Vegan

Melbourne's breakfast scene is unmatched—often imitated in cities around the world but never replicated. With so many stunners out there, some truly iconic brekkies have emerged. We gotchu covered with the best breakfast Melbourne has to offer for 2025.

It's not easy to land on a single choice for the best restaurants in Fitzroy, and that's because there are simply too many. The previously working-class inner-city suburb has blossomed through the renaissance of Melbourne’s cultural boom and is now home to some of the highest-rated diners in the entire city. So, read on, and tick off the best Fitzroy restaurants for 2025.

The long weekend is just around the corner so it’s time to start planning your social movements for the mini-break. Whether you celebrate Easter or not, we can all agree it’s pretty nice to have a four-day weekend to catch up with friends and family while letting someone else do all the cooking and cleaning—surcharges are totally worth it. Here’s your list of what’s on over the Easter weekend in Melbourne. 

The heart of Melbourne, the CBD. We've got heaps of good restaurants here in Melbourne and Victoria as a whole. Whether you're looking for Flinders Lane restaurants or you're just looking to tuck into some affordable fare, we've nailed down the best.

Want to relive that Japanese holiday, or get your eye in before you head overseas? You're in luck, because Melbourne is full of top-tier Japanese restaurants. Whether you’re craving freshly made sushi, bowls of steaming ramen, sizzling teppanyaki, melt-in-your-mouth sashimi, or flavourful donburi, there’s no shortage of authentic Japanese restaurants in Melbourne to dive into. 

Searching for the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne? From hidden trattorias to fine dining, here are Melbourne’s top 25 Italian spots for pasta, pizza and more in 2025.

Gone are the days when vegetarian dining in Melbourne meant cheerless salads and the same old pasta dishes. This city’s plant-based scene has exploded into a vibrant ecosystem of its own, where vegetables aren’t just an afterthought—they’re the headliners.

Although we may be stuck here for a Monday to Friday grind, don’t let that stop you from venturing back on the weekend for some of the best-kept brunch secrets that are right under our noses. Skip the south side/north side arguments this weekend, here are the best (neutral ground) spots for city brunchin'.

If you're a hungry herbivore, look no further than our guide to Melbourne's best spots for vegan eats, from burgs to fine dining, it's all here.

Cost of living keeps creeping upwards and onwards, and most of us practically have the words “value for money” tattooed on wallets to stop unnecessary spending. Of course, that’s where the humble buffet comes in, with endless plates and infinite options to make you feel like life isn’t so bad.

In 2025, Melbourne’s high tea game is stronger than ever, bringing together the best of old-world charm and modern-day fun. Whether you're in the mood to channel some classic 19th-century vibes, complete with dainty finger sandwiches and scones stacked high, or you're looking for something a bit more daring—think themed high teas, live music, and a splash of burlesque—Melbourne’s got you covered.

Make conscious and considered choices when deciding what to buy and give.

Believe it or not, good news can be found amidst the noise, and to kick off the second week of September comes the announcement of Shannon Martinez’s mammoth Smith & Daughters + Smith & Deli venue.

Nestled amongst an unassuming stretch of local shops sandwiched between a news agency and a charcoal chicken shop you’ll find, Neri Hummus Bar. A Friday-only operation that specialises in one thing—you guessed it, hummus bowls. 

When it comes to the beauty industry, sustainable and eco-conscious aren’t often the first words that come to mind, which is why we’re just a little bit obsessed with Anna Ross, the boss babe behind vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand Kester Black.

Melbourne’s 10,000sqm foodie precinct, Grazeland, is getting a vegan shakeup over the next two weeks. The team at The V Spot will be hanging up their aprons and handing over the keys to their shipping container to Masterchef alumnus Simon Toohey, and his co-pilot Renee Buckingham from Melbourne Vegan Guide for their Plants on Fire menu. 

K Shed at QVM is being taken over by the Vegan Market of Melbourne once a month on Saturdays. Established by Melbourne-based vegan Simon Hughes, the market brings together the best vegan businesses in Melbourne, spanning food and drink to cosmetics and clothes. 

The restaurants of COMMUNE Group’s quiver are always a reliable choice in that they’re always up to something new in the kitchens of Tokyo Tina and the Hanoi Hannahs. There’s a certain mastery to what’s plated up in front of you, a mastery which would seem impossible to achieve in your own kitchen. Every so often, however, they let us in a few secrets so that we can recreate the magic at home.

