Sydney’s Best Vegetarian Restaurants and Cafes
An increasing number of people are choosing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, and Sydney’s restaurant scene has followed suit with a wide variety of options from the much-loved upscale dining at Yellow, in Potts Point, to the unique, buzzing experience of Vandal Taqueria in Newtown. And thankfully the Inner West is the epicentre of vegan and vegetarian cafes and restaurants. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favourites. Which one will you visit next?
Bad Hombres
231 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
https://www.badhombres.com.au/
Bad Hombres is a Mexican inspired plant-based restaurant in Darlinghurst. The menu is 100 per cent vegan and gluten free and designed to share. Choose from a selection of natural wines and tequila/Mazcal-based cocktails. The restaurant has a casual and feel-good vibe that will suit couples or groups. Open Monday through Saturday.
Gigi Pizzeria
379 King Street, Newtown
https://www.gigipizzeria.com.au/
Gigi Pizzeria brings the tradition of Neapolitan woodfired pizza to the Inner West. In fact, it’s one of only a few pizzerias in Sydney that is a member of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, or AVPN. With fresh, quality local produce and key ingredients imported from Italy, the restaurant features a plant-based menu. The restaurant is fully licensed. Open seven nights.
Little Turtle Restaurant
10 Stanmore Road, Enmore
https://littleturtlerestaurant.com
In bustling Enmore, near the intersection of Stanmore and Enmore Roads, you’ll find vegan Thai restaurant Little Turtle. Open since 2018, the restaurant is a firm favourite among locals, as evidenced by the bustling evening service. For starters, go for the sticky sesame wings, lightly battered cauliflower coated with a homemade sweet soy sauce. We highly recommend the grilled eggplant in Panang curry with coconut cream, Thai lime leaves and lemongrass – yum! And don’t miss the tightly rolled pad see eew noodles with a firm tofu, sweet soy sauce and Chinese broccoli. Reservations are recommended.
Two Chaps
122 Chapel Street, Marrickville
Just around the corner from the much-loved Henson pub, Two Chaps is a vegetarian cafe and bakery with a strong focus on sustainability. In keeping with their ethos of providing quality produce and local, seasonal supply, the menu changes by the season. All the wild-fermented bread and pastries – including delectable pain Suisse, sweet and savoury Danish and cinnamon scrolls – are made by hand daily. The coffee is roasted locally by Single O Coffee Roasters.
Their current spring daytime menu has us drooling over the citrus chamomile pancake, an orange and coconut pancake, with orange chamomile syrup, fresh orange, marmalade, coconut yoghurt and pistachio chocolate feuilletine. For something savoury, we’re definitely tempted by the grilled miso eggplant burger with tomato relish, pickled cucumber, lettuce and halloumi. Vegan and gluten-free options are available.
On Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm, Two Chaps opens for a $70pp set dinner menu – perfect for date night. The dinner menu, featuring handmade pasta and cheese, changes every few weeks to ensure the best local seasonal produce is on offer. The restaurant is BYO wine and beer with $10 corkage. Reservations are taken for their vegetarian dinner service only.
Vandal Taqueria
403 King Street, Newtown
https://www.vandalsydney.com.au/
Don’t be fooled by the name: the cuisine at Vandal is not Mexican. Rather, it’s an homage to the Latino food trucks of Los Angeles. The food at Vandal is always fun, and it’s recommended that diners enjoy it with a cocktail in hand. Start with the ‘kick ass’ guacamole with pickled chilli, pico de gallo and heirloom corn totopos, then move on to the wild mushroom quesadilla with pickled shiitake, queso, baby rocket and mushroom confit salad. Choose from one of seven taco flavours. The set menu, featuring all the highlights, is $38 per person. Open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday and weekend lunches.
Yellow
57 Macleay Street, Potts Point
https://www.bentleyrestaurantgroup.com.au/yellow
For a special night out, look no further than Yellow, a vegan restaurant from the award-winning team behind standout Sydney restaurants Bentley Restaurant + Bar, Monopole, Cirrus, King Clarence and Brasserie 1930. The six-course vegan tasting menu, at $115 pp, highlights distinctive and heirloom vegetables grown by local suppliers. (Note: A la carte is not available.) The comprehensive wine list features a wide range of vegan wines; for your special meal, you can choose to add matching wines (an additional $100 pp), premium matching wines ($145 pp) or a bespoke non-alcoholic pairing ($75 pp). Yellow is the first vegan restaurant to receive two chef hats in the Good Food Guide. Open for lunch Saturday and Sunday and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
Yulli’s Bar and Restaurant
417 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Yulli’s, located on Crown Street, Surry Hills, is perfect for a fun night out for two or more. The bar and restaurant specialises in vegan and gluten-free options, with a dedicated gluten-free menu. The cuisine takes its inspiration from South-East Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. Choose from a la carte or a banquet menu at $47 per person with tempting offerings such as edamame and coconut moneybags, Korean fried broccolini with sticky sour chilli sauce and roasted cauliflower with butter bean cream and walnut crumbs. Reservations are recommended.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
🥗 Govinda’s
112 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst
🥗 Mother Chu’s Vegetarian Kitchen
367 Pitt St, Sydney
https://www.motherchusvegetarian.com.au/
🥗 Shift Eatery
Locations in Marrickville and Surry Hills
https://www.shifteatery.com.au/
🥗 Soul Burger
Locations in Glebe, Newtown, Randwick and Parramatta
https://www.soulburger.com.au/
🥗 Vina Vegan Restaurant
395 King Street, Newtown
https://www.instagram.com/vinaveganrestaurant
🥐 Want more food related articles? Check out our list of the Best Bakeries in the Inner West
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