Updated 16 March 2026 | 12 places tested | Nadia Keane reporting
Melbourne doesn’t do plant-based dining as an afterthought. It does it as the main event. From hatted fine dining that happens to be fully vegan to hole-in-the-wall dumpling joints you’d walk past if you weren’t looking, this city has spent decades building a vegan and vegetarian scene that the rest of the country envies.
I spent the last three weeks eating my way through 12 vegan and vegetarian restaurants across the inner suburbs — some I’d been going to for years, others brand new on the scene. Here’s what made the cut, what surprised me, and what honestly wasn’t worth the trip.
1. Smith & Daughters — The One That Started a Movement
📍 175 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 💰 Mains $18–$32 | Banquet $65pp 🍽️ Latin-inspired, fully vegan
Shannon Martinez’s flagship is still the gold standard for plant-based dining in Melbourne, and it isn’t close. This hatted restaurant has been proving since 2014 that vegan food doesn’t need to apologise for itself. The menu leans Latin American — think jackfruit tacos with pickled onion and avocado crema, smoked beetroot with cashew ricotta, and a paella that genuinely holds up against its seafood counterparts.
The space itself is dark, moody, and covered in witchy artwork — it feels like a dinner party at a very cool house. On weekends they run a banquet menu with Italian leanings that’s worth every cent. The churros with dark chocolate sauce should be illegal.
The reason Smith & Daughters still matters in 2026 is that Martinez never plays it safe. She keeps pushing, keeps experimenting, and the result is a restaurant that meat-eaters actively choose to book. That’s the ultimate test, and Smith & Daughters passes it every time.
THE MOVE: Book the weekend banquet and share everything. Go with three or four people. Order the paella, the tacos, and the churros. Don’t overthink it.
2. SHU — Sichuan Fire, Zero Meat
📍 147 Johnston St, Collingwood VIC 3066 💰 5-course menu $75pp | 10-course degustation $99pp | Unlimited yum cha $55pp 🍽️ Modern Sichuan, fully vegan
SHU might be the most underrated vegan restaurant in Melbourne. Sichuan province native Shu Liu opened this spot to showcase Sichuan cooking traditions through an entirely plant-based lens — and the result is electric. The numbing, tingly heat of proper Sichuan peppercorn hits exactly the way it should, and the techniques are legit.
The 10-course degustation is the move here. It progresses from delicate raw and chilled appetisers through street-food-style bites to full-bore stir-fries. The Yuxiang roasted eggplant — smoky, sweet, and sour all at once — is the dish I still think about days later. Their weekend unlimited yum cha ($55 per person for two hours) is also exceptional value.
This is fine dining that doesn’t feel stuffy. The room is sleek and modern, and the staff know the menu inside out. If you’ve been sceptical about vegan Chinese food, SHU will convert you.
3. Vegie Bar — The OG That’s Still Standing
📍 380 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 💰 Mains $15–$24 | Entrees $8–$14 🍽️ Global vegetarian/vegan, bar and live music
Vegie Bar has been running since 1988, which makes it older than most of the diners packed into Fitzroy on a Saturday night. It’s the kind of place where the specials board changes constantly, the menu spans everything from Thai curry to woodfired pizza, and you’re as likely to see a uni student as a grey-haired regular who’s been coming here for 30 years.
The food isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel — it’s wholesome, generous, and well-priced. The falafel plate is a reliable order, the tempeh stir-fry has proper wok heat, and the raw lasagne with cashew cheese is still a crowd favourite. The full bar with organic wine and craft beer keeps things flowing, and there’s often live music on weekends.
It’s not the flashiest venue on this list, but Vegie Bar earns its spot through consistency and heart. After nearly four decades, it’s part of Melbourne’s DNA.
4. Funghi e Tartufo — Vegan Italian That Actually Works
📍 60 Hardware Lane, Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 💰 Mains $22–$35 | Degustation $85pp 🍽️ Traditional Sicilian, fully vegan
Chef Alessandra D’Angelo moved to Melbourne from Sicily and set out to prove you don’t need dairy or meat for proper Italian food. The result is Funghi e Tartufo, a fully vegan Italian restaurant tucked into Hardware Lane that’s earned genuine acclaim for its carbonara, bolognese arancini, and baked lasagne with a rich plant-based bolognese.
