*Some of the meals in this post were provided on a complimentary basis but my reviews are honest and unbiased
Strewth, mate! Sydney’s vegan scene is absolutely ripper!
So, I actually spent eleven years of my life in Australia between the ages of 13-24 and my family (parents and brother) still lives there so I tend to visit every couple of years but this was my first time visiting as a vegan and I was keen to check out Sydney’s scene as I’d heard great things!
Chris and I decided to base ourselves in Newtown which I kind of see as the Shoreditch of Sydney – It’s a hub for vegan restaurants and trendy coffee shops and it’s quirky as hell. If anyone is interested, we stayed at The Urban hotel, which is nothing fancy but it’s fine if you just need somewhere to lay your head at the end of the day. It’s also close to the train station which makes it convenient if you’re venturing to different parts of the city to stuff your face, like we were.
Sadly, we visited Australia at quite a scary time. The bushfires were still raging across the country and everywhere was smoky with an eerie yellow hue so we didn’t travel around as much as we might have done otherwise, because the air was thick and a little dangerous.
Here’s the list of places we visited in the order we visited them:
🌱 Shift Eatery
🌱 Bad Hombres
🌱 Little Turtle
🌱 Bodhi
🌱 Alibi
🌱 The Green Lion
🌱 Golden Lotus
🌱 Lentil As Anything
🌱 Paperbark
🌱 Gigi’s Pizzeria
🌱 Lord of the Fries
So, down to the nitty gritty. Here’s what we ate and what we thought:
1. Shift Eatery
Where is it?
Shop 4/241 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
What’s it like?
This is a small, casual deli cafe with some seating inside and a couple of tables outside. It’s the kind of place you stop for a quick bite to eat on your lunch break – nothing fancy but it do hits the spot. It’s 100% vegan and offers a range of sandwiches, toasties, smoothies, juices and breakfasts. The portions are pretty epic – We arrived feeling peckish and we left feeling absolutely stuffed!
What did you eat?
Buffalo Sub w/ buffalo pulled jackfruitm coleslaw, cheddar, gherkins and ranch on a sourdough baguette – $15 aud (£7.80)
- Join The Club – Schnitzel, turkey slices, aioli, cheddar, avocado smash, greens, tomato and ranch on toasted sourdough – $17.5 aud (£9)
What did you think of the food?
- Buffalo Sub – The sweet pickles were nice and added a crunch, the bread was good but a tiny bit tough. There was some heat in the dish and lovely flavour from the sauce. This had a stronger flavour than the other sandwich we ate but the jackfruit could’ve been more flavoursome – would’ve loved some stronger BBQ taste to come through. The portion size was good.
- Join The Club – A pretty epic sandwich! This had lots of flavour, the cheese melted well and was nice and gooey, the bread worked really well. It was a good portion size, the mayo was nice and added creaminess but would be great if it was garlic flavoured. At points, the turkey did have a soy kind of flavour but other times it was very realistic.
What to order:
- Buffalo sub
More information:
Check out their Instagram
2. Bad Hombres
*this meal was gifted
Where is it?
40 Reservoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
What’s it like?
This dimly lit, buzzing, fully vegan Mexican restaurant was absolutely packed when we visited! Their menu is huge and packed with dishes ranging from king mushroom Peruvian ceviche to aubergine tacos as well as margaritas, beer and sangria. The atmosphere in the restaurant was great and the food was tasty, but the service could have been better.
What did you eat?
Aubergine tacos with pineapple habanero salsa & miso caramel – $12 (£6.20)
- Nachos with house cheddar, black beans, pico de Gallo, guac & cashew cream – $17 (£8.80)
- Cauliflower – BH Cauliflower w/ oregano-paprika salt, cashew cream, salsa verde, coriander & onion (served with corn tortillas) – $28 (£14.50)
- Creme brûlée – Sweet corn creme brûlée with burnt chipotle cacao sugar – $10 (£5.20)
What did you think of the food?
- Aubergine tacos – The miso caramel is beautiful and adds a lovely sweetness to the dish. For me, this was the standout flavour. It worked really well with the pineapple and the crispy onions. Really liked these!
- Nachos – A really great plate of nachos! The vegan cheese is so good – it actually has a nice flavour, but would’ve liked it to be distributed more evenly throughout! The black beans are creamy and add a nice texture, the salsa is fresh, the onion is strong, There are lots of different flavours which all complement each other. The jalapeños were a little hot for but Chris enjoyed them! Really good amount of toppings too!
