My all-too-short tour of Melbourne's extensive vegetarian food scene left me with the conclusion…read morethat I would have just as happily eaten here or at its sister restaurant all the time. The soup I ordered was every bit as nuanced in flavor as I might have hoped for, and the ample bean sprouts and flaming hot chillis enhanced the experience. The custard apple smoothie I tried was substantial and delicious. I would have happily sampled the rest of their menu, which is notably thorough in the choices it offers and the tastes it caters to. They are happy, for example, to adjust up or down the levels of mock meats (never my favorite thing, though I tried them here) among other ingredients. The service was quite thorough and efficient for a modestly priced place, and they had a delicious array of vegan desserts. The main drawback would be (predictably) a heavy reliance on soy products. The location is in one of the sketchier neighborhoods I've seen in Australia, but I was quite happy to take the streetcar there. Notably, there is a second location elsewhere in the city, which I did not even figure out until after I'd finished with this one.

We had a great lunch at Fina's ! If you like Vietnamese food…read moreand are vegetarian or vegan, the choices here are amazing. Very tasty and healthy food. Plus some yummy cakes and desserts, with vegan options too. We had the very yummy 'Fina's Vegan Salad' and vegan vietnamese pancakes (Ban Xeo). If you've never had Ban Xeo before, you are missing a sensational taste treat! Fina's is definitely worth the trek over the bridge to Richmond.

It's hard to really rate places like this. That being said, you won't likely find a better deal…read morethan this super-cheap all-you-can-eat vegetarian place. They'll give you a couple of very basic curries, rice, and fresh bread delivered to your table (buttered, though they will give you a vegan one if you prefer). If you pay a bit more, you get a drink (which they managed not to give me through some confusion) and a samosa (which was delicious). I went back for seconds and thirds (on small portions) and was a rather satisfied weary traveler. It has a religious bent, but not a pushy one, and was certainly a good enough experience to justify the price. If you want a nice restaurant, pay real money and eat elsewhere. There are several locations of this place in downtown Melbourne. Notably, they also offer to feed the hungry for free during the slow hours of the day from 3-5. Not that I expect that the homeless citizens of Melbourne are likely to be perusing Yelp for this information, but it's a nice thing to know that this place is doing it.

If you are looking for a simple and affordable vegetarian meal in the CBD, OM is the place to go…read more It is located in a building on Swanston/Collins Street. However, you won't miss it as there's a guy standing outside the building on Swanston Street's side with a sign board saying "All you can eat $6.50". The $6.50 meal is a standard 2 veg curries/dhal with butter naan and rice. They also have other meal options and smaller dishes/desserts. Compliment your meal with a cup of mango lassi! This keeps me going till end of the day. Oh, I must add - lovely staff too!

The Vegan Collective is a new food stall that's part of the Queen Victoria Winter Night Markets…read moreevery Wednesday night. It's great to have a 100% vegan option at the Queen Vic night markets, which for years have been very heavy on the meat. Not to mention, the food here is YUM. Right now they have 5 things on the menu, all vegan: - Middle Eastern Open Wrap - Japanese Udon Noodles - Yellow Lentil and Coconut Curry - Laksa Noodle Soup - Sesame Crusted Tofu I've had the Middle Eastern Open Wrap and the Laksa Noodle Soup. My friend had the Yellow Lentil and Coconut Curry. All very tasty. The Middle Eastern Open Wrap was my favourite -- it's probably one of the best falafel wraps I've had in a long time, and it seemed like a real step up from the junky kind you get at kebab shops. This one actually tasted somewhat "gourmet," if you know what I mean. Real thought was put into the flavours and the sauce, which was delicious. The laksa was OK -- a bit messy to eat if you can't find a seat and you have to stand around awkwardly holding the bowl in one hand and trying to navigate with your chopsticks/spoon in the other. (I'm bad with chopsticks anyway and nearly stabbed myself in the eye at one point.) This food stall is located next to the Sri Lankan food stall, away from the main row of food stalls, so you kinda have to hunt for it. It's further south than the main row of food stalls, if that makes sense -- kind of in the middle of the building, with more of the non-food stuff. On the plus side, that means the queue is much shorter than at other food stalls! Prices are right in line with every other food stall at the Queen Vic Night Market -- i.e., a couple of dollars overpriced, but you're paying for the atmosphere of the place. Really great food stall. I'll be back.

