If you’re coming to Melbourne for the first time, you’ll probably find yourself hungrily making your way from the Airport to the Southern Cross Station skybus terminal, eyes darting around for something more enthralling than reading the fine print ingredients of local potato chip brands in a vending machine. Like all the best things in Melbourne, you’ll find all you need hiding in plain site.
On the councourse of the station, an unnassuming fast food joint called Lord Of The Fries serves local commuters burgers and fries. Look a bit closer at the menu and you’ll realise, hidden behind “Chick’n” “Beef” and “Phish” burgers is a 100% vegan menu! With over 15 locations across the city, the franchise, started in Melbourne in 2004, is a pefect example of the ways Melbournians have embraced vegan into the everyday fabric of our city. Try the Fakin’ bacon BLT for breakfast, or end a night out in Melbourne like a local at 4-5am (we party late) with a nugget+ fries munch box.
Make your way into the heart of the city and the vegan credentials get even better. The Causeway (a laneway between Bourke and Lt Collins St) has become a vegan hub, with Melbourne institution Crossways offering an all you can eat buffet of South Asian inspired dishes for $8.95 AUD. Futher down the lane, keep your eyes peeled for Union Kiosk, a typically tiny Melbourne cafe with an all vegan menu and twists on the classic Australian jaffle (toasted sandwich). Try the ‘pulled jackfruit and japaleno’ or stick with a classic cheese and tomato to go alongside your almond-milk flat white. Keep walking up stairs and looking down laneways in the city and you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Here are a few more worthwhile options.
Weirdoughs: An all vegan dessert shop with fun pastel colours, creative gelato flavours like Aperol Spritz, and vegan ‘butter’ croissants that you won’t believe aren’t made using real butter.
Gopals Pure Vegetarian: Up a flight of stairs you’ll find Gopals, with a winning vegan lasagne and subtle Hare Krishna message.
Gon De Lin: A non-descript lift up to level 1 will take you into an all vegan restaraunt where it’s not uncommon to be eating mock-meat sweet and sour pork and spring onion pancakes with hipsters on one side and Buddhist monks on the other. Pro-tip: the lift keeps going up to one of the Urban Adventure teams’ favourite rooftop bars, Goldilocks, where you can order food from below to be eaten at the bar.
Jungle Juice: While not strictly vegan, like many Melbourne cafes, Jungle Juice has embraced vegan options. Order a Vegan Crunch bagel (corn chips and siracha in a bagel!) and Qishr (Yemenese espresso with ginger) and feel right at home with your non-vegan friends.