Now for some terrifically good and delicious news, Shannon Martinez and the Smith & Daughters team are transforming the Brunswick Street diner into a takeaway Kebab shop over the next two days. (potentially longer depending on the COVID situation) 

You’ve really just got to appreciate the impeccable food vision that Pinchy’s has, starting off as the city-based headquarters for lobster rolls and ‘Made By The Sea’ fare they were an immediate success and now their pink and pastel-coloured dining haunt are trying their hand at the plant-based persuasion. 

Most Melburnians will already be familiar with Shannon Martinez and her indulgent vegan empire. Even if you haven’t tried one of her famous Smith and Deli loaded sandwiches or dined at the Smith and Daughters vegan restaurant, you’ve probably seen her ‘Eat Vegan’ bumper stickers on cars across the city or seen her cookbooks in all the major bookstores. But if you’re new to the Martinez cult, you’re in luck because Shannon is expanding her reach and opening up a new vegan bar and restaurant on the south side of the river at Ovolo hotel — from the world’s first entirely plant-based hotel group. 

Ever wanted to embark on meat-free Mondays? Well, it just got way easier. Everyone’s favourite northside burger joint, B.East, are expanding their horizons and bringing in an Americana-inspired vegan feast every Monday. Across the Brunswick, CBD and Fitzroy venues, the vegan feast is everything you’d expect from a flavour-packed American menu—minus the meat. 

Everyone knows that Easter is a religious holiday, but we’d be kidding if we said we didn’t come for the food, too. Hot Cross Buns are a tradition in their own right these days, they’re sticky and fluffy and all the things you’d want from a warm bun come Easter morning—or any morning for that matter. 

It’s back, baby. Rice Paper Scissors are resurrecting their popular monthly Vegan degustations after taking a hiatus due to lockdown. Starting back in 2018, the degustations have proven popular with punters, so now that events are back on the table, so are all their vegan delights. 

Welcome To Thornbury is no stranger to a food-themed party, and in February, they’re bringing back one of their most-hyped events previous years, The Vegan Vegout.

BIO is another fabulous installation for the DOC Group’s Carlton takeover, not to mention a worthy replacement to the iconic venue which formerly housed The Town Mouse. 

When in stage 3 lockdown it can be hard to stay positive all the time. Cake can help.

Just a decade years ago, the dine-in options for the vegan at the table would likely consist of a bland, starchy patty of nothingness accompanied by several nondescript lettuce leaves. Times be changing though, and Melbourne is at the forefront of flying the flag for the plant-exclusive and plant-curious alike.

Now, more than ever, we need to be sure about what we're buying, and the way in which produce is packaged and delivered.

Your long weekend road trip might be cancelled but there’s no need to mope. The Easter long weekend is certainly looking a little different than what we imagined, but there are still plenty of ways to have a bit of fun, even in lockdown.

Thanks to the rise in veganism—and the fact that the climate diet is trending—we’re seeing more menus that champion the vegetable front and centre. Lucy Liu has been flying the flora flag for a while now, with veg-friendly sides to complement the bold profiles of their mains for the plant-curious, and larger, substantial vegan dishes for those who want to work their way through the menu entirely meat-free.  

Narrowing down Melbourne’s plethora of vegetarian dishes into fifteen top contenders is a hard task. We’ve even asked you, our audience, for your opinion but even you guys thought the pressure was too much. Here are some of the best vegetarian dishes you can get in Melbourne.

Dr Morse owners Jon Costelloe, Anthony Daniel and Pete Walsh are cementing their reputation as Abbotsford's coolest restaurateurs—who would've thought they could top Dr Morse? Over two years in the making, Bodriggy & Co barely just opened and has already attracted hundreds of beer-loving Melbournians.

The City of Melbourne has backed a campaign from the Municipal Association of Victoria calling for the introduction of a state-wide Container Deposit Scheme, aka a cashback plan for collecting bottles and cans. And to that we say: it was about time.

You could basically blindfold yourself and point at anything on the Daughter In Law menu and you’d be guaranteed a good time.

Allergies and food intolerance suck. And with more than 4 million Australians living with allergic disease, it was about time we had an event catering to allergies and food intolerances. Enter the Free From Show and the Allergy Show.