Their service and staff are perfect and very hospitable and friendly. Their menu has only few item…read morebut they are all vegetarian and all are very tasty and yummy.

Amazing food at an amazing price. 10 AUS for an all you can eat quality, clean vegetarian food…read moredinner buffet. Drinks and dessert is included as well If you're looking for a quality meal and are price conscious, this is the place to go while you're in Melbourne

Good, simple, wholesome, cheap food from a Hari Krishna place on Swanston Street, upstairs one…read morelevel. The meals are basic curries and rice, rotated based on the day of the week -- they have Thai curries, red beans and rice, Malaysian curries, and Indian curries. The food is basic but very flavorful. The meals are hearty and warm, which is especially great on a cold dreary day (of which Melbourne has many, even in summer.) Crossways is very cheap -- the standard meal + dessert + drink is $8.95. If you have a concession card, it's $5.95. It's all-you-can-eat, so if you're really hungry, this place is excellent value for money. Note that it is more expensive for take-away -- I'm not really sure why they do this, as many eateries do the opposite -- but maybe the takeaway containers add up in price for them or something. Most of the food is vegan, but if you're vegan, make sure to tell them that when you're paying because they might have to give you a special dessert instead of the regular one. (They use some dairy in their cooking.) In terms of atmosphere, Crossways feels vaguely institutional, like you're eating in a school cafeteria. They have a mix of ordinary small round tables and then several long rectangular share tables. When you get your cafeteria tray with your meal and dessert on it, and you turn around and face the room and all those share tables, you'll have flashbacks to primary or high school. And then you have to choose which clique you'll sit with -- the cool girls? the band geeks?! the sporty people?!? the cheerleaders?!? In the case of Crossways, there are no cliques but rather a mix of people from all walks of life -- elderly retired people, young students, thirty-something hipsters, Indian professionals, you name it. And maybe a band geek or two. The Hare Krishna-ess of the place is noticeable. One wall has a bookshelf filled with spiritual books for sale, and there are Hare Krishna posters and signs everywhere. But you don't feel pressured to convert in exchange for your meal or anything -- it's more like they're saying, "The information is here if you want it!" Upstairs, they have a yoga/meditation studio and a lounge area that you are welcome to relax in. The yoga/meditation studio often runs special nights where you can take a yoga class or meditation class along with a cheap meal. (Google "Urban Yoga.") When you're done eating your meal, make sure to be a good diner and take your food up to the front right-hand side of the room and stack your empty dishes there. As you're leaving the restaurant, you can ring the little bell to signify "thank you, I enjoyed my meal." Or just to annoy the crap out of all the other diners. Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for inexpensive, hearty food in the CBD.

Nice little place for a quick bite. Not a long wait even though there were quite a few people…read morewaiting, however very limited seating indoors and just 7-2 person tables. I'm not a big fan of places where you order your food and then go get a seat like you are at a food court. When you are with someone, one person can go look for a table while the other can wait for your food. Probably a great place for people working nearby to pickup a quick bite, I know I would, but not a great place for a group of 4 or more especially since the tables are quite small. I probably wouldn't come here if it were raining as they only have 2 indoor tables.

Enjoyed a quick little lunch from here - herbed chicken gozleme. Griddled with love, cut into big…read morelarge squares, and served with a dollop of fresh sour cream. The gozleme is nice and chewy, and the chicken is well seasoned, fragrant with dill. It's a bit messy to eat at the desk, but if appearances don't matter too much to you, this makes a great lunch option!

