Part of my motivation for starting the Fire & Tea blog is my passion for travelling through the city in which I live. This week, Melbourne was voted the world’s most liveable city in the world for the seventh year in a row. Seventh year in a row! Thinking back, I’ve been vegan for almost all this time (just shy of one year) and my blogging has documented much of my vegan travels, both in Australia and abroad. You may have also read my previous posts about how liveable Melbourne is for vegans.
What I love about Melbourne is that travellers can use the city as a central hub from where their travels can oscillate – within the city’s limits and beyond into regional Victoria.
Since starting my vegan journey, I’ve been documenting the spots around town and regional where I’ve managed to eat a vegan meal (full vegetarian and/or vegan hotspots or locales that host vegan menus or vegan options), experience a vegan activity or shop vegan. Last weekend, I reached my 100th vegan directory listing. What a timely moment, to coincide with Melbourne’s latest liveability crown!
To celebrate, I have listed the mighty scroll below for your vegan travelling pleasure. I hope you manage to travel to Melbourne in your lifetime and experience the vegan travels that await you.
Albert Park: Urban Projuice for breakfast, brunch, lunch, desserts, cakes and hot and cold drinks
Ascot Vale: Mister Nice Guy’s Bake Shop for savoury and sweet pastries, deli items, sandwiches, cakes, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Ascot Vale: World Vegan Day at Melbourne Showgrounds (a massive vegan festival to celebrate World Vegan Day each year)
Bacchus Marsh: Peace Love Vegan Cafe and Bacchus Marsh Natural Health for brunch, lunch, coffee, cakes and natural health supplies
Bayswater: The Hatter & The Hare for gourmet vegan menu options, hot and cold drinks, and cakes/desserts cooked onsite in the patisserie kitchen
Beaufort: Forest Haven B&B for an all-vegan and eco-friendly bed and breakfast
Belgrave: Archie’s Place for vegan options in gourmet gelato, vegan gluten-free waffle cones, waffles, shakes and smoothies
Belgrave: Earthly Pleasures for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Belgrave: Evolve Fair Food Store for breakfast, brunch, lunch and hot and cold drinks
Belgrave: Grunge Cafe for breakfast, brunch, lunch, cakes, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Belgrave: Savvy Organic Pizza & Icecream for pizza and house-branded icecream and gelato
Berwick: Mr Black Juicery for breakfast, lunch, dessert, cakes, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Brunswick: The Cornish Arms for pub food, lunch, dinner, desserts and drinks
Brunswick: Moroccan Soup Bar for dinner banquets, takeaway, desserts and tea and coffee
Brunswick: We Love Life Festival held annually at CERES
Brunswick East: Kumo Izakaya for Japanese dinner, desserts and hot and cold drinks
Brunswick East: Tamil Feasts at CERES for dinner events with funds going back into the community to support Tamil asylum seekers
Brunswick East: Wildcrafted for groceries, ethically sourced gifts, lunch and drinks
Brunswick East: Whole Lotta Love for drinks and nibbles
Camberwell: Red Robyn Cafe and Restaurant for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Carlton: Big Vegan Market at Melbourne’s old exhibition building (the first market was held in May 2017; here’s hoping for more!
Carlton: Mantra Lounge for a rotating daily menu of vegan dishes and desserts for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus meditation nights
Carlton: Shakahari Vegetarian Restaurant for dinner, drinks and desserts (Melbourne’s first vegetarian restaurant!)
Collingwood: The Fox Hotel for pub meals, drinks and rooftop bar
Collingwood: The Horn African Restaurant for Ethiopian dinners and hot and cold drinks
Collingwood: The People’s Market for trash and treasure, stall food and drinks
Collingwood: Shu Restaurant for dumpling banquet nights and hot and cold drinks
Collingwood: Vegan Wares for shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals, other shoes, belts, guitar straps, wallets and bags (My hiking boots are from here!)