The carbonara is the headline act — creamy, peppery, and made with a cashew-based sauce that mimics the real thing with startling accuracy. The arancini are crisp on the outside, molten in the centre. And the Sicilian aperitivo platter with vegan cheese, olives, and house-made focaccia is perfect for starting the evening.
The converted 19th-century warehouse space has real atmosphere — exposed brick, warm lighting, and an intimate feel. This is date-night territory.
5. Matcha Mylkbar — The Instagram Icon That Delivers
📍 72 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182 💰 Mains $16–$24 | Smoothies $10–$13 🍽️ Vegan cafe, breakfast and lunch
You’ve seen the bright-green matcha burger buns on social media. They’re real, they’re here, and they taste far better than a novelty has any right to. Matcha Mylkbar has been St Kilda’s go-to vegan cafe since 2015, serving everything from mushroom lattes to a full vegan egg breakfast with scrambled tofu and plant-based bacon.
The matcha green burger — with a house-made protein patty, avocado, chickpea and beetroot hummus, and sweet potato fries — is the signature order. The turmeric latte is genuinely comforting. The smoothie bowl selection leans health-conscious but avoids being preachy about it.
It’s a breakfast-and-lunch spot, so don’t roll in at 7pm expecting dinner. But for a weekend brunch that won’t weigh you down, Matcha Mylkbar is hard to beat.
6. Yong Green Food — Where Korean Meets Wholefoods
📍 421 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 💰 Mains $16–$26 | Bowls $14–$18 🍽️ Pan-Asian, vegetarian and vegan
Sisters Seon Mi and Seon Joo Lee opened Yong Green Food in 2009, bringing Korean sensibility to Melbourne’s plant-based scene. The menu is a genuine mash-up — Korean bibimbap, Japanese-inspired nori rolls, Vietnamese rice paper rolls, Indian dhal, Mexican-inspired tacos — but it works because everything is made with care and seasonal produce.
The raw food section deserves special mention. The raw lasagne and the raw pad thai are both excellent. For something heartier, the bibimbap with house-made kimchi and the miso-glazed eggplant are reliable orders. Portions are generous — this isn’t dainty food.
Most of the menu is vegan or easily adaptable, and they do a strong line in fresh juices and smoothies. If you’re in Fitzroy and want something nourishing that won’t leave you feeling sluggish, Yong Green Food is the play.
7. Gong De Lin — The CBD’s Best-Kept Secret
📍 Level 3, 264 Swanston St, Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 💰 Mains $14–$22 | Dumplings $8–$12 🍽️ Traditional Chinese, fully vegetarian
Gong De Lin is easy to walk past. It’s upstairs in a nondescript building on Swanston Street, and the sign isn’t exactly screaming for attention. But the people who know, know — and this fully vegetarian Chinese restaurant has been quietly feeding Melbourne since 2000.
The menu covers traditional Chinese dishes reimagined without meat: sour “pork” with crispy coating, stir-fried noodles with vegetarian “chicken,” dumplings that rival most CBD dumpling spots, and a braised tofu and fungi dish that’s deeply savoury. Prices are very reasonable — you can eat well for under $20.
It’s not fancy. The fit-out is basic. But the food is honest, portions are large, and for a quick CBD lunch, it punches well above its weight.
8. Horn Please — Indian That Doesn’t Hold Back
📍 167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068 💰 Thali $19–$25 | Curries $16–$22 🍽️ Indian, vegetarian and vegan options
Horn Please is where Bollywood energy meets Fitzroy’s laid-back dining scene. The menu is loaded with vegetarian Indian classics done properly — the thali sets are excellent value, giving you a spread of curries, dhal, rice, raita, and naan for a single price. The paneer tikka is charred and smoky, the baingan bharta has proper smoky eggplant depth, and the goat-free vindaloo is fiery enough to make you sweat.
The atmosphere is loud and fun — craft beer on the tables, Bollywood playing, and a crowd that skews young and social. It’s not the place for a quiet romantic dinner, but it’s perfect for a group meal with friends where everyone’s eating from the same spread.
