The Vegie Bar

Went here for a late lunch. Cool interior and really good service. Unfortunately the food was a bit disappointing. It was good but not amazing. Maybe I had too much of a build up because of all the reviews and by the way the place is looking, which is very good and interesting. I will definitely give it another try and hope that the food will be a little more exiting.

Lo de este lugar sí que fue un «aquí te pillo, aquí te mato» inicial pero resultó ser un acierto bien conocido por la gente del lugar.
Aterrizamos en Melbourne, cogemos un taxi, llegamos a «nuestra casa», nos echamos las manos a la cabeza por lo que vimos, nos disponemos a conocer la ciudad, nos volvemos a echar las manos a la cabeza — ¿¿¿ pero dónde estamos??? y nos topamos con una chica que nos sugiere coger el tranvía dirección Calle Brunswick (barrio de Fitzroy).
Dado que esa era toda la información que teníamos, la aceptamos de muy buena gana.
Tan pronto vemos que estamos en esa calle, nos lanzamos a la vida melburniana y nos abalanzamos sobre el primer restaurante que vimos a no más de 3 pasos de la parada del tranvía.
Eran las 16:00 y el hambre apretaba muchísimo así que echamos un ojo rápido a la carta, nos gustó y entramos.
Se trataba de un restaurante vegetariano con tintes exóticos (asiáticos, marroquíes…).
La sorpresa empezó nada más cruzar la puerta. «¡¡Pero qué sitio más chulo!!» era lo único que podíamos decir.
Bueno, hasta que empezamos a ver los inmensos platos que la gente devoraba.
De hecho, decidimos pasar de la carta y pedir a las de la mesa de al lado que nos dijeran el nombre de lo que estaban comiendo y tal cual, les copiamos la idea.
El menú resultante: «Vegan Nachos» ($ 16.50) y «Morroccan Stew» ($ 16) para 2.
Los «VEGAN NACHOS», es cierto que tenían muchas alubias pero estaban muy buenos y completos.
El «MORROCCAN STEW» tenía su esperado tonito de especias marroquíes (sé que esto puede sonar muy general pero aquellos que están acostumbrados a la cocina española, me entenderán) y, además de darnos muchas energías (y ganas de siesta), estaba… ¡para chuparse los dedos y no parar!
En cuanto a CANTIDADES, éramos 2 pero podíamos haber sido 3 y salir igual de llenas.
Como no podíamos comer todo lo de la carta, nos centramos en mirar la COMIDA de la gente. Todo tenía una presentación espectacular y unas raciones gigantes.
Si el plato resulta demasiado grande, te ponen las sobras en un tupper sin problemas ni malas caras.
El LOCAL, nos llamó también mucho la atención.
Está lleno de mesas de diferentes tamaños, formas y colores las cuales se comparten sin ninguna restricción.
La sala principal está decorada de un modo muy curioso, paredes sin pintar, salidas de aire acondicionado/​calefacción al descubierto, techos muy altos (aspecto industrial), carteles de eventos, conciertos, etc pegados por las paredes…
Al fondo tienen también una terracita pequeña pero muy mona.
Tras pasear por la zona donde estábamos, vimos que este es el estilo del barrio. Fitzroy es el barrio hípster de Melbourne que por cierto, está actualmente de moda.
Yo lo dejaría de moda siempre porque tienen verdaderas maravillas en todos los sentidos (cafeterías, restaurantes, tiendas de ropa, de té, peluquerías, hasta una churrería…).
El SERVICIO; pues aquí también tengo que darles un punto positivo. Muy amables y rápidos.
En cuanto entras por la puerta, vienen con una botella/​jarra de agua y vasitos. Cierto es que esto ocurre en prácticamente todo Australia.
La LOCALIZACIÓN; ¡perfecta! En la calle Brunswick en pleno barrio de Fitzroy.
Caminar por el barrio no dejará indiferente a nadie y asomarse a sus comercios que, a priori no sabes si son restaurantes, tiendas de ropa, peluquerías… es todo una aventura.
Soy más que muy-​fan de este lugar pero me temo que las posibilidades de volver son extremadamente reducidas.
Es por ello que animo a todo el mundo que se deje caer por Melbourne a (1) pasar un ratito paseando por Fitzroy y (2) comer en el «Vegie Bar».
¡100% convencida de que no va a decepcionar a nadie!
Y como veredicto final: ¡¡Me encantó!!

