Transformer. More than meets the eye…read more Sorry, as a child of the 80s I couldn't resist. Wanting a healthy dinner option for a catch up with a girlfriend, I thought we'd give new kid on the block, Transformer, a go. I'm not sure what I was expecting. Vegetables disguised as other things, faux meat...maybe hippies, mungbeans and incense? Having no real expectations meant I was really impressed with our experience. Upon entering, we were pleased to see a beautiful fit out, ambient lighting, and not a hippie in site. There was, however, lots of hipsters and it soon became apparent that we should have made a reservation! We luckily scored what was a cancelled table and proceeded to have a really lovely meal, with the perfect amount of friendly service. There's a decent wine list, beers and cocktails too. But for those not drinking (myself included on this particular occasion) there was an interesting selection of cold pressed juices and some little mini tonics (read: shots) loaded up with the likes of turmeric, ginger and coconut water. I liked having this before the meal as a way to get my appetite firing. We shared the pumpkin and tahini dip which is apparently the most popular thing on the menu. It comes with a slick of good quality olive oil and what I think is pomegranate molasses on top. Tangy, savoury and silky smooth it really was terrific. Next we had oyster mushrooms (tasty but not the biggest portion), a cucumber salad (fresh and creamy) and a sprouted brown rice beetroot risotto (delicious!). I can see more decadent, and boozy, nights being an expensive affair but we weren't super hungry and so these shared dishes only set us back around $30 a head! Bargain. I'll be back to try more of the interesting menu items.

I can never really be bothered writing a review but sometimes a dining experience is so good that…read moreit stands out amongst Melbournes quality food scene. Transformer is such a place. The interior is fresh and cool. Raw exposed concrete, timber, brick and wire mesh are dramatically softened by extraordinary lighting and wild plants. The place looks like it would be noisy but it's not and I was able to enjoy great conversation with my friends over delicious vegetarian food without having to shout..! I'm not a vegetarian so I was skeptical but the food was fresh and filling and did indeed 'transform' me. I'll be back...

We had an absolutely delicious meal at Smith & Daughter. Every dish was full of flavor. I'm a…read moresauce lover, and they have great sauces. We started with the mushroom skewers, which were perfectly grilled. The pole beans were crisp and seasoned nicely...they were thick and hearty. We took a chance on the red beans and rice. One of our favorite food vacations is New Orleans. I will not doubt this chef again..they were delicious... comforting and flavorful. I would definitely get them again. I do wish the plantains were traditionally made though. The star for me was definitely the country fried lion's mane. Crispy, hearty, and so well-seasoned. I've wanted to try lion's mane for a while. This was the best place to try it. I'm not usually a big dessert person, but the chocolate brownie with biscotti-flavored ice cream had me claiming my fair share (my husband usually gets most of the dessert to himself!). The decor was modern but also cozy and inviting. It really made for a great night out. I don't know how we skipped over the bbq brisket. We will definitely be back to try it!

Melbourne's bustling scene of vegetarian restaurants includes one I thought I'd never see: a vegan…read moreSpanish tapas place. Besides having transformed a vegetarian-unfriendly cuisine, they've also managed to do it in a fairly prominent corner, and fill their tables (both the individual ones and the communal table I sat at and the bar) with a very typical-looking bunch of Australians. It is not what one expects of an all-plant restaurant; the mainstream, hipster-ness of it all was quite unique to Melbourne. Like most tapas places, you'll pay a lot of money for a little food and probably like it. I only tried the chickpea soup and some sort of soda, though people sitting next to me ordered all kinds of delicious-looking things that I could only ogle. The soup was appealing enough that I finished a large bowl rather quickly. I would struggle to pay up for it on a regular basis if I lived in Melbourne, but I certainly would want to come with a group and try everything. It seemed like this place was a success.