- Cauliflower fajitas – This is probably not something I’d normally go for but the owner was keen for us to try them. The white sauce had a nutty flavour with a hint of sourness. The cauliflower is cooked well – its soft and a little charred. The onions are a great addition and work really well. It was tasty but I could only eat a few bites. This was a very big portion – enough for three or four. All of the flavours work really well, I’m just not sure cauli would be my first choice for a fajita personally
- Creme brûlée – OH MY GOD. This was so great. The flavours were beautiful, it had a perfectly crisp top layer and underneath, it was very soft and creamy without tasting sickly. Very clever! A 10/10 dish!
What to order:
- Aubergine tacos
- Nachos
- Creme brûlée
More information:
Check out their Instagram
3. Little Turtle
Where is it?
10 Stanmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042, Australia
What’s it like?
This was easily one of my favourite meals of the trip! I wish we’d gone here for dinner and had the chance to order more food. We visited for an early lunch on a weekday and so we were the only ones there so we couldn’t get much of a sense of the atmosphere but the restaurant is clean and modern. Judging by the quality of the food and the size of the venue, I wouldn’t be surprised if this place gets absolutely packed! Again, another 100% vegan restaurant with an extensive menu, this time serving up Thai food. The staff were friendly and the service was good. I wish we had a place like this in London!
What did you eat?
Red Thai curry arancini balls (4 pieces) – $9.90 (£5.15)
- Masman potatoes – $18.90 (£9.80)
What did you think of the food?
- Red Thai curry arancini balls – These were absolutely delicious. There were lovely, authentic Thai flavours inside the ball and the sauce was divine.
- Masman potatoes – The flavours are so so beautiful. It’s sweet, creamy, nutty and the potatoes are soft and fluffy. The coconut rice works really well with it. The hints of chillis are mild. This is just such a great dish!
What to order:
- Red Thai curry arancini balls
- Masman potatoes
More information:
Check out their Instagram
4. Bodhi
*this meal was complimentary
Where is it?
2/4 College St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
What’s it like?
This is definitely another of my faves from the trip! Not only because I could happily live on dumplings for the rest of my life but also because it’s just so adorable. It’s located just to the edge of a park so most of the restaurant is outside, surrounded by trees and the menu is completely vegan so you have your choice of anything from green tea dumplings to bbq bread buns, radish cakes and custard lava buns. You can order from the menu or you can grab something from the staff who are walking around with dishes (yum cha style). The menu is extensive and honestly, I had trouble controlling my ordering. I wanted to eat everything! They also have a beautiful range of unique cocktails. Only problem we had was that the service was quite slow and some of the waiters didn’t know the answers to our questions about the menu. Otherwise, an absolute must-visit!
What did you eat?
Carrot, ginger & broccoli dumplings (3 pieces) – $9 (£4.65)
- BBQ bread buns (3 pieces) – $9 (£4.65)
- Flaky prawn taro balls (3 pieces) – $10 (£5.20)
- Shiitake mushroom, asparagus, truffle oil dumplings – $12 (£6.20)
- Chilli smoked soy and beetroot dumplings (3 pieces) – $10 (£5.20)
- Green tea dumplings (3 pieces) – $9 (£4.65)
- Prawn har gow dumpling (3 pieces) – $10 (£5.20)
- Custard buns (3 pieces) – $10 (£5.20)
What did you think of the food?
- Carrot, ginger & broccoli dumplings – The ginger flavour was lovely but it could have used more flavours in there too
- BBQ bread buns – These were so soft and fluffy so they had a lovely texture but perhaps could use a little more filling, the ratio was a little out. Tasty though!
- Flaky prawn taro balls -These were really tasty and had a very realistic prawn flavour. They had a lovely, flaky texture almost like a potato croquette. Lovely dipping sauce too!
- Shiitake mushroom, asparagus, truffle oil dumplings – These were really tasty! The truffle was strong but not overpowering
- Chilli smoked soy and beetroot dumplings – These had quite a meaty flavour and texture. The filling was a little dense but it grew on me! Great flavour!
- Green tea dumplings – I quite like the earthy flavours here! I absolutely love spinach and that came through a lot
- Prawn har gow dumpling – These were absolutely delicious – very realistic flavour and texture
- Custard buns – So delicious – Like a thick custard tart!