A staple of Brunswick St, The Vegie Bar is always overflowing with customers. It actually is a detriment to the vibe — constantly noisy and crowded, its hard to feel comfortable in this restaurant. The food is also hit and miss — some items are phenomenal, others are less than average. It also fluctuates upon each visit — one day menu item A will be amazing, the next week the same item will be flavourless. At least they are decently priced, right?

Food was delicious. I had a samosa and the Ravioli.
The other people in my table raved about the food. Our waiter was good.
However, I don’t think I’ll go back to this place. They serve vegetarian and vegan food. They have a vegetarian burrito and vegan nachos. I originally wanted the nachos, and asked if I could have regular cheese (as opposed to Vegan cheese) on my nachos, since they clearly have another Mexican-​ish dish with regular cheese. The kitchen said no.
Also, when the 3 of us asked to split the bill, the woman at the front very rudely said no multiple times, «we don’t do that. No, No. No».
So great food, but bad service. So this is a «No, No, No»

I’m told that the Vegie Bar is a bit of an institution & I can see why.
A varied menu with enough choices for even the biggest carnivore to perhaps get even a little excited about. Not only is the food delicious but the juices & smoothies are too.
On my most recent visit I had the tofu & quinoa burger, which was very tasty and the brioche bun was just heaven — especially after being on a carb reduced diet in recent weeks!!! The sweet potato chips accompanied the dish well with a tasty smoky chipotle sauce to dip them in — yum!!! I rounded off my meal with a bounty ball that seemed like a slightly less guilty treat!!!
I look forward to heading back & trying more of the menu.
The only negative that I have is that the service can be a little hit & miss, generally having to grab a staff member rather than them approaching you.

veggies in the rustic salad were a bit gritty. (maybe that’s part of the organic vibe?) and plates are of impractical size to mix the elements of the salad together. kimchi tostada was great tasting as well but impractical to eat plating-​wise.
coffee and juices were great, but they left off the roti wrap I ordered.
music was pretty shit as well… some sort of Sufjan Stevens kind of knock off playing plus more hipster crap like bon iver which made me kind of depressed.
otherwise, cool place though. nice service staff. oh actually the real staff in the back were probably Indian, listening to Bollywood tunes which was much better sounding and appropriate for such a funky place. we heard the music leak through during change between bon iver tracks… shame we couldn’t just hear that.

The Vegie Bar has proved a mainstay in my list of places to eat with friends for half a decade now, and in that time it has proven to be consistently wonderful in its atmosphere, service and the calibre and variation of foods on offer. Whilst some dishes suffer from a sense of ‘sameness’ with others, largely in the realms of taste, my various dining mates and I have never left dissatisfied.
Keep up the great work, Vegie Bar!

Always popular with the crunchier set, the Vegie Bar now spans at least three shop fronts on Brunswick st and is packed every time I go in.
I’ve not had a dud meal here but they seem to shine on the stir fry type dishes. The green stir fry with tempeh and satay was delicious. I’d suggest getting the satay on the side otherwise it kind of overwhelms the dish.
I’d like a few more tempeh or tofu options but the menu is a wealth of Vegie standards.

Lovely atmosphere and fantastic service. A hip and cosy restaurant in one of the most colourful parts of Melbourne. I have rediscovered how majestically mushrooms can be prepared and arranged. This should be a must for all Melbournites, vegetarians and omnivores alike!

We shared a giant piece of chocolate cake with the inhouse vegan ice cream and it was incredible. This place is so popular and the staff are very cool and friendly. The selection of food is so big you’ll forget its purely a vegetarian hot spot! Definitely worth hitting up for your delicious hit of 2 and 5!

