Blog →
5 Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants to Enjoy

5 Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants to Enjoy

by Mireille Kilgour : February 11th, 2015

Want to try a different cuisine? Use our drop-down tool to find our suggestions on the best places to go for different cuisines.

With vegetarian cooking enjoying a delicious makeover, more and more people are putting down the steak knife and opting for a modern green cuisine. In fact, more than 10% of the Australian population aged over 14 say they prefer to eat meat-free meals. Established restaurants, such as A Touch of Salt and Persillade are jumping on the band wagon and producing more vegetarian options, but there are also a rising number of new, vegetarian-friendly menus.

The Good Food Gift Card prides itself on offering every diner the experience they want from their gift card, meaning options for gluten-free, vegan, carnivores and vegetarians. Some of our favourite vegetarian-friendly establishments featured on our restaurant guide include:

Thai Veggie Hutt

68/70 Liverpool St

Hobart, TAS 7000

Situated in the trendy bank Arcade of Hobart, Thai Veggie Hutt has been a favourite Tasmanian vegetarian haunt for many years. Using a number of "mock meats", which are soy-based, authentically and traditionally Thai prepared, the menu offers flair, variation and excitement. From soup and salad to pad thai and soy mince with basil, this flavourful vegetarian restaurant is worth a visit. Be sure to try the mushroom and fresh crunchy greens stir fry.

Mecca Bah

Brisbane, Canberra and Cairns

Mecca Bar provides a modern take on traditional Moroccan and Middle Eastern cuisine, as well as a spectacular setting a million miles away from its Australian locations. The innovative menu encourages guests to try a multitude of flavours and there is plenty of choice for vegetarians. Try harissa marinated mixed olives, sweet potato falafels with tahini sauce, Moroccan potato cakes filled with goats cheese and pinenuts or the baked halloumi with pomegranate, mint salad and lemon.

Mecca Bar will enlighten your senses in one of three dining locations, being Brisbane, Canberra and Cairns.

O.MY

23 Woods St

Beaconsfield, VIC 3807

Image via O.MY

The O.MY story is the tale of three brothers who wanted to share their passion, creativity, talent and dedication with the people of Beaconsfield. Blayne and Tyson are the chefs in the kitchen, while up and coming sommelier Chayse is out front providing you with the finest wine.

O.MY is exclusively degustation and uses local farm gardens for all of its produce. Head Chef, Blayne also loves researching and sourcing specialised plants and seeds from around the globe, propagating them on the restaurant farm and nurturing them from paddock to plate.

The degustation menu changes every night, meaning every time you visit you'll be offered something new. Simply notify the chefs that you are vegetarian and you'll be sitting down to some of the freshest, organically grown produce you can get.

Urbane

181 Mary Street

Brisbane, QLD 4001

Urbane Restaurant is an icon in the Brisbane dining scene, having won numerous awards since its opening. Urbane's philosophy is to provide the ultimate service in an unbeatable setting and within the Urbane Group walls, there are five distinct dining and bar experiences.

The menu at Urbane cannot be characterised by country or style. It brings evolution to the table, using techniques favoured by chefs all over the world. The menu is a little bit Italian, little bit French, little bit Japanese and of course Australian, but other cuisines get thrown into the mix too. Urbane uses seasonal produce sourced from Australia (mostly Queensland) and pays close attention to its environmental impact.

The five or eight-course Herbivore Sample Menu is every vegetarians dream. Tastes include quinoa with apple and cucumber, pickled carrot with Yuzu and cauliflower, pearl barley and mushroom and rice pudding with coconut and peanut.

Pee Wee's at the Point

Alec Fong Lim Drive

East Point Reserve, NT 0801

At Pee Wee's at the Point, the very best of the Northern Territory is on show. With an unbeatable backdrop, unique food and a buzzing atmosphere, Pee Wee's is an unrivalled Darwin dining experience. The menu reflects the produce, climate and multiculturalism of the Northern Territory and whether spending an evening with friends or enjoying date night with your partner, Pee wee's at the Point delivers.

For vegetarians, the house made traditional white cob with olive oil, balsamic, confit garlic and dukkah is a delicious start and the Chef's vegetarian salad is mouthwatering with mizuna and tatsoi leaves, orange segments, baby beets, turnips, char grilled asparagus, wattleseed balsamic, pine nuts and zucchini flower.

Bio
Latest Posts

Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.