What to order:
- BBQ bread buns
- Flaky prawn taro balls
- Shitaake mushroom & truffle dumplings
- Soy & beetroot dumplings
- Green tea dumplings
- Prawn har gow dumplings
- Custard buns
More information:
Check out their Instagram
5. Alibi
Where is it?
inside Ovolo Hotel, 6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011, Australia
What’s it like?
This is a proper swanky restaurant but doesn’t feel pretentious in any way. It’s located in a hotel but it feels like it’s own entity. The menu is 100% vegan and they offer an a la carte menu as well as a tasting menu and we went for the latter. It felt like the chefs really “got” what lots of vegans are looking for, offering a nice range of unusual dishes you might not find anywhere else – just what you’d expect from a Matthew Kenney menu! This would be a great spot for a date night.
What did you eat?
We had the Alibi Christmas feasting menu for $80pp with wine pairing for $60pp (£31.15pp), which included:
- Heirloom tomato gazpacho with basil croutons and fennel flowers
- Walnut Christmas crackers with cumquat and celery pearls
- Smoked baba ganoush
- Nectarine salad
- Mushroom wellington with a Yorkshire pudding
- Stuffed seitan roast with green beans and new potatoes, charred sweetcorn & whipped potato
- Mulled wine granita
- Pavola with passionfruit and mango
- Peach cobbler with eggnog ice cream and a gingerbread crumb
What did you think of the food?
- Eggnog drink to start – So creamy and milky with a little hint of cinnamon. Sweet, smooth and beautiful!
- Heirloom tomato gazpacho with basil croutons and fennel flowers – Lovely flavours, quite sharp and tangy with garlic, pepper & tomato flavours. The salty, crisp, thin cracker worked well
- Walnut Christmas crackers with cumquat and celery pearls – The crackers were quite soft, the soft cheese was very cheesy. The sake paired well!
- Smoked baba ganoush – Really smoky, garlicky, smooth and creamy
- Nectarine salad – I really liked this, all of the flavours worked well together. Loved the combination of dill and nectarine
- Mushroom wellington with a Yorkshire pudding – The wellington was absolutely beautiful – it had a strong mushroom flavour, perfect flaky pastry. The Yorkshire flavour was pretty close and it had a crispness to it but it was quite cakey in the middle. Vegan yorkies are a tough one to crack! The roasted new potatoes were nice but I would’ve liked more flavour – perhaps some garlic or rosemary
- Stuffed seitan roast with green beans and new potatoes, charred sweetcorn & whipped potato – The potato was tasty but too soft – it was totally smooth and almost like a liquid. The flavours were beautiful and the spinach in it was delicious. The seitan did have that fatty beef feel to it when it was cut but tasted more like sausage and was quite chewy. The flavour didn’t work for me but I’m not a huge fan of seitan so others may like it! The green beans had an aniseed flavour, which I wasn’t sure worked.
- Mulled wine granita – This really did taste like mince pie, so tasty!
- Pavola with passionfruit and mango – The meringue is so light and fluffy, the cream inside was beautiful and the mango gave it a nice flavour. I absolutely loved this!
- Peach cobbler with eggnog ice cream and a gingerbread crumb – This was beautiful too – the pastry was perfect and held together well but wasn’t too tough. The pairing wine was a bit sharp for me which I felt detracted from the dessert
What to order:
- Tasting menu
More information:
Check out their Instagram
6. The Green Lion
*this meal was complimentary
Where is it?
Level 1/726 Darling St, Rozelle NSW 2039, Australia
What’s it like?
This is a Australia’s only 100% plant based pub, so of course we had to check it out while we were here! It’s a classic traditional style pub with the kitchen located upstairs. They’ve got lots of seating including a balcony outside where we chose to perch. They’re serving up all the classics you’d expect to see on a pub menu, vegan style!
What did you eat?
Chicken schnitzel with gravy and chips – $19.95 (£10.35)
- BBQ chicken pizza – $21 (£10.90)
- Jalapeno peppers – $16.95 (£8.80)
- Fish tacos – $17.95 (£9.30)
- Mac & cheese balls – $5.50 (£2.85)
- Green mack burger – $19.95 (£10.35)
What did you think of the food?
- Chicken schnitzel – This was quite moist and the breadcrumb was delicious but it didn’t taste very much like meat. The gravy was thick and tasted a little sweet.
- BBQ chicken pizza – The vegan cheese doesn’t dominate which is good. The toppings are tasty, the BBQ sauce is sweet but the cheese sticks to the roof of your mouth a little. Not the best pizza I’ve had but not bad
- Jalapeno peppers – These were very spicy and very tasty!
