Vegetarians rejoice! Gone are the days when you dragged your carnivorous friends from restaurant to restaurant because there was nothing for you to eat besides “bowl of chips.” Nowadays, Sydney boasts some of the best vegetarian restaurants in the country. From fine dining to hole-in-the-wall cafes, we’ve found the top 40 joints serving vegetarian fare that will make even your proudest meat-eating friends jealous. Hell, they might even turn!

For your reference, we’ve included a little price guide as well. Our extremely scientific key is as follows:

$$$ – date night, graduation ceremony, promotion

$$ – treat yo’ self

$ – pay day’s still a month away

For the finest pasta this side of the equator – prepared daily, and from scratch –look no further than Two Chaps. Did we mention they’re also open for breakfast? Serving locally sourced, organic produce by day and dinner twice a week, you’ll almost never have to leave. Seriously, try the hash browns.

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Friday night? Hot date? The Dandylion has you covered. The team has travelled from Milan to New York to Ubud and promises to deliver the crème de la crème of contemporary vegan and vegetarian cooking. Our tip? Their signature share plate. You’ll be talking about it for hours afterwards.

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For the raw foodies out there, Earth To Table is a must. But what makes chef Julie Mitsios’ fare stand out from the rest? Her raw cakes. Holy moly. We’re talking chocolate cheesecakes, lemon meringue cakes and banana cream pies. You don’t even have to feel guilty. Everything is gluten, dairy and refined-sugar free.

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A year into your relationship and looking to tell your partner you think they are the most award-winning, acclaimed, warm and contemporary person you’ve ever met? Dine at Yellow and let the restaurant do the talking for you, as they realise the accolades match up!

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One of the best-kept secrets in the Inner West, Sadhana Kitchen isn’t your average raw vegan café. In the mood for a cheeky degustation? Check. High tea with your nearest and dearest? Sure. Stuck at your desk dreaming about last week’s brunch? They’ll even deliver the food to you.

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Our go-to vegetarian dining experience in Surry Hills, Yulli’s is casual, quirky and feels like your favourite cool aunty’s house. The cuisine is impeccable and the beer extensive. That’s with a “T” and not “P”. Bring a date. Return for the honeymoon.

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Did you say, “vegan yum-cha?” Yas kwane! Bodhi Restaurant and Bar offers an incredible Pan-Asian menu complete with imitation meat that will have you playing “spot the difference between this tasty morsel and the real thing” in an open-star, tranquil, setting.

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Venus Wholefoods

For those who want salads that punch far above their weight, Venus Wholefoods is the Muhammad Ali of the salad world. Complete with vegan-friendly meat, pop in for that nutritious and filling lunch you’ve been looking for.

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We don’t say this lightly: Soul Burger are burger pioneers. Their entirely plant-based menu will delight the vegetarians in your party and shock those who prefer meat. Why? Because they won’t be able to taste the difference.

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Attending a BBQ? Want something even tastier than “the real thing”? Drop by Suzy Spoon’s Vegetarian Butcher for all your sausage, patty, schnitzel, rasher, and seitan needs. And while you’re there, grab a burger. The grub is that tasty, there’s always room for more.

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Wonderfully inventive, Acme serves progressive Italian dishes with an Asian twist. The menu is concentrated, but this is a good thing. We promise, you can’t really go wrong.

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Just when you think you’ve been everywhere and Sydney has nothing else to offer, Bar H delivers! This trendy wine bar blends Japanese, Chinese and indigenous ingredients in a wonderfully relaxed setting.

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Billy Kwong is a staple on the vegetarian Sydney dining scene. And for good reason; celebrating collaboration and community, this restaurant combines Australian and Chinese food so well your friends who brought you will be saying, “I told you so.”

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Spit Road Mosman 2088

Where else can you gaze at the lushest harbour in the world while chowing down on top-notch, homemade Italian pasta? Introducing Chiosco by Ormeggio. The kicker? This restaurant is hatted. The other kicker? You don’t even need to wear shoes.

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Da Orazio Pizza and Porchetta

Fresh from the surf and looking for somewhere serving traditional Italian so you can tell your mates about those sick barrels? Da Orazio Pizza and Porchetta provide. This warehouse-style space serves food so good no one will interrupt your chat, as they’ll be too busy savouring their choice. A great option for pleasing both omnivores and vegetarians.