A totally excellent experience today. Arrived for brunch at 11am and was greeted by a lovely and very knowledgeable waitress. As I have Coeliac Disease (I cannot eat gluten at all), I was impressed that she was able to tell me exactly which items on the menu were suitable for me. In addition, she recommended the two dishes I ended up ordering and I was VERY impressed.
I had Miang Kham for starters (raw Thai street snack) — $ 3.50 each (I had two). Wonderful mix of coconut, lime, chilli, lemongrass, ginger and tamarind that you ate as a wrap on an eatable leaf. A wonderful balance of flavours!
For my ‘main’ I had the Raw Taco — $ 15 for two. Dehydrated tortillas were excellent — soft and flavourful. The raw chilli (nut based) and lovely mix of chilli, fresh herbs, cashew sour cream, lime and salad veggies was amazing. The heat is subtle and builds slowly, allowing you to really appreciate the mix of flavours without being overwhelmed from the first bite.
I also had a decaf long black which was excellent (decaf is hit and miss. either great or terrible at most places!)
The food has always been excellent but this time I was totally blown away.
The service can be a little patchy when they are very busy but my experience today was wonderful. (My recommendation is to go at quieter times, but in all honesty even if they are so busy there is a wait, the food makes it totally worth it).
Prior to going gluten free, I also loved their burritos and veggie burgers. So many yummy choices that have always excited the non-​vegetarians who I’ve eaten there with.
With Coeliac Disease and also being pretty much vegan, it is not easy to eat out and I rarely do it as a result but I will be back and most likely often after today’s experience.

With a bohemian style, don’t hesitate to enter in that restaurant! I only took a Fresh Juice, but was sufficient to make a good critic of the place. The waitresses are beautiful and very smiley!
The food looks great, and it’s definitely a place I’ll come back and recommend

Another gem in Melbourne, this time in the heart of Brunswick St. Extensive menu with vegan, vegetarian, paleo and raw options.
I had a Detox smoothie, the Original Stirfry & the mini spring rolls all of which were excellent. I’m looking forward to trying more next time.
They have a small but varied wine selection but, frustratingly, nobody knew if any were vegan. Great restaurant, regardless. Next time I’m in Melbourne, I’ll stay closer to Fitzroy!

The Vegie bar does basic vegetarian dishes well. The food is bright and fresh and the portions are generous. (But be aware that they don’t allow take-​away on any of the left-​over items.) The decadent dessert counter is worth a look too. With things like cheese cake and gluten-​free almond chocolate cake you could forgo any attempt at healthy eating and skip the vegetables all together. This is an extremely popular spot in Fitzroy. The dining area is large and there’s also outdoor seating, but there’s still a good chance you’ll have to line up and wait for a table.

One of the best vegetarian joints around. For those that rate this poorly are obviously too spoiled because when you actually eat vegan that doesn’t taste like cardboard, you learn to appreciate it.
Simple but divine dishes. Love the drinks, entrees, desserts and layout of the restaurant. Honorable mention: The ladies washroom has one of the coolest toilets I’ve ever seen.
Bravo! I can’t wait to eat here again.

Have visited twice for dinner– once at the recommendation of our friend who lived in Carlton and another time of our own choosing to show other Melbourne-​living friends who’d never been before. Can easily see why our first friend wanted to take us here– great food and cool atmosphere.
We arrived a bit late for dinner but it was packed (and the space was huge– with so many tables) but luckily they have a great bar to the side and out back where you can wait (with a stand holding a playing card) until they come get you for a free table. We got a bottle of Babich Chardonnay to share amongst the three of us and sat in the outside wooden area with tables– they also had an indoors area with couches but all taken, unfortunately. We had to do this for the second time as well and got a carafe of red wine sangria which was great– being jam packed with all sorts of yum berries. Note: the bar only accepts cash so make sure you get some out or have some already!
Think it’s wonderful that the menu serves the health conscious– with vegan, gluten free, raw and vegan/​gluten free requests available too. Our friends had a few nut allergies and onion intolerance so they were very accommodating which was lovely– excellent service.
Had their raw pad thai which was very fresh and a bit of surprise on the system as you don’t eat as much raw food as you should! Also had to get a dessert from cabinet: chose the raw pineapple and blueberry cheesecake with macqui crunch which was jam packed with goodness and flavour. Wasn’t very big but big enough with all the living food in it.
Second time got their Sambal noodles which was decently hot! Definitely recommend if you can handle the spice. Was a neat arrangement of mixed vegetables with asian greens and imitation duck (not bad tasting and great for the vegetarians! Interesting flavour and texture, that I enjoyed, never had it before). Mixed with wok, tossed hokkien noodles, sambal chilli (in the name) and hoisin sauce. So much flavour and only wish I could have finished the plate but it was so generous!
Got to try their mini spring roll with sweet chilli sauce in their starters and a slice of their Margherita pizza with napoli, mozarella cheese & pesto topping. Curries on rotation on the specials board– had an interesting one when we went with grapes and pineapples.
Would love to come back for weekend breakfast and lunch– for a different experience and to try more food! Especially after hearing their Mexican burrito is on a must-​do list for Melbourne– sadly wasn’t able to do it this time.
Highly recommend while in Fitzroy!

