From pizzerias to European bistros, discover the best vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Sydney.
Whether embracing meat-free Monday or on the hunt for a delicious spot to suit your vegetarian mates, this guide has you covered. We’ve scouted high and low to create your ultimate guide to Sydney’s best vegetarian-friendly restaurants. Not totally vegetarian but places you can go and enjoy plenty of vego-friendly fare. On this list, you’ll find a mix of completely meat-free and plant-based venues and restaurants that cater to your carnivore friends as well. Find out more below.
Yellow, Potts Point
As the first vegan restaurant to be awarded two chefs hats by the Good Food Guide, Yellow is plant-based dining at its very best. Set in the leafy suburb of Potts Point, this European diner offers exceptional vegetarian and vegan dishes that are a true celebration of local, seasonal produce. To complement the refined menu, you’ll sip on natural, biodynamic and vegan wines. Find out more here.
Pizza Madre, Marrickville
Who would have thought one of the best pizza joints in Sydney is completely vegetarian? For Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza and delicious local brews, you can’t go past Pizza Madre. Located in the heart of the inner west, this pizzeria is entirely meat-free and run by the crew from neighbourhood gem Two Chaps. Their menu changes with the seasons and is totally unique. Swing by for starters of foccacia with giardiniera and bocconcini before digging into pizzas topped with smoked mozzarella, Jerusalem artichoke puree, blue cheese cream, fried eggplant sauce and everything in between. Find out more here
Alibili, Woolloomooloo
Inside Sydney’s trendiest hotel, the Ovolo, you’ll find Alibi Bar & Kitchen, the brainchild of famous vegan chef Matthew Kenney. With a focus on local, seasonal produce, expect a unique vegan dining experience that pushes the boundaries in the best way possible. The 100% plant-based menu is creative and compelling, offering everything from kimchi dumplings to sweet potato gnocchi and charred okra caponata. Visit on Wednesday and Thursday to eat off the a la carte menu, or from Wednesday to Saturday for the tasting menu. Find out more here.
Bad Hombres, Darlinghurst
For our vegetarian friends who love margaritas, nachos and tacos, Bad Hombres is a must-visit. This all-vegan eatery features all of the cuisine’s crowd favourites, with a plant-based twist. Their BH cauliflower is pretty much famous, with cashew crema, salsa verde, coriander and onion, and the mushroom birria tacos are next-level good. Plus, everything is gluten-free, so no one misses out. Find out more here.
Gigi’s Pizzeria, Newtown
King St in Newtown is a hotspot for vegan and vegetarian eateries, and it’s here you’ll find Gigi’s Pizzeria serving up delicious woodfired pizzas. As one of the best vegetarian Italian restaurants in Sydney, you’ll find a completely vegan menu that is a celebration of the traditional Neapolitan style of pizza. From the classic Marinara with San Marzano tomatoes to the Cavolo with cauliflower puree, you will be spoilt for choice. And if you are missing meat, there is the Salsiccia e Broccoli featuring Beyond sausage. A bustling, must-visit venue for vegetarians and carnivores alike. Find out more here.
Jimmys Falafel, CBD
Merivale’s Middle Eastern eatery, bar and takeout joint on George Street is a Veggos heaven. You’ll find a mix of mezze, charcoal plates to share, falafel alongside warm Lebanese bread and hummus and a bunch of rustic Lebanese dishes on the menu. Settle in for a feast or take in the extra late-night vibes, these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to falafel.
Two Chaps, Marrickville
For Sydney brunch lovers, Two Chaps will be a familiar name. The inner west cafe has been championing from-scratch, sustainable eats with a strong local supply chain of like-minded suppliers. While you might have visited for a delicious brunch, you can also swing by after dark to discover why Two Chaps is renowned as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Sydney. Three nights a week the cafe transforms into a vegetarian pasta bar, crafting fresh handmade pasta using local ingredients and cheeses. The set menu is ever-changing and starts at $65, with gluten-free and vegan-friendly options. The best bit? It’s BYO too. An absolute must-visit, whether you’re vegetarian or not. Find out more here.
Yulli’s, Surry Hills
Looking for a delicious, casual vegetarian restaurant in Surry Hills? We’ve found just the place. This bustling neighbourhood bar and restaurant is the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious vegetarian meal any night of the week. Taking inspiration from Mediterranean and South-East Asian cuisines, the veggie driven menu features dishes like crispy wasabi cauliflower, stuffed zucchini flowers and smoked eggplant with romesco sauce. Plus, Yulli’s offers one of the most affordable vegetarian banquet menus in the city, starting from just $44 per person, making this restaurant a must-try. They also offer a completely gluten free menu for your celiac friends. Did we mention they also own a brewery? So expect to pair your meal one of the many Yulli’s brews on tap. Find out more here.
Vegetarian-friendly options
Bentley Restaurant & Bar, CBD
For one of the best vegetarian degustations in Sydney, you can’t go past Bentley Restaurant & Bar. Located in the heart of the CBD, head chef Brent Savage has created an innovative menu that pairs perfectly with the restaurant’s stellar wine list. For $180 per person, enjoy the vegetarian tasting menu which includes everything from king oyster mushroom and pepper berry to the glazed Kent pumpkin with zucchini flowers. Plus, enjoy unmissable desserts of blood orange granita and petit fours. Find out more here.
