Visiting Melbourne - Vegan Tips Appreciated

[AbFab]

G'dayyy.

I'm staying in Melbourne for five weeks at the end of the year, and was hoping I could get some insider tips from Melbournites here re top vegan eateries, stores etc. I'm staying with family who love to cook and expect we'll eat in a lot, but I keep seeing how great Melbourne is now for vegans and eating out - so please tell me where and what!

Thank you!
Abi

P.S. Do you lot have regular meet-ups?

[james79]

G'dayyy.

I'm staying in Melbourne for five weeks at the end of the year, and was hoping I could get some insider tips from Melbournites here re top vegan eateries, stores etc. I'm staying with family who love to cook and expect we'll eat in a lot, but I keep seeing how great Melbourne is now for vegans and eating out - so please tell me where and what!

Thank you!
Abi

P.S. Do you lot have regular meet-ups?

Gday AbFab,

I stayed in Melbourne for 5 days or so earlier this year. It is an amazing city, vegan friendly and great for sports. You are lucky to be staying there for 5 weeks!

SoulMama cafe is a top quality veggie/vegan restaurant. I had a nice vegan chocolate cake there. It is in St Kilda which is a beach resort and a 15min tram ride from the City Centre.

There are loads of Asian restaurants in Melbourne (and Australia generally) where you can get good cheap vegan food. Can't think of any of the names - I am sure the VF Melbournians will be able to give you better advice!

I recommend the 'Neighbours' tour as well

Soul Mama:

[Tarz]

There's a wicked street in Colindale I think - or wherever the veggie shoe shop is if it's still around? - with some health food stores and veggie/vegan cafe's/restaurants nearby.

That was the best vegan area in Melbourne seven years ago, mite have changed since though.

[AbFab]

Thanks! I've actually spent six MONTHS there before, so I know the area and highlights; I am going back for family reasons, not so much to do the tourist thing. (If I can get in some surf sessions though, that would be magnificent - pointers on that too would be most welcome.) Last time, I wasn't vegan though - and since I now am, and since I have heard such good things about the vegan scene in Melbourne, I was hoping for some insider tips on stuff that I might not find out about through normal guidebooks, the Internet, chance, or my non-vegan cousins who live there. Thank you lots.

[hannibal]

all you need to know is here... http://www.plushpizza.com.au :)

you should totally come to a melbourne vegan strength session

G'dayyy.

I'm staying in Melbourne for five weeks at the end of the year, and was hoping I could get some insider tips from Melbournites here re top vegan eateries, stores etc. I'm staying with family who love to cook and expect we'll eat in a lot, but I keep seeing how great Melbourne is now for vegans and eating out - so please tell me where and what!

Thank you!
Abi

P.S. Do you lot have regular meet-ups?

[Muay Jin]

Where do your family live?

There is lots of good surfing in Victoria but most of it you have to take a drive to get to (Melbourne is next to a bay).

[prenna]

I've only heard about this in legends and stories told by others but there is a vegan bakery in Preston. Apparently they are a kosher bakery that can't be bothered with all the messing about so they just make everything vegan. I've onlly heard it referred to as "Preston Pies" but that isn't its proper name. When I find that out I'll let you know.

[hardcore iv]

I've only heard about this in legends and stories told by others but there is a vegan bakery in Preston. Apparently they are a kosher bakery that can't be bothered with all the messing about so they just make everything vegan. I've onlly heard it referred to as "Preston Pies" but that isn't its proper name. When I find that out I'll let you know.

Prenna, the place you speak of is La Panella Bakery. It is run by vegetarian buddhists. Most breads in the shop are vegan and you can get vegan mushroom and vegetable pies with TVP, that fool all the meateaters. Plus sausage rolls, pasties, apple slice, choc jam donuts, apricot and apple cakes. That's all I can think of. There are a couple of things with dairy in them, but all vegan items are labelled.

AbFab, I'm not much of a restaraunt guy, but I would recommend gopals on swanston street. It is run by Hare Krishnas, but lots of stuff is vegan.

If you are after some burgers and fries, Lord of the fries, on the corner of elizabeth and flinders, make pretty good veggie burgers, you just have to ask for a vegan one.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

There is a vegansunite group that has regular meetups http://www.vegansunite.org.au/melbourne/ but the coolest place to meet melbourne vegans is at melbourne vegan strength

[jeremyK]

My god. That bakery sounds amazing! I'm shocked that I haven't been!

Here's my list of regular hang outs:

Vegie Hut, Box Hill - Amazing mock meats + traditional chinese foods!
Trippy Taco, Smith Street - Mexican + Vegan... a match made in heaven. Literally the best Mexican in Melbourne - vegan or no.
Feast on, Smith Street - Fish'n'chips but with a seperate vegan fryer... Amazing tempeh wraps!
SoulMamas, St Kilda - If nothing else, just eat dessert!
White Lotus, North Melbourne - Chinese mock meats also. Lovely people and you gotta try the sesame chicken!
Soul foods, Smith Street - All I can say is... BREAKFAST! Monster Vegan = a mountain of amazing goodness.
Enlightened Cuisine, South Bank - Chinese mock meats also. Eat in, it's a lovely restaurant.

.... Thats all I can think of at the moment

[Muay Jin]

likewise re: the bakery, I'm making a trip there on the weekend!

and Vegie hut in Box Hill would be a must for me, (I get something from there at least once a week).

Lord of the fries is also tops, they even have vegan pamphlets and anti-rodeo DVD's there, so thumbs up for them too =)

[Talyn]

i can add a few... being chained to a desk isn't so bad when there are places like these so close to my work:

- organic food and wine deli, degraves st (in between flinders lane and flinders st.. near the station)
- gopals is brilliant i go there at least once a week
- healthy life deli, which is near degraves st as well
- and of course soulmama's, which is probably one of the best i've ever been to (and the views on a nice day .... perfect!!)

[AbFab]

You lot are brilliant - thank you so much for the tips - this is just the kind of thing I was after.
I have several cousins in various locations and am planning on spending a few days with each of them, so I'll be all over the place.
Vegan pizza and a vegan bakery sound fantastic - any idea if the bakery do croissants? I've been hanging for a vegan croissant for YEARS!

Please keep me posted about the Melbourne vegan strength sessions - though I will say, weights etc aren't my strong point (STRONG point, get it!). But it would be great to meet more vegans!

Thanks again. Keep it coming.
A

[Tarz]

It was Smith Street, Collingwood. I knew it was Colin__ somethin or other.

This is the shoe place I was on about: http://www.veganwares.com/melbourne.htm

Definately check this area out, has all the eateries that Jeremy lists too.

[prenna]

Prenna, the place you speak of is La Panella Bakery. It is run by vegetarian buddhists. Most breads in the shop are vegan and you can get vegan mushroom and vegetable pies with TVP, that fool all the meateaters. Plus sausage rolls, pasties, apple slice, choc jam donuts, apricot and apple cakes. That's all I can think of. There are a couple of things with dairy in them, but all vegan items are labelled.

See, you've mentioned the P-word. Vegan pie that I haven't tried? I'll be making a trip to Melbourne in the next year then.

If you guys had vegan dagwood dogs like we do up here in Brisneyland I'd probably have to move there.

[Muay Jin]

zomfg, vegan dagwood dogs, where =!!! I'm going up to Queensland sometime later this year to visit my grandma =)