Went here for a late Thurs lunch with a friend, it was pretty busy but we were seated quickly and it died down much more as the lunch crowd disappeared, was a lil’ but hard to catch the waitresses eyes, after eating, to order more coffee so sat there for a while but they were friendly and it didn’t feel they weren’t trying to rush us out to reclaim the table.
Coffee was nice and pretty — had one to start off and another to finish the meal. Dim sim entrees are amazing — I wish I could order a huge serving as a main. Also had steamed dumplings — it’s a lil’ serve of 3 and were pretty standard but gave us more sauces to try on the dimsims.
Ordered lentil and the tofu burgers with frys as we were starving, they were good portions and delicious. Next time I’ll ask for the satay sauce that was on the burgers to go on the fries.
Definitely my fave place for vegan eats in Melbourne.

So I catch up with my brother and I text him — «let’s meet someplace close to the CBD and I will go with your recommendation». He texted back — «Meet at The Vegie Bar at 7pm» …
Ok so I am not a vegetarian, my brother is a recent meat turncoat and I have to admit feeling a little dubious about not having any meat options on a menu. Then I started to think… wow this must be how a vegetarian feels when they head out for dinner, but in reverse of course.
The Vegie Bar is a deceptively large restaurant with a little waiting bar hidden at the back. The waiting bar is there because, well, you have to wait a while for a table. No one seems to mind waiting for a table. No one seems to mind because the food is bloody good.
I ordered the Vegan Nachos and wasn’t dissappointed that there was no meat, cheese or sour cream. How is nachos even possible without all that stuff? Well you know what it just is. It was also extremely filling, I had no chance of finishing my plate.
The staff were … hmmm… they were quirky, I didn’t feel there was anything outstanding about the customer service, it wasn’t unpleasant but it didn’t blow me away.
I had a great night here, and recommend it to vegies and non-​vegies alike.

Love love love this place. Food is always so good and yum. Try the risotto, the mushroom, the duo, the raw living stack… try it all!
Really cute bar out the back and yum juices which they can add booze to.
Don’t worry you will not leave hungry!

Great big servings of 100% vegetarian food at a reasonable price. The place is always humming with people so expect to wait a bit on busy nights. There is a cool little bar and beer garden out back where you can wait for a table to free up while sipping on a drink.
All the meals are quite large and filling. They cater to all types. I would never go here for a nice little meal because the meals are HUGE! Love this place

The veggie bar has good vego meals that meat eating friends, significant others and family will all enjoy. Most of their dishes are very large and pretty hard for me to finish. The soba noodle salad has lots of flavour and tastes super healthy but satisfying. I also love the Dahl (the starter) as it’s super cheap and filling. If you are super hungry go the burrito it’s huge and flavoursome (you will be full for 24hrs). The veg curries are ok too. The roti bread wraps are great value and filling. The vego nachos are so so good. Still unsure how you make cashew sour cream but it’s delicious!
Not a huge fan of the starters. The gyoza have let me down a couple of times (they come out a bit dry with not much filling). The stuffed mushrooms and rice balls are a bit meh. Same with the stir fries (but why would you order something so easy to make at home).
The wine and beer list is pretty good and there are lots of nice looking non alcoholic options. The sangria is a pretty good match for the mexi dishes.
You may have to wait but they have a bar at the back that you can wait in and have a wine.

Toll, sehr kultiges Restaurant, also nicht nur eine Bar wie der Name vermuten lässt! Mit das Beste ist, die liefern auch (zB in Hotels deren eigene Restaurants nichts für Veganer haben). Wen es mal nach Melbourne verschlägt wird es leicht finden, direkt im Zentrum.
Geschmeckt hat es natürlich auch und der Service war trotz voller Hütte zu Scherzen aufgelegt ;)