Collingwood: Wood Spoon Kitchen for lunch, dinner and drinks
Collingwood: Wholey Day Market for organic, gluten-free, vegan and wholefood vendors (check their Facebook page for future dates)
Cowes: Island Wholefoods for breakfast, brunch, lunch, desserts, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Croydon: Holy Basil Thai for lunch, dinner and hot and cold drinks (sister restaurant to Vanilla Orchid Thai Restaurant)
Croydon: Kofi Beans for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and hot and cold drinks
Croydon: Taco Bill for Mexican lunch, dinner and hot and cold drinks
Croydon South: Eastfield Natural Foods for short order items, cakes, groceries and hot and cold drinks
Croydon South: Etiko for ethically produced and fair-trade vegan sneakers and footwear, t-shirts, hoodies and bags, underwear
Dandenong: Gibe African Restaurant for Ethiopian lunch, dinner, coffee (plus coffee-making ceremony at extra price) and hot and cold drinks
Doncaster: Vegie Mum Vegetarian Restaurant for Chinese lunch and dinner
Eltham: Second Home for breakfast, lunch and plant-based all vegan turmeric lattes
Elphinstone: Bed & Broccoli for an all vegan bed and breakfast (Australia’s first vegan B&B)
Ferntree Gully: Chosen Bean Cafe for breakfast, brunch, lunch and hot and cold drinks
Ferntree Gully: Mountain Gate Chinese Restaurant for vegetarian section of their menu with items that can be veganised
Ferntree Gully: Waratah Organics for breakfast, brunch, lunch, cakes, coffee, hot and cold drinks and takeaway
Ferntree Gully: Wholefood Merchants for breakfast, brunch, lunch, salads, desserts and cakes, hot and cold drinks and groceries
Fitzroy: Curry Smuggler for their dedicated separate menu of vegan Indian entrees, main meals and sides
Fitzroy: Fina’s Vegetarian Cafe for Vietnamese lucnh and dinner, cakes, hot and cold drinks
Fitzroy: Friends of the Earth Food Co-op and Cafe for lunch, hot and cold drinks and groceries
Fitzroy: Gelato Messina for house-made gelato and coffee
Fitzroy: Radhey Kitchen and Chai Bar for lunch, desserts, cakes and hot and cold drinks
Fitzroy: Rue de Creperie for French savoury and sweet crepes and hot and cold drinks
Fitzroy: Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant for Ethiopian platters, all-teff injera and hot and cold drinks
Fitzroy: Smith & Daughters for brunch, lunch and dinner
Fitzroy: Smith & Deli for deli-style lunchtime sandwiches and rolls, cakes, coffee and deli supplies
Fitzroy: The Cruelty Free Shop for groceries, books, clothing, household items toiletries and Melbourne’s annual Vegan Day Out event
Fitzroy: Transformer Fitzroy for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and hot and cold drinks
Fitzroy: Vegan Day Out which is a one-day exploration of vegan options on Brunswick Street (hosted by The Cruelty Free Shop – grab your map from there)
Fitzroy: Yong Green Food for raw lunch, dinner, desserts and drinks
Fitzroy North: Tramway Hotel for burgers and drinks
Footscray: Krishna on Barkly for fully vegetarian and vegan Indian entrees, mains, sides and drinks
Footscray: The Reverence Hotel for Mexican-inspired pub food for lunch and dinner, beers, desserts and hot and cold drinks (live bands, too!)