This is the newly-opened sister cafe to the Seedling Cafe on Flinders Lane. Everything here is 100%…read moregluten-free and "paleo inspired" which generally means no grains, no legumes, no dairy, and a focus on fresh, unprocessed vegetables and proteins. As a vegan, usually when I go to a paleo place, I shudder at the amount of meat and eggs on offer -- but Seedling Cafe's not like that. Their menu dovetails nicely with a plant-based diet, offering plenty of vegan options. For breakfast, vegans can choose from smashed avo, blueberry porridge, and four different kinds of smoothie bowls made from coconut milk. They also have a variety of fancy-pants lattes (turmeric, matcha, etc.) and coffee with almond, coconut, or soy milk. For lunch, there's not much on the menu for vegans per se, but check the display case where they have their fresh salads and there are usually a few vegan salads, which you can mix and match to make a nice healthy lunch (that's what I did -- I had a pea thing, a cauliflower thing, and a vegan coleslaw thing. Yes. Thing.) And of course they have some healthy treats by way of raw vegan bars and energy balls and stuff like that. These vary so just check the display case. I had the peanut bar and while it wasn't decadent like peanut butter, I wasn't really wanting or expecting it to be -- it tasted mostly like ground up peanuts and a bit of sweetness and a bit of chocolate. In other words, it tasted healthy, which is what you're after anyway if you're going to this place. Their menu and the food in their display case is clearly marked with vegan, paleo, dairy-free, and nut-free options. V* means vegan, and staff knows what exactly "vegan" entails. (They even know that honey is not vegan, which is impressive because a lot of non-veg restaurants/cafes don't know that one.) In terms of atmosphere, this Seedling Cafe is lighter and brighter and feels roomier than their Flinders Lane location. It's in the Equitable Place laneway, on the corner with Little Collins Street. Not much seating so this place is mostly take-away, but there are a few small tables and chairs.

Found this little cafe 3 days before leaving the city and the food was simply delicious! I ordered…read morethe açai bowl which comes with granola, bananas, coconut and berries. I asked them not to put the granola as I'm allergic to nuts and they offered to replace t with more berries and extra coconut for no extra charge. Also got their lemongrass ginger tea and it was divine. If you're looking for a great meal not too expensive and healthy this is definitely the place to go!

Holy shit. I never heard of type of sandwich called "Roti". W/ no prior knowledge, I ordered…read morechicken and avocado Roti. It has look of wrap and warm 'n crunchiness like panini. And creamy rich avocado and satisfying chicken meat... And it was orgasmic! There were tons of other sandwich piled up in the showcase and I'm soooo intrigued. Too bad I don't live in this city of Melbourne...

Want to know where i've had the best coffee experience?…read more Kinetic is one of my Top 3 (C'mon, did you really think I have only one favourite?). At Cafe Kinetic you will find great coffee, great people and a pretty decent meal. The staff are a real breath of fresh air here, Sometimes i think they are all family! They talk, joke, bicker just like a typical dysfunctional family; It's pretty funny at times. The coffee here is great, but Kinetic is popular so be prepared to wait as there is usually a line for coffee. Up the back of the Cafe you can find a decent salad bar and hot food, for $12 you can get something along the lines of Lasagne with a choice of salads. Cafe Kinetic is not your average Coffee shop, its one of the best in Melbourne's Northern CBD.

So as far as takeaway chicken shops go - this is on a whole different level from the old charcoal…read morechicken shop I remember as a kid. Foxes Den is like the fancy grown ups version of a classic. You're immediately greeted by a row of brightly coloured, fresh salads with interesting combinations for those wanting to feel virtuous. To the right, roast chickens with a choice of lemon and rosemary or Moroccan spiced. Roast vegies, fat thick-cut chips and chicken gravy are other tempting options if the salads aren't doing it for you. They also have rolls (including gluten free) on hand with plenty of chicken roll combinations. Think I might have to try the jalapeño one at some point. Foxes Den clearly caters for people that are invested in fresh produce and healthier options than your standard fast food fare. This is a perfect grab-and-go option whether you're feeding one or a ton.

This cute little fox is the yummiest, bestest, newest thing to happen this neck of the woods…read more Here in the little den, you'll find the likes of free-range, happy & locally sourced chickens baked on site. Moist and baked to perfection. Choose Moroccan spice rubbed or rosemary & lemon basted. It's like having Christmas lunch, every single day of the week. Numerous freshly prepared salads, I want to try them all. Plus homemade fizzy drinks & sugar-free sweet treats to seal the deal. The staff are awesome, friendly & knowledgeable... Winning. Cute little space too. Check it out. X