The best vegan restaurants (and menus) in Sydney
Golden Lotus, Newtown - Credit: Golden Lotus
No meat? No problem. With a growing number of vegans (and more people choosing to be plant-based part-time), the vegan dining scene is growing too. Here are some of Sydney’s best.
- 5 min read
Yellow
Where: Potts Point
The only vegan restaurant in Sydney to be awarded two prestigious Chef’s Hats, Yellow will change the way you think about fine dining. The six-course tasting menu heroes heirloom vegetables grown by local suppliers, creating exquisitely plated dishes like hemp seed gnudi with tomato dashi and shiso or sprouts with cultured cashew and pumpernickel.
Yellow, Potts Point - Credit: Leigh Griffiths
Shift Eatery
Where: Surry Hills
Proudly claiming the title of Sydney’s first vegan deli, Shift Eatery aims to make it as easy – and tasty – as possible for people to go meat-free. Sit down at the cafe for the ‘world’s best’ vegan bacon and egg roll, delicious toasties or a healthy wholefood bowl, then pick up a selection of vegan chocolate, ice cream, cheese and more to take home.
Wholefood bowl at Shift Eatery, Surry Hills
Yulli’s
Where: Surry Hills
A staple of Sydney’s vegan scene, Yulli’s has been serving a plant-based Asian-inspired menu for almost 15 years. The wasabi cauliflower, Korean fried broccolini, and kale and saltbush gyoza pair perfectly with their range of eponymous beers. And if you like those, visit Yulli’s brewery in Alexandria where all their vegan pours are on tap, plus vegan wines and snacks.
Yulli's, Surry Hills
Golden Lotus
Where: Newtown
Though it’s traditionally made with beef or chicken broth, the healing powers of pho are well known. At Golden Lotus, this Vietnamese staple is made from 20 kilos of vegetables boiled for over 10 hours to create a bowl that’s both nutritious and delicious. The rest of the expansive menu features vegan duck, chicken and fish dishes, as well as Vietnamese classics like rice paper rolls, eggplant clay pot and vermicelli noodle salads.
Golden Lotus Newtown - Credit: Golden Lotus Newtown
Funky Pies, Bondi
Where: Bondi
The meat pie is an Australian icon. Funky Pies puts a modern twist on a classic with options like the Funky Chunky (shiitake mushroom and potato), No Wurry Curry (organic chickpeas and lentils in coconut Indian curry), and G’Day Satay (roasted pumpkin and fresh coriander in peanuty sauce). There’s even a Rockin’ Roll with vegan sausage and a take on the caramel slice.
Funky Pies, Bondi - Credit: Funky Pies
Gigi Pizzeria
Where: Newtown
One of just a handful of pizzerias in Australia recognised by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, pizza is serious business at Gigi. The restaurant went completely plant-based in 2015, but still delivers Italian wood-fired pizzas made with hand-stretched dough. Dairy-free cheeses, grilled vegetables, rich spices and plenty of extra virgin olive oil make for a traditional Neapolitan pizza with a Newtown twist.
Gigi Pizzeria, Newtown
Mark + Vinny’s
Where: Surry Hills
At Mark + Vinny’s the concept is simple: spritz and spaghetti. While not exclusively vegan, more than half the menu is planet-based. Start with the zucchini flowers stuffed with soy mozzarella, then move on to the carbonara with a vegan egg yolk and mushroom pancetta or the charcoal bucatini with cashew cream, and finish with a vegan hazelnut panacotta. The huge selection of colourful cocktails pairs well with everything.
Mark + Vinny's, Surry Hills
Comeco Foods
Where: Newtown
Japanese couple Yu Ozone and Masa Haga started Comeco Foods in response to Yu’s own food intolerances. The whole menu is vegan, gluten free and made with all natural ingredients. The sushi rolls feature things like eggplant teriyaki, pumpkin tempura, baked tofu and vegan chicken schnitzel. Finish with one of the signature sourdoughnuts, either cinnamon, iced or filled with matcha, raspberry or salted caramel.
Comeco Foods, Newtown - Credit: Comeco Foods
Miss Sina
Where: Marrickville
If you can’t find Miss Sina, just look for the line. People regularly queue for their incredible vegan pastries, from the flaky croissants and jam-filled doughnuts to the traditional German franzbrötchen (a sort of croissant-cinnamon scroll hybrid). Savoury options can change daily, depending on what the chefs can find fresh at the market, but can include plant-based meatball subs and schnitzel sandwiches plus fragrant garlic pretzels.
Miss Sina, Marrickville - Credit: Miss Sina
Don Fred
Where: Newtown
Northern Italian cuisine tends to be heavy on the meat – think rich Bolognese or melt-in-the-mouth osso buco. Don Fred manages to capture this feeling with a 100% plant-based menu. Owner Lorenzo Petrachi hails from Trieste and wanted to create a space where his favourite meals and a love of animals came together. A chunky mushroom ragu, olive meatballs on polenta and eggplant parmigiana taste just as good (or even better) than the originals.
Don Fred, Newtown - Credit: Don Fred
Le Gourmand
Where: Newtown
A little piece of Paris on King Street, Le Gourmand is a traditional French patisserie that just happens to be vegan. It’s most famous for its macarons, which come in the traditional pastel rainbow or in an array of specialty designs from Bluey to moustaches and Labubu dolls. There’s also vegan croissants, crème brulee, chocolate mousse and French crepes, plus a pantry of vegan goodies you can take home.
Le Gourmand, Newtown - Credit: Le Gourmand
Bentley Restaurant & Bar
Where: CBD
With its elaborate dining room, impeccable service and world-beating wine list, Bentley is fine dining as it should be. It’s also one of the few restaurants of this calibre to offer a vegan tasting menu, alongside plenty of vegetarian options in the a la carte. Vegans can enjoy the same refined techniques and innovative combinations as meat eating diners, and pair it with wines you won’t find anywhere else in the city.
Bentley Restaurant & Bar , Sydney - Credit: Bentley Restaurant and Bar
OTTO Sydney
Where: Woolloomooloo
Located on Woolloomooloo Wharf, OTTO is popular with diners wanting to enjoy a long lunch of delicious Italian food in the sunshine. A vegan a la carte menu is available alongside the regular mainstays, dishing up plates like beetroot ravioli with cashew nut cream, and zucchini flowers with broccolini and hazelnut dressing.
OTTO Sydney, Woolloomooloo
Speedos
Where: Bondi
Overlooking the iconic Bondi Beach, the only thing more Instagrammable than the views at Speedos is the food. From caramelised banana pancakes to the green falafel bowl, this is one of the best spots in Sydney for a vegan brunch – gluten- and dairy-free options are also available.
Speedos, Bondi
Mary’s Newtown
Where: Newtown
For many years this Newtown stalwart garnered a cult following for it’s classic Mary’s Burger. Now everything on the Mary's menu – the burgers, the mash’n’gravy, the fried chicken – can be ordered in a mouth-watering vegan version (all prepared on a dedicated meat-free grill and dryer).
Mary's Newtown, Newtown
O Bar & Dining
Where: Sydney CBD
At O Bar & Dining, celebrated chef and owner Michael Moore offers sophisticated fine-dining with views of the sparkling Sydney Harbour, as well as a five-course plant-based tasting menu brimming with delights such as organic golden barley risotto with seven-spice roasted carrots and smoked apricots, hand-rolled pumpkin and potato gnocchi with black beluga lentils and butternut. Yum!
O Bar & Dining, Sydney - Credit: Anliette Chen | O Bar & Dining
