The Alley

The Verdict

Say goodbye to unhealthy fast food. We’ve discovered a vegan joint down St Kilda Road that’s serving up 100% plant-based comfort food, 100% guilt free. Food won’t take longer than 10 minutes, and it’s cheaper than the standard $22 vegan meal you see on menus around town. Proof you can afford to eat well.

Founder Alexandra Pyke has returned to her hometown after a whopping nine years in NYC and brought with her tons of experience with paddock-to-plate vego businesses, namely The Fat Radish and The Butcher’s Daughter.

Now a pro at creative moo-free substitutes, Pyke hopes you’ll enjoy the beet “steak”, the maple “bacon” burger (it’s actually a top-secret coconut concoction) and the gluten-free “spaghetti and meatballs” (ribboned pumpkin with mushroom and tempeh, topped with cashew ricotta). It’s satisfying stuff: you’ll leave the shop swearing you could taste the meat.

They’ve also got gluten-free “mac ‘n’ cheese” (think creamy bean and cashew sauce for the cheese), yummy vegan soft serve and fiery kelp noodle salads that sound deliciously dangerous. Oh, and you can down their air-baked sweet potato “fries” with no regrets. The Alley doesn’t even own a fryer.

Image credit: supplied