don Fred

At the top end of King Street, don Fred is a buttery yellow paninoteca serving top-notch sandwiches and Italian street food that are all 100% plant-based. 

Co-owner Lorenzo Peterachi's take on vegan Italian is inspired by his time as manager Gigi's, another of Newtown's plant-based paradises that scores queues from all dietary inclinations.

For don Fred, Peterachi has sourced authentic local ingredients from the Mediterranean so you can feel as close to the real deal as possible, sans animal products of course, and with a view of King Street. 

On the sandwich menu, the Polpetz focaccia is a spin on the Italian meatball sub, featuring homemade roasted black olive "meatballs", plant-based parmesan, Napoletana sauce, and fresh basil on fluffy focaccia.

There are also Italian-style burgers topped with house-made patties—like "The Don", which includes a don Fred patty, grilled onion, eggless egg, crispy asparagus, and layers of "parmesan" cheese. 

To drink, try frozen granita cocktails—the frozen Negroni is a real treat on a hot day. On weekends (Friday through Sunday), don Fred does bottomless aperitivo.

For $49 per person, you'll be served three courses, ticking off starters like capsicum carpaccio and garlic konjac with black rice, before tucking into polpetz on polenta and mushroom ragu for mains, and chocolate mousse for dessert.

For an additional $65 per person, you can have your fill of bottomless spritz with Aperol and lemon gin spritz both available. 

Check out more of Newtown's best restaurants here. 

Image credit: don Fred | Supplied 

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