My Top Rated Vegetarian Eats in Sydney, Australia

Looking for the best and most unique vegetarian spots in Sydney? For two and a half years, I was a local to the Sydney, Australia region and finding amazing vegetarian eats was one of my personal passion projects. That along with finding the best chai lattes – something I never thought could be so challenging, especially in a cosmopolitan region with so many residents of Indian origin! More on that in another blog in the near future. For now, take a look at the following tips for some tried and true, delicious vegetarian spots, including some which have menus for omnivorous diets yet are still veggie friendly!

The Best Vegetarian Brunch in Sydney: Centennial Homestead

If you’re looking for an amazing vegetarian or vegan brunch with a view, there really is no better place than Centennial Homestead restaurant. They feature a simple breakfast menu, including four different vegetarian breakfast bowls, a variety of egg dishes to choose from (one is veggie, the others are easily adapted or perfect for your omnivorous friends!), delicious beverage options ranging from traditionally prepared coffees to kombucha and one of the best chai lattes I’ve found in Sydney so far. You can read more about my adventures in finding the best chai latte here.

I ordered the Balance Bowl with a side of haloumi on a late Saturday morning as I looked over the sprawling greens of Centennial Park from their outdoor patio seating. If you know me, you know how much I love haloumi, so any place that serves it on the side of a nutrient dense meal gets a high rating from me. The bowl was sufficiently spiced and just big enough to hold me over until a late dinner.

The pomegranate kombucha by Jiva was a nice touch, supporting and refreshing my digestive system after a delicious meal. I was completely satisfied with the composition and size of the meal, even after sharing my haloumi, and took a long walk through the beautiful Centennial Park afterwards.

If you’re headed to Centennial Homestead restaurant, make good use of the occasion and walk through the parklands. A meal at Centennial Homestead will satisfy more than just your sense of taste! It features many well maintained gardens to have a walk through including a gorgeous rose garden, a swamp area which is home to thousands of bats and an equestrian area where you can catch a glimpse of some very elegant horses.

Centennial Park is in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, bordering Woollahra, Randwick, Paddington and Moore Park. There is plenty to explore in these neighborhoods as well, from boutique shopping in Woollahra to Entertainment Quarter, nature walks and the Paddington Sunday market, there is much to do. Centennial Park also features all kinds of events including an Outdoor Cinema in the summer months and sporting events year round. 

Be sure to make a reservation for Centennial Homestead in advance if you can as it can fill up quickly and the wait can be up to 30 minutes! Click here for more on Centennial Homestead.

Vegetarian Smash Board at The Rocks: Delicious and Responsible Eating in Sydney

What to do in Sydney, Australia? Well, if you love a good outdoor market (and I mean good), my recommendation would be to visit the waterside neighborhood of The Rocks on Sunday afternoon. Just north of Sydney’s CBD, The Rocks boasts a glorious combination of history and modern architecture, exquisite water views and art galleries galore which make it the perfect neighborhood for strolling on a relaxed day and even better when paired with a meal at DARE. DARE stands for “Delicious And Responsible Eating;” I must admit, they really live up to the name, too. It’s the kind of place that any eater can find a good meal, featuring omnivorous and vegetarian options alike, however also specializing in gluten free foods, meals with well balanced nutrition in mind, coffees made from ethically sourced beans, chemical and cruelty free animal products including free range eggs and tasty, convenient, healthy snacks if you just want to grab and go while visiting the neighborhood. 

Sitting down at DARE Cafe in The Rocks during Sunday markets is great for people watching as there are many shoppers, both foreign and locals, checking out the stands. The Rocks Sunday Market also offers a variety of unique products including bath bombs, pearl jewelry, small batch fashion brands and more. Regardless of whether you’re a visitor to the city of Sydney or a local, you’ll be happy you spent an afternoon at The Rocks and if you’re a vegetarian, this is the spot for the most hearty and delicious vegetarian smash board in town!

They also offer bottled Kombucha, fresh juices and detox smoothies to complement any vegetarian meal. We tried their muesli bar and gluten free pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, too, both of which we completely satisfying. The muesli bar could’ve been a light meal in itself! DARE Cafe is great for a casual breakfast, brunch or lunch in The Rocks with their gluten free pancakes, gluten free beers and fresh salads, just to name a few! Plus, most of their freshly prepared dishes appeared to be served in a very “Instagrammable” fashion, perfect for a good Sunday food spread shot!

Have a look at DARE Cafe’s Facebook page here.

Cali Press in Bondi Beach

Cali Press in Bondi Beach is a hot spot in the warmer months. I used to come here regularly when I live a few blocks away because I could always find the perfect superfood smoothie or a delicious an inspiring yet light and nourishing meal, such as their Moroccan Roast Veg or Miso Pumpkin bowls. It’s like heaven for nutritionists who say to eat as many colours a day as possible! Plus they serve up the tastiest superfood lattes in town including golden lattes, a matcha & maca powerhouse of a drink and even a perfect bulletproof coffee and you can order any of these on ice!

