The Cornish Arms

The Verdict

Where can you go to access the largest range of vegan meals in Melbourne? The Cornish Arms. Vegan parma, burritos, pizza, burgers, souvas—you name it! These guys are a vegan's dream. They're even doing a vegan 'double down'—cheez and facon sandwiched between two mock chicken fillets ala KFC.

The Cornish Arms pivoted when chef Lloyd Kembrey joined the crew. Before that it was your regular Sydney Rd pub, serving us just about every animal under the sun. Now, like Carlton's Green Man's Arms, it's gone down the vegan route. And the results are surprisingly delicious.

The black-tiled main bar with its multicoloured backlighting is always a welcome sight on a cold Melbourne night. Sit yourself down, grab a vegan souvlaki and order a pint of 4 Pines pale ale, Napoleone Cloudy Cider or Temple's 'Anytime' IPA. There's also a decent mix of local wines from the Adelaide Hills, Tassie and New Zealand.

And just when you thought the Cornish Arms was out of surprises...they go and launch a brand new, absolutely stunning rooftop beer garden. Honest—we're struggling to think of a rooftop in Melbourne with better CBD views (The Provincial definitely comes close). The best thing about this space is the location: rooftop bars in Brusnwick are bloody rare, so this is some prime real estate.

The vegan menu is still available upstairs, and there are 8 rotating craft beers on tap (think Two Birds, Temple Brewing and our old fave, Furphy). There's also a whip-smart little wine list up there: local whites, a few bubbles and even a vegan tempranillo from Tumbarumba (a darker, black grape variety, used to make hefty reds). 

Keep an eye out for the rooftop's dedicated Asian snack food menu, a lot of which comes animal-free. Our pick? Grab a plate of the smoked tofu yakitori and mushroom bao buns, stuffed with rich umami-packed mushies. Throw in a frosty beer and some sweet CBD views, and you've got the perfect Sydney Rd venue.  Well played, Cornish Arms. 

Image credit: Jenna Fahey-White