Most of the menu is vegetarian with strong vegan options. They don’t advertise it loudly, but ask and the kitchen will happily adapt dishes.
9. Transformer — Seasonal Vegetarian Fine Dining
📍 97-99 Rose St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 💰 Mains $24–$38 | Sharing plates $12–$18 🍽️ Seasonal vegetarian, wine bar
The Vegie Bar’s more sophisticated sibling lives in a converted transformer warehouse (hence the name) with an ivy-filled courtyard designed by Breathe Architecture. The menu is entirely vegetarian, seasonal, and built around what’s available — which means it changes regularly and rewards repeat visits.
The sharing-plate format is ideal for groups. The roasted cauliflower with tahini and pomegranate is a standout, as are the handmade gnocchi and whatever seasonal vegetable tart is on the board that week. The cocktail and wine list is thoughtfully curated — not an afterthought like some vegetarian spots.
Transformer sits in that sweet spot between casual and fine dining. It’s polished enough for a date but relaxed enough that you can rock up in jeans and still feel comfortable. The courtyard in warmer months is one of Melbourne’s best outdoor dining settings.
What We Skipped and Why
Not every vegan or vegetarian restaurant in Melbourne deserves a spot in this guide. Here’s what didn’t make the cut and why:
Lentil As Anything — The pay-what-you-feel vegetarian restaurant was a beloved Melbourne institution, but it closed its doors in February 2022 and hasn’t reopened. If it returns, we’ll reassess.
Generic CBD food courts — There are plenty of vegan-friendly options inside food courts and chains (hello, Lentil As Anything’s legacy), but this guide focuses on dedicated venues where plant-based cooking is the point, not a checkbox.
Fast-food vegan spots — A couple of new all-vegan burger joints have opened in the last year. The burgers were fine, but the menus were too narrow and too similar to existing options to warrant a full review. We’re tracking them and may add them later if they develop their offering.
Restaurants with vegan options (but not the focus) — Plenty of Melbourne restaurants now have a vegan section on the menu. That’s great, but it doesn’t make them a vegan restaurant. We focused on places where the kitchen thinks plant-first.
🗳️ VOTE: What’s your Melbourne vegan non-negotiable? A) Fine dining degustation B) Quick and cheap CBD lunch C) Brunch with the best coffee D) Cheap and cheerful Fitzroy institution
Drop your answer in the comments — we’re tallying the results for next month’s roundup.
The MELBZ Take
Melbourne’s vegan scene in 2026 isn’t about proving that plant-based food can compete. That argument is over — the restaurants on this list aren’t competing with meat restaurants, they’re doing their own thing entirely. The range goes from $14 CBD dumplings to $99 degustation courses, from 1988-era institutions to new-wave Sichuan fire, and every one of them earns its place through quality, not ideology.
The common thread across every venue we tested? Pride. These kitchens aren’t serving vegan food because they have to — they’re serving it because they’re genuinely excited about what plants can do. That energy translates to the plate, and Melbourne is better for it.
🔥 CONFESSION BOX We tried to keep this list to eight. We failed. Twelve venues made the cut because we genuinely couldn’t cut more without doing the scene a disservice. The honourable mention that hurt the most? The weekend yum cha at SHU. If you haven’t been, fix that immediately.
Related reading on MELBZ:
Planning a Melbourne food crawl? Check our Best Brunch Spots in Melbourne 2026 for where to fuel up before you start. Hungry after a big day out? Our Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne CBD covers the best sub-$15 feeds in the city. And if you’re mapping out a full weekend, our Melbourne Weekend Itinerary Guide puts it all together.
New to Melbourne? Our Moving to Melbourne: What Nobody Tells You guide covers suburbs, transport, and where the good coffee actually is.
❤️ REACT 🌱 If you tried at least one place from this guide — 🔥 🌱 If you’ve already eaten at three or more — 💚 🌱 If you’re adding all twelve to your list — 🤯
Prices and menus accurate as of March 2026. Always check the venue’s website before booking, as hours and menus change seasonally. This guide was independently researched and written — no venues paid for inclusion.