- Fish tacos – These were really tasty! They had a good amount of toppings and the fish tasted very realistic. I loved the batter on the dish too. Really nice
- Mac & cheese balls – Very dry, not gooey and needed more flavour
- Green Mac burger – The patty on its own didn’t have much flavour but the texture was very realistic. It needs a few more flavours, especially the patty
What to order:
- Fish tacos
- Jalapeno peppers
More information:
Check out their Instagram
7. Golden Lotus
Where is it?
341/343 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
What’s it like?
With lines out the door every night, it’s a wonder we even managed to get a spot at this popular Newton eatery! This is another 100% vegan restaurant serving up authentic Vietnamese cuisine. You can get a range of dishes with natural ingredients, fake meats or tofu. It’s small and the restaurant itself is super busy so it feels a bit crowded at times. I recommend getting in early or grabbing a spot outside if you can! The service was fine – a bit rushed and not very personal but everything arrived as ordered in good time, considering how busy they were!
What did you eat?
Rice paper rolls – $6.80 (£3.50)
- Chicken satay skewers – $7.80 (£4.05)
- Curry puffs – $8.80 (£4.55)
- Vegetable steamed buns – $7.80 (£4.05)
- Vegan fried fish with sweet and sour sauce – $17.80 (£9.25)
- Stir fried tofu and vegetables with cashew nuts – $17.80 (£9.25)
What did you think of the food?
- Rice paper rolls – These were tasty! They were fresh and a very generous portion. The satay sauce was really nice too
- Chicken satay skewers – Realistic texture and the satay sauce was delicious!
- Curry puffs – These had a really nice texture – perfect pastry, but the inside isn’t very strong of curry. The dipping sauce is beautiful!
- Vegetable steamed buns – The sauce overpowers the bun a bit but I liked that it was a bit spicy. It’s soft and pillowy but the flavour could’ve been stronger
- Vegan fried fish with sweet and sour sauce – This wasn’t like a sweet and sour I’ve had before but I quite liked it. The aubergine wasn’t very much like fish, it was more like chicken. I liked the selection of vegetables it came with were nice!
- Stir fried tofu and vegetables with cashew nuts – I don’t love the spongey tofu but I loved the generous amount of cashews and the crunchy veg. The flavours were nice!
What to order:
- Rice paper rolls
- Chicken satay skewers
- Vegan fried fish with sweet & sour sauce
More information:
Check out their Instagram
8. Lentil As Anything
Where is it?
391 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
What’s it like?
This is another Newtown favourite but this is one is different – this a social enterprise and not for profit restaurant where you pay as you feel for the meals they serve you. If you can’t afford to pay, you can volunteer! Their focus on local, seasonal produce and vegan food.
What did you eat?
Dahl with tofu and rice (pay as you feel)
- Vanilla pancakes (pay as you feel)
What did you think of the food?
- Dahl – This was absolutely delicious! The flavours were so great and it was a generous portion too
- Pancakes – These were so delicious, they tasted like custard and the texture of the pancakes were spot on too!
What to order:
- Their special of the day as they change their menu often – no doubt it will be delicious!
More information:
Check out their Instagram
9. Paperbark
Where is it?
8/18 Danks St, Waterloo NSW 2017, Australia
What’s it like?
Easily the trendiest restaurant we visited and boasting the best food too. The service was absolutely fantastic – our waitress was so knowledgable about the menu and so eager to help. The food was just exquisite – such a beautiful range of flavours and textures. We visited during the day and it wasn’t super busy – I’m surprised this place isn’t fully booked every day. Really loved the food here and this would be my number one spot to recommend to people! The aubergine dish was easily my dish of the trip and one of the best things I ate in 2019!
What did you eat?
We opted for the four course tasting menu for $65pp (£33.75pp) where we ate:
- Potato soup
- Buckwheat, leek, lemon & salt brush
- Squash, pistachio, olive & capers
- Eggplant, apple, nori & natto
- Peach dessert
What did you think of the food?
- Potato soup – This was really nice and creamy, and quite thick. I loved the paprika croutons which add crunch, they are the standout flavour
- Buckwheat, leek, lemon & salt brush – This was so delicious, there were so many different flavours and textures. It was a tiny bit salty in parts but I loved it!