Great veggie/vegan spot! Lots of different food options. The space is massive. Very vibrant…read moreatmosphere. Probably one of my favorite vegan pizzas I've had. The truffle mushroom. It didnt have layer of awful vegan cheese. Just a sprinkle of vegan parm. Delicious. Tried the "chicken" bao and the cookie sundae. Also amazing. If I had more time in Melbourne, I'd go back

Vegetarian cuisine of the Moosewood globalized variety…read more You can find something like this place in any US College Town. BUT Execution is much much much much better than at the standard collegiate vegetarian place. This is vegan eating done right! My lovely wife ate at this place several times, ate all over the menu and was generally ecstatic. I had just one meal one time.' I had Peking Duck Wrap with vegan duck and plain old onion rings. The onion rings were absolutely first rate. They were far far better than the onion rings I get in the bars, grills and burger joints I frequent at home. The duck wrap was positively huge and was wonderul eating. Chinese vegan duck is wonderful stuff anyway. The garnishings and sauces, along with the huge size off the whole production, made this a treat. Are the desserts wonderful? I wish I could tell you. After all those rings, and all that vegan duck with vegetables, I had turned into my suitcase. When I leave Melbourne tomorrow, My suitcases will be crammed as full as it is physically possible to cram a suitcase. And that super-stuffed condition is me right now after having come home from the Vegie Bar.

I've been looking forward to my adventures in Melbourne not only for the urban vibes, diverse…read morehistoric architecture, and surrounding ocean scenery, but the FOOD. I prepared a collection of must-try stops during the month of my visit, and from my research, Daughter in Law made the list. It also happens to be around the corner from my hotel so it ended up being the first restaurant I tried after arriving at the hotel and getting settled. I wanted something comforting and guaranteed to be a delightful food experience and Indian food never disappoints for me and my cravings. Daughter in Law went above and beyond all expectations of the every day delicious Indian restaurant. You'll know it from first glance as you approach the restaurant and see the colorful tables and neon sign. Everything about the ambience took me back to our Mama Speaks hotel in Rome...my absolute favorite for the fantastic indulgent, maximalist, colorful decor. Everything about the space says party with a sophisticated twist. The second time we went here, there was a birthday happening for a grandma with her large family there. This place is a gem. All I can say is hopefully I get to have a birthday here someday. It was a party and we were all smiles. We ordered the Hiramasa Kingfish Ceviche You won't regret this choice It was heaven in a clamshell. I could have eaten several of these as a meal. It was a fresh as fresh gets scallop ceviche with the perfect Indian spin of flavors. I don't know how I didn't get a picture of it except to say most likely because we ate it too fast for pictures. We followed this with the Ball of Happiness (Gol Gappa). A crisp hollowed out orb served with a layered shot of the classic mint, tamarind, and chutney flavor sauces that are meant to be poured into the orb and popped into your mouth for a flavor explosion. It was fun and delicious but I personally would have gone for another scallop en croute in place of this. Though it's worth a go! For drinks, I ordered a Passionfruit Spritz. I was worried it may be too sweet but it turned out to be just right and very refreshing. The little mermaid was a fun touch and my daughter wanted to take her home. The Mango Lassi was perfect, authentic, and not too sweet. There was only 2 of us, so as much as I wanted to try the Rogan Josh, we shared the Chicken Tikka Masala instead. It was delicious phenomenal. So rich and flavorful, with a brightness and tang to it that made it hard to stop eating. Incredible flavor! The garlic naan was of course, woodfired crisp and perfectly soft where it should be when pulled apart. Daughter in Law is going to be a regular spot for the next couple of months and anytime I'm traveling here in Melbourne!

As a Indian food lover I had to absolutely try some in Melbourne while I'm here. Went to Daughter…read morein law last night. Now not your typical Indian restaurant. This was kinda upbeat, trendy hipster a little bit. I did enjoy the music very much while there. Service was good. I would say it was a very solid 4 stars . More closure to 4.5 Just not the insane depth of flavors like I've had in many other places but good non the less. Had the lamb Rojan Josh. And we did the naan Bread and condiments sampler.