Bad Hombres Vegan Mexican Food in Surry Hills

Bad Hombres Vegan Restaurant in Surry Hills is a great casual catch up place not far from the city and conveniently located near Central Station in Sydney. I went with a friend on a Friday night and the place was packed. It’s popular, and for a good reason. The tagline line is: Bad Hombres, Good Food and I’m not really sure where the name Bad Hombres came from, but the food is indeed delicious.

We ordered the nachos to start and devoured them quickly. The “cheese” which was probably made from cashew was perfect and the ratio of toppings to chips was the best I’ve ever seen on a nacho dish. It’s always disappointing to order nachos and end up with more chips on the plate than guac, beans or “cheese,” so I was delighted that Bad Hombres served a vegan nacho exception to the rule!

A couple other dishes later, including a very flavorful salad and hearty Mexican inspired bowl packed with creatively prepared vegetables and beans, and we were very full. In hindsight, I would have ordered something slightly more different from the nachos in the second round. We ended up having a lot of beans and corn chips.

Nalinis Cafe in Bondi Junction

What can I say about Nalini’s Cafe? It’s one of those sweet community-loved places serving delicious vegan takes on Indian classics, just a little off the beaten path. While pondering where to eat some delicious vegetarian food in Bondi Junction before a meeting, I remembered absolutely loving the perfectly spiced vegan food at Nalini’ Cafe two years back when I was living in the area. I dropped everything and headed over to sip on some chai and order a bite.

While flipping through their menu, I was seriously impressed with the combinations of ingredients they offer the I found out Nalini’s has a vegan ice cream shop in the Bondi Beach area! I’ll definitely be checking that out on my next trip to Sydney. This time, I ordered a chai latte with non-dairy milk which came with the best latte art in town (See photos below for the Ram artwork! I’m an Aries and was obviously thrilled with this.). The food was tough to decide on as I am a huge fan of Indian food in general and slightly indecisive by nature. After looking over the menu for as much time as it took for the girl at the counter to ask, observe my indecisiveness, answer multiple questions about portion size and step into the kitchen to help with another customer’s food, I finally decided on a Masala wrap. It just sounded so delectable.

I sipped on the latte while waiting for my food and it didn’t take long to arrive, at all. Once it did, my eyes were getting hungrier just looking at the tamarind chutney mixed with the greens and warm spiced potatoes. I highly recommend this wrap and it was the perfect, digestable size for two hours before yoga at Yoga Synergy in Bondi Junction. You can read about my inexpensive yoga classes in Sydney here.

Choux Patisserie: Fabulous, Artistic French Eclairs in Sydney

I know, obviously we all know eclairs are vegetarian, because who would put meat in an eclair? Please don’t answer that question – sometimes ignorance truly is bliss! But I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the Choux Patisserie eclair cart while at the Bastille Market-Australia in Willoughby and I just have to give them a mention!

I enjoyed a really tasty combination of chocolate, cherry and custard on my freshly and imaginatively prepared eclair as I strolled through the French-goods-filled market in Willoughby on a clear Sunday morning. The combination of ingredients was a complete surprise; a refreshing take on a traditional pastry that I would definitely try again.

They set up at multiple markets around Sydney including the Olive Tree Market and Foodies & Farmers Market and had over a dozen flavours to choose from on their eclair cart when I stopped by.  Click through their link above to locate them or place an order for 200 or more eclairs! I dare you 🙂

Portal Cafe in Sydney CBD

So Portal does not specialize in vegetarian dishes but they are still a very special cafe in the Sydney CBD that I recommend for a slightly different reason. I had a meeting with an old colleague here after looking for the best coffee shops in Sydney CBD and Portals was mentioned, not only because of their unique and very cool interior design and architectural outfittings, but also for the fact that they are a non-profit raising funds for a charity of your choice. They also provide service and hospitality training with people with refugee backgrounds and are run by The Pure Collective, an organization known for investing in communities in need.

The ambiance was really nice with mostly friendly, young professionals stopping in for a coffee and a chat. The service was friendly and fast. They had a variety of food items to choose from including croissants, gluten free banana loaf and toasts, an avocado smash, overnight bircher with chia seeds and fresh fruits, a variety of seasonal salads and even an aubergine sandwich. Since I wasn’t really hungry, I just ordered a chai, but I will definitely be visiting this place again during my future visits to Sydney!

Lavana in Walsh Bay, Sydney

If you’re looking for a waterside white-tablecloth style location where everyone can find something on the menu, I love Lavana in Walsh Bay. Like some of my other entries in this article, Lavana is not known for vegetarian but they serve an amazing  ricotta and spinach ravioli with stunning harbour views.

Looking over the yachts docked in Walsh Bay, Lavana has the daytime lunch meeting location completely covered, either for business of pleasure. There are a few Italian inspired vegetarian entree options and plenty of veggie tapas to choose from on the menu. Lavana serves generous portions, too, so come with an appetite! 

If you’re looking for something more casual than a white table cloth restaurant by the water, there are multiple casual and healthy options near to Lavana including Zupano Espresso Bar, BarCycle Walsh Bay (perfect for a cycling enthusiast) or Pier 8 which boasts truly stunning views of the Sydney Harbour and Bridge.