The Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Melbourne for a Hearty Feast

Melbourne’s celebrated culinary scene is as diverse as it is inclusive. Whatever you get, you know it’ll be good – and the increasingly delicious vegetarian fare on offer is no exception.

Forget ‘Meatless Monday’, this city is home to the kind of restaurants that will have even the most devoted of carnivores going plant-based every night of the week with a plethora of vegetarian and vegan options.

From wine bars to fancy eateries, these are the best vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne. 

Transformer Fitzroy

Bringing some serious glamour to the vegetarian scene, Transformer was created by the owners of Vegie Bar. Housed in a refurbished electrical warehouse featuring exposed brick walls and timber detailing, this eatery serves up food that’s as carefully put together as its stylish surrounds.

Rather than rely on mock meats, the kitchen imaginatively highlights the potential of veg in dishes like truffled chickpea panisse and lush za’atar-glazed eggplant.

Loved by locals and visitors to Melbourne alike, Transformer has earned its spot as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne. 

382 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Smith & Daughters

Skip the dairy (and meat) at much-loved Collingwood vegan paradise Smith & Daughters.

Expect a celebration of fresh Victorian produce showcased in everything from empanadas to croquettes, ragu, pasta and 'steak'.

Upmarket, sleek, chic and sustainable, there's a lot to love about this Melbourne gem.

107 Cambridge Street, Collingwood

Patsy’s

We’re accustomed to the idea of pairing wine with food, but what about the other way around? Wine bar Patsy's flips the script by first choosing a drop and then creating a dish around it.

The wines are primarily small-scale and European while all the dishes are vegetarian – proving that there’s more to pairing than ‘red with steak’ and ‘wine with seafood’.

Examples include Burgundy matched with beetroot sausages under a Café de Paris emulsion, and sweet sherry paired with dark chocolate sorbet.

The cosy, blue-walled dining room is made for intimate catchups, while the secluded courtyard beckons on balmy summer nights.

213 Franklin Street, Melbourne

Lona Misa

Shannon Martinez, the queen of Melbourne’s vegan scene, opened a blockbuster venue in South Yarra’s sleek Ovolo Hotel. Lona Misa is an all-day, plant-based diner that transforms from café to restaurant to wine bar with ease.

Start the morning with coconut yoghurt granola and huevos rancheros, or book in for luxurious Latin-inspired dinners and cocktails.

Martinez continues to wield her kitchen magic by creating vegan versions of Moqueca (Brazillian seafood stew), Peri Peri chicken and a mushroom ceviche you just have to taste to believe.

234 Toorak Road, South Yarra 

Neko Neko

This homey diner at the end of busy Smith Street has won a loyal following for its wholesome vegan and pescatarian fare.

It’s all about Japanese comfort food here, from tofu katsu burgers and potato croquette curries to vegan meatballs with miso demi-glace sauce.

Loyalists, however, come here for the ramen soups. Completely plant-based yet offering a superb depth of flavour, varieties include a soy sauce-based broth, a spicy tofu number and our favourite, the creamy tan tan ramen enriched with sesame and soy milk.

83A Smith Street, Fitzroy

Vegie Bar

One of the originals and best, Vegie Bar has long been Melbourne’s mainstay for all things meat-free.

Set in a converted warehouse on Fitzroy’s bustling Brunswick Street, this local institution serves up classic vegetarian fare (think pasta bakes, stir-fries and tagines) that’s so in demand, you’ll likely have to wait for a table.

Have a sweet tooth? End the meal on a high with their lush desserts that range from a dark chocolate mousse to a zesty lemon meringue tart.

380 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Green Man's Arms

Green by name and green by nature, this friendly neighbourhood pub in leafy Carlton is entirely vegetarian.

Visitors won't be missing steaks and parmas when they're being offered pesto pumpkin rigatoni, crispy cauliflower nuggets and lush salads, with much of the produce coming directly from the owners' Yarra Valley farm.

To drink, there are plenty of craft brews and even kombucha on tap, while regular live DJs and Sunday sessions keep the place lively and always a top pick for.

418 Lygon Street, Carlton

Moroccan Soup Bar

Like the décor, the flavours at beloved Moroccan Soup Bar are rich and warm thanks to the likes of bubbling tagines, handmade bread and their legendary chickpea bake – in which crispy, brown butter-brushed flatbread is layered with garlicky yoghurt and tahini, toasted chickpeas and smatterings of smoked paprika.

The result is a festival of texture and flavour, as filling as it is addictive. With a verbal menu, each visit is something of a surprise. Expect a line of hungry patrons eagerly clutching their Tupperware (post-meal takeaway is encouraged).

47-51 Boundary Road, North Melbourne

Very Good Falafel

Sometimes, it pays to stick with one thing and do it well. And in the case of Very Good Falafel, they do it very, very well.

Crunchy and hot on the outside, fluffy and fragrant on the inside, have them in an Israeli-style pita or as a platter with dips and a selection of colourful daily salads.

Owners Louisa and Shuki started out making handmade falafels on the farmer’s market circuit (with chickpeas grown by Louisa’s dad) before opening this warm, welcoming spot in Brunswick, a now-bustling hotspot for vegetarian fare in Melbourne.

629 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Now that you've taken a seat at some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne, it's time to discover even more dining inspiration with our roundup of not only the best new cafés and restaurants in Melbourne but also the ones that are most visually stunning.