Excellent place for fresh Japanese food ! I have been there so many times and never been…read moredissatisfied. Panko Salmon is my favorite! This place is being more and more crowded, but you can still order food to go if no more seats are available ! Enjoy!

Great healthy and tasty option while I was in Melbourne. Cool decor if you like cats.read more

Love the concept!!! As a Bay Area Californian visiting Melbourne, I was pleasantly surprised to…read morefind this place. I was given a ton of Berkeley / Oakland vibes (except this place was a ton cleaner, ha). Not sure what else I can state that other reviews haven't stated below, but Lentil As Anything is a donation based restaurant. $12 AUD covers the meal, which you can pay in either card or cash at the end of your meal. Everyday the menu changes (for this location) and its buffet style which is nice! I would say classic etiquette is to not take more than what you can eat, as you're always welcome to go back and grab more food. Drinks are extra - but they have a nice variety of coffees and a juice that changes daily. Vibe here was great; everyone was so nice and friendly. Also loved that it was in Abbotsford Covent where there's outdoor seating for you to enjoy a sunny day.

Amazing concept with food to match. Pay as you feel but done right!…read moreThe food is all vegan and served by volunteers; all of whom wear a happy smile and are always happy to have a chat. There is live music sometimes and on a nice day the courtyard / outdoor area is super pleasant. A must visit if you are touring the Coventry :)

Had every intention to dine (for the first time) at the Vegie Bar (which is the rave on vegan…read moresocial media) only to walk in to a veritable undergraduate haunt - jam packed and resembling more a bar fad - so backed up Brunswick street and spied Madame K's With no brief it looked well patronised (this was a Tuesday night and it was near full) so that's gotta mean something and it promoted vegan dishes The young waitress was trying to oblige but language skills were a barrier and experience was clearly an issue Found a place for one and I went with a small plate of Betel leaf (Miang Kham) with red quinoa, peanuts, coconut shreds topped with a sauce (vegan) - this was very nice and I thought I was onto something However the main plate - a Tofu cashew nut stir-fry with brown rice (tomorrow is an ember day and one of fasting - so time to stock up) was fairly disappointing - the veggies were average and the whole dish fairly uninspiring Overall the place was not great and I won't bother again

I'm always up to try new vegetarian places, especially Asian ones after having to fight the fish…read moresauce everyday when travelling in Asia. Madame K's is a nice little restaurant, quite cosy (but quite cold!). Service was good and efficient, they understood that I didn't want chilli in my food, and both my friend and I had nice meals. I took the cashew nut tofu, which really tasted like in Thailand, but I'll have to come back to try everything else on the menu! I'll review my 3 stars after a second visit, it's probably worth 4 more than 3, but I haven't been out of Asia long enough to fully enjoy Thai food again!

Grump's Green is typical to Fitzroy, decked out in retro styled furnishings, worn and comfy couches…read moreand an exposed brick wall. It serves some very tasty vegetarian cuisine that is tempting and flavoursome enough for even the hungriest meat eater. Grump's Green is a little alternative, and sometimes maybe a bit too relaxed, celebrating a birthday at the restaurant we had a decent sized group of hungry ladies and gentlemen and found it a little unorthodox having to sit all around one tiny coffee table with our meals on our laps! We ordered a selection of curries, burgers and tapas style dishes and although the serves and flavours were great, when asking for a spoon from the kitchen the waiter told us there wasn't any left so we couldn't have anymore. Grumpy's Green only dishes up food found in Victoria which is great for local growers and produces they also use soy candles for guests to dine by encouraging us to opt for green energy.

