vegan flavours when I visited, but the toppings are not marked unfortunately.
I tried the almond milk hazelnut flavour, which is a little bit bland. Also keep in mind that this shop is on the pricier side. If you fill your cup full with yoghurt, you are likely looking at about $30-40.
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Jumi’s Cafe
Located in South Yarra, Jumi’s Cafe is a healthy vegan cafe with a good selection of wraps, salads and desserts. Although they focus on takeaway, they still have a few seats in the cafe.
I tried one of their superfood smoothies which is well-made and delicious.
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Hikari
This cafe in Melbourne CBD is not particularly vegan friendly, but I tried the soy matcha latte here and it’s amazing. The minimalist, wooden interior makes it a great place to sit down for a drink in the busy Melbourne city.
Hareruya Pantry
This hole-in-the-wall Japanese takeaway shop has some unique vegan gelato flavours. On the day of visit, they have two vegan flavours: akashiso (red shiso/perilla), and red fruits + elderflower yuzu.
I chose the latter to make a monaka, which is a Japanese sweet usually made with sweet red bean paste sandwiched between two wafers. This one is a more modern take with ice cream/sorbet.
Vincent's Marketplace
This grocery shop in Fitzroy carries all vegan products. The selection of mock meat and Asian items is amazing here. The prices are also quite reasonable.
You’ll also find the amazing Nuttea here if you haven’t tried the branch in Melbourne CBD.
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Vegan Grocery Store AU/The Cruelty Free Shop
From food and snacks, to fashion and makeup, this all vegan shop located in Fitzroy has everything you need. It’s also conveniently located in the Fitzroy area where a lot of the vegan places are.
Girls & Boys
This place has some of the best vegan ice cream. Not only is the ice cream good, you can also have it as thick-shake, sundaes and ice cream cookie sandwich. They also have a selection of smoothies and açai bowls.
On the other side of the shop you’ll find the takeaway counter of Vegie Bar. Selection includes burgers, pizzas, burritos and more.
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Token Toasties
As the name suggests, Token Toasties specialises in toasties. For a non-vegan cafe, this place has a pretty great vegan menu, including The Simple Plan toastie which has 3 types of vegan cheeses.
Also love the vibe here with a wall of retro magazine and movie posters. The staff is friendly as well.
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Lord Of The Fries
This vegan fast food chain has a few branches in Melbourne. You’ll find the classic items like burgers and loaded fries here. The taste is generally pretty decent, but because it’s a franchise business, sometimes the service can be inconsistent from shop to shop.
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CIBI
The food here is not my favourite, which is a shame because of its unique atmosphere. The store is separated into the cafe section and the shop section. The shop carries beautiful kitchenware and imported Japanese goods.
However, the dishes here are not particularly vegan friendly. I chose the vegan CIBI lunch plate. The main part of the dish is 3 thin slices of glazed eggplant and a piece of tofu cake. The vegetarian version has an egg, but there’s no substitute for that when changing to vegan. Other than the eggplant and tofu, there’s just cooked veggies and rice. Overall, for vegans, you’re not getting enough food for the price.
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Honourable Mentions (That I didn’t Get The Time To Go)
Smith and Deli
Smith and Daughters
Vegie Bar
Green Man’s Arms
Trippy Taco
Gong De Lin
Future Sushi
Goje
Woking Amazing
Brother Bon
Loving Hut
Shu
Home Vegan Bar