There aren’t many places in Melbourne that cater to vegans and meat-heads at the same time. I mean really cater. Most cafes get it now: if they’re going to survive, they need at least something on the menu that didn’t once answer to ‘Daisy’ or ‘Hamlet’. But one jackfruit benedict does not a vegan menu make. Enter This Borderland, an American diner in Preston where carnivores and herbivores co-exist in peaceful utopia.

There’s no better sense of achievement than when you cook up a delicious meal or dessert with fruit or vegetables that you’ve either grown yourself or picked with your own two hands.

You never realise how hard it is to buy for a vegan until you’re stuck doing it. Make things easy on yourself and treat your vegan friend to one of these treats.

No longer do our plant-based friends have to settle for boring garden salads and stale bread baskets at restaurants. A burger from Lord of the Fries will cure a hangover just as well as a Big Mac, in case you’re wondering.

Thursday November 1st marks World Vegan Day, and we think there is no better way to celebrate than indulging in some Fried Chicken and Waffles. Vegan, of course.

In case you aren’t familiar with God’s greatest gift to man, it’s mac & cheese. In fact, you’ve probably heard your non-vegan mates carry on about it, usually when they’re about twelve Furphys deep and scrolling through UberEATS at a speed of seven venues a second. 

Yep, that’s right—grab your besties and run to your nearest Mecca because the whole Max range has been switched up, improved and is now proudly 100% vegan and cruelty free. 

Days go by quickly in winter, so we're not blaming you for being out of the loop. Here's all the news you missed this week: 

Being vegan is kinda tricky. You find that a bunch of random things you’ve never looked twice at are, in fact, not vegan. For example, tattoo ink can be made from charred animal bones. Um, excuse me?

Sensitive skin sucks. Nothing’s worse than having a night on the town wearing a bomb make up look, only to wake up the next day with an itchy, rashy face. A lot of makeup on the shelves today make it seem like they’re going to your best option – they all read ‘hypoallergenic’ or ‘dermatologist tested’. 

People are becoming more aware of the impact consuming animal products has on our bodies and our planet and are gradually reducing their intake. With so many ways of doing this, you can hardly blame us for feeling a little lost when it comes to understanding what all these diets actually mean. We set out to discover what the differences between veganism and plant-based eating really are, and this is what we found.

Most people think yum-cha and they think pork buns, har gow dumplings and enough shumai to choke a rhinoceros…but one of our favourite Fitzroy venues is mixing things up. Yep, Rice Paper Scissors is unleashing a very special vegan yum cha this month. 

Facon and vegg rolls for all!

For those of you who have been living under a rock, Leonardo DiCaprio is a hardcore sustainability activist, so when he invested in Beyond Meat, a company making plant based burgers that apparently look and taste just like real meat, we were all ears.

The ultimate comfort food: fried chicken. Not to worry you hangry little herbivores– we have you covered with a Vegan Fried Chicken recipe. Guaranteed to taste so good, you’ll question if it’s really Vegan after all.

Let’s talk vegan goodies, here’s a menu that is breaking the mould. 

We understand your need for ice cream and gelato, especially during those hot summer days, so we made a list of where to find vegan ice cream in Melbourne. You're bloody welcome. 

​The next time someone tells you vegan food = rabbit food, show them a pic of this thing. It’s a genuine vegan ‘Double Down’ (aka God’s Mistake).

Vegan burgers. To some people, they're an unholy monstrosity. To others, they're the most fun you can have with a falafel. 

Rejoice, vegans! Your pagan religion is taking to the skies.

What is it about watermelon? People just lose their sh*t. You’re at a perfectly ordinary picnic, then someone whips out a watermelon and suddenly it’s Superbowl Sunday.

Imagine if vegan beauty was more than a hashtag? Could the cute bunny on the packaging really make a difference? Here at The Urban List, we like to think so and because we are a socially responsible bunch who likes to support Australian companies, we have sourced the absolute best so you can treat yourself guilt-free. No need to thank us, we're here to share the love!

Days go by quickly in winter, so we're not blaming you for being out of the loop. Here's all the news you missed this week: 

The vegan dining scene has exploded in our little city. Healthy, fresh and easily just as delicious as a cheese-covered steak—whether you’re a true blue vegan or a vego beginner, here’s where to find the best vegan eats in Melbourne.