I've given it five stars for the trivia night. In my ever so humble opinion, Grumpy's probably…read morehosts the best weekly trivia night going. The questions are hard, but not impossible, and the prizes are very decent (even more so considering it costs a whole NOTHING to play). Grumpy's is an eco-friendly bar, trying very hard to be carbon-neutral, environmentally and ethically considerate with what they produce. This means that you'll find "token meat dishes" on the menu instead of the poor token "vegies stirred through pasta" vegetarian option you'll find at most restaurants. A lovely place to pop into and escape the outside world of a busy afternoon.

The only real reason I enjoy going to the doctor is because he's right around the corner from…read moreTrippy Taco. So I always get Trippy Taco after an appointment. Have a bad sinus infection? Trippy Taco. Nasty cough? Trippy Taco. Messed up the knee while running? Trippy Taco. Birth control pills need refilling? Trippy Taco. This is the cadence of my life. In all seriousness, Trippy Taco has tasty food in a cute location with a good laid-back vibe. It's all Tex-Mex style (which I say somewhat tongue-in-cheek because I'm actually from Texas and pretty much nothing in Australia comes close to authentic Tex-Mex, which is understandable I guess). It's also 100% vegetarian, but this doesn't stop the meat-eaters from coming in droves because the flavours are nice, the food is fresh, and the atmosphere is casual, colourful and quirky. Vegans have a wide variety of options to choose from: burritos, quesadillas, tacos, spiced corn with vegan chipotle mayo, tamales, nachos, and taquitos. They even have vegan desserts -- vegan churros, soy ice cream + chocolate + banana or orange, etc. They also do vegan breakfasts, subbing scrambled tofu and soy cheese for the eggs and dairy cheese in their regular vegetarian menu. They use Daiya as their non-dairy vegan cheese. They used to use Cheezly and I believe they may still use Cheezly in some of their dishes. So if you hate Daiya with a fiery passion, you might want to ask them to hold the cheese. Personally, I prefer Daiya over Cheezly so I don't mind it. Even my non-vegan friends don't seem to mind Daiya. Now for the bad news. The first is that I find Trippy Taco a tad overpriced for what it is. There's a vegan surcharge of $0.50-2.00 for nearly everything -- which is kinda understandable, given that Daiya and Cheezly (and other vegan substitutes for things like mayo) are imported into Australia and therefore expensive. I like the vegan Mixed Burrito, which comes out to $13 -- but let's be honest, even though it's tasty, in my opinion it doesn't taste nearly as good as a vegan Zambrero burrito which is about the same size but is only $10.90. The other thing I don't like about Trippy Taco's burritos is they are literally drowning in sauce. It makes for an incredibly messy meal and huge pools of sauce sink down to the bottom of the burrito. So it may very well be possible to bite into the bottom of the burrito and squirt your dining partner in the face with vegan tofu asada juice. Consider yourself warned.

Food just took too long. But was good. Great seasoning on…read morethe fries.

Being new to Melbourne, trying to tick off all the good foodie place I've been recommended is hard…read morework... especially when there's amazing food to be had practically everywhere! Smith and deli is no exception. The variety of sandwiches alone, and alllll vegan pointedly, is outstanding. I went with the "bacon" and "chicken" schnitzel sandwich with ranch lettuce and tomato and it was fantastic. I'm not even vegan and can tell you that if nobody had told me it was vegan, I'd have thought it was the real deal. They have a great selection of vegan products from around the globe too. You can imagine how crazy busy this place gets. Staff are lovely too. Get amongst it!

Well, here's something new: a deli-style place, but entirely vegan. Admittedly, as a tourist I did…read morenot eat much here and spread myself around the city. However, I did spend quite a bit of time perusing their selection. It is notably the first place I've seen in Australia to offer the new Ben and Jerry's dairy-free ice cream (which I had no room to try, sadly). They make a variety of fresh sandwiches and things, offer premade pastries and such, and sell a variety of hard to find goods. As with most vegan stores, it's pricey and something of a luxury, but a nice one to have. I would not, however, suggest that any non-Australian try anything with vegemite. I know I'm writing this place a positive review, but that stuff is pretty gross.