- Squash, pistachio, olive & capers – This was bursting with flavour, perfectly cooked, juicy and a bit citrusy. The pistachio and olive flavours were subtle and worked well
- Eggplant, apple, nori & natto – This was my dish of the trip! The flavours were stunning. The aubergine melted in my mouth, just like fish. The saltiness from the seaweed is perfect and the smashed potatoes were divine too. The aioli was delicious and there were little hints of aniseed throughout the dish. Beautiful!
- Peach dessert – This was so tasty! There was a nice mix of flavours and textures, fresh strips of peach and a beautiful subtle ice cream. I loved the crunchy, crumbly bits. A really great dessert!
What to order:
- The tasting menu
More information:
Check out their Instagram
10. Gigi’s Pizzeria
Where is it?
379 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia
What’s it like?
A cosy but incredibly busy little pizza spot in Newtown, Gigi’s is another venue where you can expect to queue for a while before you actually get into the restaurant. They offer a range of pizzas and sides as well as vegan alcohol. It’s got a lovely vibe and we felt really comfortable in there. However, whilst it’s great that a fully vegan pizzeria was so busy, we were very disappointed with the slow service and despite this being the spot that everyone recommended to us, we weren’t blown away by the food either – Perhaps we visited at a bad time!
What did you eat?
Mushroom arancini balls – $11 (£5.70)
- Aubergine calzone with ricotta, basil, tomato & grated parmesan – $26 (£13.50)
- Potato pizza with garlic, rosemary, black truffle pate – $26 (£13.50)
What did you think of the food?
- Arancini balls – These had a nice flavour but it wasn’t strong enough. The texture was nice inside, not dry at all. The crisp breadcrumbs were tasty too.
- Aubergine calzone – This had some really lovely flavours, it was nice and thick and the tomato sauce was beautiful. A really generous portion too! The ricotta was lovely – great texture and great flavour. It wasn’t so great on its own but it worked well in the dish
- Potato pizza – I thought I’d take a risk and order something a little different! I really love potatoes and I really love pizza and I’ve had a couple of potato pizzas before which have been alright but this was lacking in flavour sadly. There were some nice hints of garlic and rosemary but it needed more. The potatoes were quite salty too. I think this is a hard pizza to add flavour to, I think I’d stick to a tomato based pizza next time.
What to order:
- Aubergine calzone
More information:
Check out their Instagram
11. Lord of the Fries
Where is it?
Various locations around the city
What’s it like?
This is one of the world’s first and only vegan fast food chains with branches all over Australia. Chris and I visited last time we were in Australia and wanted to go back to see how it had changed. They offer a breakfast menu as well as a whole host of burgers and hotdogs. Think McDonalds but vegan and a little pricier. The food definitely isn’t the best I’ve had but props to the team on how fast they’re growing and the introduction of Beyond Meat has definitely improved some of the burgers.
What did you eat?
Breakfast hash & patty muffin – $7.50 (£3.90)
- Phish burger – $9.50 (£4.95)
- Original burger with beyond meat – $13.50 (£7)
What did you think of the food?
- Breakfast muffin – The predominant flavour is mustard and onion. The texture was pretty similar to the Mcdonalds McMuffin – the muffin and cheese are really good. The patty had a really nice texture – very meaty and had a smoky flavour. The hash brown was nice and crisp. I enjoyed this!
- Phish burger – This was tasty, it was quite fishy and the sauce was really nice. It was tangy but a bit sweet. Liked the texture of the patty too,
- Original burger with beyond meat – I’d tried this with the original patty before and really didn’t enjoy it as it had no flavour at all. However, this time they had the beyond meat patty on the menu and it was much better. Although, the patty was a lot smaller than the bun. There was a good amount of lettuce even though it looked like it would be too much. The bun was a little puffy and dominated slightly. It’s nice but the only flavour comes from the patty really. It needs more to it! The sauce in the middle is nice but doesn’t spread over the whole burger. It reminded me of a football burger. Anyone who’s been to a burger van at a football game will know what I mean!
What to order:
- Breakfast muffin
- Phish burger
More information:
Check out their Instagram
I hope that this blog post has helped you understand the vegan scene in Sydney a little better.
These are just some of the places we visited. Obviously there are lots of other places offering vegan options. We’d also have loved to visit Soul Burger, Yellow, Yulli’s & Mr Wong, to name a few.
If you want any tips or just want to have a chat about any of the places we visited, head over to my Instagram page: @thelittlelondonvegan.
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