Nour, Surry Hills
The one-hatted contemporary Middle Eastern is built on a dream of presenting classic Lebanese flavours freshly and excitingly. NOUR blends classic Lebanese flavours and playfully teases out their full potential. The menu is vibrant and bold including delicious veggie options like Woodfired eggplant mezze with filfil chouma, za’atar crisp, woodfired mushrooms, burnt leeks and walnut muhammara and a mouth-watering fried cauliflower with wood-roasted grapes, labneh and smoked almond crumb.
Maydanoz, CBD
Maydanoz is an Aegean Turkish coast-inspired bar & restaurant celebrating vegetables from the Aegean coastline. Maydanoz’s colourful menu is almost entirely plant-based, subbing out your classic Turkish kebabs and meat platters for lentil koftes and beetroot falafel with spinach pita, tahini and barbecued halloumi with thyme honey and sesame. It’s so good, that even your meat-eating mates will make the switch – even if it’s for one night only.
Blue Door, Surry Hills
An 18-seat restaurant located in Waterloo St, Surry Hills, Blue Door serves a Tasting Menu dictated by farmers which Chef Dylan Cashman and his team have personally visited. The ethos is fun dining rather than Fine Dining, Serving an ever-changing 7-course tasting menu based on local, ethical and sustainably sourced produce for $159pp. Blue Door caters to all dietary requirements once notified 48 hours before your reservation. Find out more here.
Ormeggio at the Spit, Mosman
While there’s no meat on the menu at Ormeggio, you will find some of the best seafood in Sydney. The perfect spot for pescetarians or ‘flexible’ vegetarians, Ormeggio has an exceptional Italian menu of seafood-focused dishes. For special occasions or even just because, why not indulge in their pescetarian friendly Chef’s Picks Menu or Signature Menu to try their most coveted dishes. But if you’re looking for completely vegetarian options, you’ll find plates of warm focaccia, asparagus cooked over charcoal, beautiful plates of handmade pasta and risotto served with seasonal vegetables and herbs and more. Find out more here.
RaRa, Randwick & Redfern
Get ready to slurp your way through some of Sydney’s best vegetarian ramen at RaRa. Serving delicious bowls of traditional ramen, these local ramen bars are located in Redfern and Randwick. Expect delicious hand-made noodles and nourishing stocks that pack a punch, totally meat-free. Don’t miss their Vegan Shio or Vegan Miso ramen dishes for a top-notch vegetarian feed, because vegos shouldn’t miss out on one of life’s greatest pleasures. Find out more here.
Honourable mentions and controversial
We asked our team of meat lovers, vegetarians and those with some interesting food intolerances where their best dietary friendly restaurants were, here’s what they had to say.
Bistecca, CBD
Traditionally an Italian steak house, Bisteca does not mess around with its side dishes – Which are super vegetarian-friendly. Located beneath Sydney’s CBD all produce is cooked fireside over ironbark and charcoal. Some standouts include Zucchini, squash with lemon butter, salsa verde and almonds, Eggplant parmigiana and beetroot, caramelised onion feta and crispy kale. All paired perfectly with their award-winning wine list that solely features Italian grape varieties sourced exclusively from Italy and Australia.
Alfies, CBD
We are shining a light on steak houses.. but not for the steak. Alfies is iconic for its 90-minute express lunch menu but have you ever ditched the steak and enjoyed the delicious sides? The potato rosti is something to talk about. Hot chips with curry sauce and the charred cauliflower fiorretto are also pretty sensational, if you’re a meat lover, take it as some extra pizzaz on your plate.
Monopole, CBD
Monopole, brought to you by chef Brent Savage is a French restaurant. The menu focuses on classic French dishes, with an even greater focus on French wine, aperitifs and digestifs. Unfussy and not bound to tradition, there is plenty to enjoy – even for vegetarians. We can confirm, that we would eat endless plates of pickled vegetables with Roquette and olive oil, not to mention the caramelised eschalot tart with Roquefort and Watercress, it’s good enough to twist a meat lover’s arm.
Don’t Tell Aunty, Surry Hills
If you appreciate a good curry, then this is the spot for you. With endless menu options, they have a full section of vegan curries and side dishes. The food is bursting with flavour and portions are generously perfect for sharing. Pro tip, you can’t begin your meal without trying the pompadom, naan and chutney platter – Thank us later.
NOMAD, Surry Hills
Nestled in Surry Hills, The menu at NOMAD is inspired by the team’s travels through Spain, Morocco and the Middle East. Food is cooked in an open kitchen over fire and smoke. Executive Chef Jake Ahrens could be plating up a mouth-watering carrot hummus with pine nut & olive seed tarator, flatbread, a Spatchcock harissa or trying not to munch on the nicest potatoes ever created – The Kipfler potatoes with nori & sesame butter. The vibes are great and the wine list is pretty impressive, it’s one to add to your list.
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