Forest Hill: Vegie Bowl Restaurant for Chinese lunch, dinner, banquets, desserts and hot and cold drinks
Geelong: Dolly’s Sister Vegan Cafe & Bar for their all-day menu, Sunday menu, salads, raw dishes, smoothies, hot and cold drinks, beers/ciders and wines
Gembrook: The Independent for its separate Argentinean vegan menu for lunch, dinner, hot and cold drinks (warning – Argentinean meat barbecues feature here, too)
Glen Waverley: Mountain View Hotel for its annual Vegan Night featuring a 100% vegan menu of entrees, mains and drinks
Hawthorn: Veggie on Board for Taiwanese food, entrees, main meals, hot and cold drinks, green tea and yum cha
Healesville: Alchemy Yarra Valley (a word of warning – there is taxidermy present here)
Kaniva: Heartfelt for lunch and hot and cold drinks
Kensington: The Abyssinian for Ethiopian dinners and hot and cold drinks
Kew: V Series for breakfast, brunch, lunch, desserts, cakes, hot and cold drinks, dinner Friday and Saturday nights (used to be called A Caterpillar’s Dream)
Lancefield: Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary for getting back to nature and animals through pre-booked tours
Lilydale: Foods with Benefits for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee, hot and cold drinks
Lilydale: Round Bird Can’t Fly for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee, hot and cold drinks and cakes
Malvern: Street Organics for breakfast, brunch, lunch, special event dinners, high teas, hot and cold drinks, cakes and groceries
Melbourne CBD: Gong De Lin for Chinese lunch, dinner, desserts and hot and cold drinks
Melbourne CBD: Supercharger at Emporium for takeaway lunch, cold drinks and desserts
Melbourne CBD: The Organic Food & Wine Deli for vegan options in salads, pies, pastries, quiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks
Melbourne: D’lightful Fine Turkish Delight for Turkish Delight as vegan options at markets around town
Moonee Ponds: Olivia Spring Cafe for all vegan Vietnamese meals, hot and cold drinks and cakes
Northcote: Loving Hut Northcote for lunch, dinner, desserts, hot and cold drinks and cakes
Northcote: Shoku iku for raw lunch, dinner, desserts and ‘hot’ and cold drinks
Preston: La Panella Bakery for baked goods with vegan options and vegan banh mi
Preston: The Food Truck Park which holds vegan and vegetarian food truck weekends regularly (not to be confused with the Northcote park!)
Richmond: Gelato Messina for house-made gelato and coffee
Richmond: Loving Hut for Asian lunch, dinner, desserts and hot and cold drinks
Richmond: Pana Chocolate for raw handmade chocolates and desserts
Ringwood: Phoolwari Tandoori Indian Restaurant for dinner
Southgate: La Camera for Italian lunch, dinner and hot and cold drinks
South Melbourne: Shakahari too for dinner, desserts and hot and cold drinks
St Kilda: Fritz Gelato for vegan gelato flavours and hot and cold drinks
St Kilda: Mr Natural for gourmet pizza
St Kilda: Sister of Soul for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee, hold and cold drinks, dessert
St Kilda: Trippy Taco for Mexican lunch, dinner and hot and cold drinks
St Kilda: Vegilicious for vegetarian and vegan lunches, dinners, desserts and hot and cold drinks
St Kilda: Veg Out Community Gardens for general wandering and admiring the community’s communal edible gardens and local artwork
Templestowe: Power Plant for breakfast, brunch, lunch, desserts, coffee, hot and cold drinks
Upwey: Abitza Cafe for coffee, hot and cold drinks and some lunch items on request
Wantirna: Oneworld Knox for their separate vegan menu of Asian food for lunch and dinner, and hot and cold drinks
Warrandyte: Vanilla Orchid Thai Restaurant for lunch, dinner, dessert and hot and cold drinks (sister restaurant to Holy Basil)
Warrandyte: Warrandyte Riverside Market for regular vendors that are vegan or with vegan options such as Von’s Vegan Bakehouse and YAY Foods
Wonga Park: Kellybrook Winery for wines, ciders and its annual Kellybrook Cider Festival
I’d love to hear if you have travelled to Melbourne, and experienced any of these listings for yourself. Or, have you found some new secrets listed? Pop your stories about your Melbourne/Victoria travels in the comments below!
(For the rest of Australia, have a peek at my Aussie Vegan Directory)