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Beautifully minimal and refreshingly casual, Ester doesn’t rely on trendy gimmicks. Their food, like their fit-out, is honest and direct. This is one fine dining experience you have to indulge in.

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Jacks Newtown

A strong contender for best burgers in Sydney, Jacks Newtown is refreshingly basic. With only three burgers on the menu, all you have to do is point. The only problem is you might get a sore arm from pointing every day of the week.

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Offering a zany, well-lit, intimate dining experience, LuMi combines Italian food with a forward-thinking Italian twist. Headed by chef Federico Zanellato, LuMi will seduce you with its menu. What’s on offer? A five or eight course degustation. Perfection.

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Mary’s

As if manifesting from the belly of Newtown itself, Mary’s burgers are effortlessly grunge. Come for the amazing greasy food, stay for the loud hip hop and metal.

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17B Whistler Street Manly 2095

You went to yoga at first light then went for a job and finished with a dip at Shelly Beach. How could your morning possibly get any better? Enter Ora. This organic café serves up some of the healthiest breakfasts around. Go on. Treat yourself.

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Named after the iconic band Mental as Anything, this pay-what-you-feel restaurant is a godsend that promotes local artists as well as multiculturalism and acceptance. A culinary trip to Sydney isn’t complete without it.

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In many ways, we wish every restaurant were as inviting, quirky and wholesome as Nourishing Quarter. Serving vegan Vietnamese cuisine in what must be one of the best date spots in Sydney, Nourishing Quarter is one of a kind.

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INDU offers a generous reprise from the city’s hustle and bustle outside. Focusing on fragrant food from coastal village India, INDU blends Eastern mysticism with Western curiosity. Our tip? The watermelon salad.

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This family affair combines Middle Eastern and European cuisine and the results are drool-worthy. Great for people-watching (admit it, we all do it), this Instagram-friendly venue won’t disappoint.

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Zaaffran Restaurant

One of Darling Harbour’s go-to spots, Zaaffran is refined Indian dining at its classiest. We recommend enjoying their innovative dishes that delight and surprise on their outdoor balcony at sunset with someone you love.

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Did somebody say tofu ice cream? This Chinese vegan institution is the place you’ve never been to but always wished you had. Their buffet is to die for and if you’re still standing, try their cakes.

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Low frills with exceptional taste, what’s not to like? Green Palace do the essentials right. However, if you’re unsure, their friendly staff will point you in the right direction. Their soy, vegetarian duck, pork and chicken are sensational.

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Ever been stuck in the city, unsure where to eat? Mother Chu’s is a mixed Asian vegetarian establishment that feels like a family dining room and offers delicious cuisine at reasonable prices. Sit down and take a breath. Welcome to flavour country.

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Nutritious, organic and always tasty, Iku has become a staple of the food-conscious greenies of Sydney. Always dairy and gluten free, their lasagne is divine. For some extra privacy, head out the back of the Iku in Glebe and down the stairs and transport yourself to a green and timber wonderland that feels vaguely like Brisbane!

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This long-standing restaurant offers unpretentious vegan and vegetarian food that constantly delights and surprises. So relaxed, you might feel like you’re at a friend’s house. Harvest offers cooking classes too.

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This hole-in-the-wall pie shop is worth the trip out east. Super cheap and super tasty, Funky Pies serve their wares with lashings of mashed potato and gravy. With a sun-drenched outdoor table, simply sit and watch the world go by.

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If you haven’t been to Govinda’s then you haven’t been to Sydney! A cultural institution, Govinda’s offers an affordable vegetarian Indian-style buffet in a cosy setting where you can relax and watch a movie!

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Located in the heart of Bondi, Laurie’s vegetarian restaurant is an “eat-where-the-locals-eat” establishment that provides a healthy range of curries, salads and burgers. Perfect for those post-swim cravings and extremely affordable, we guarantee you’ll be telling your friends. See you at Laurie’s in no time.

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Ask your parents where their favourite eatery growing up was and they’re likely to say Badde Mannors. Serving global vegetarian meals in a quirky, wholesome setting, Badde Mannors is like taking a trip back in time.

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Sydney’s first vegan pub, The Green Lion is socially conscious food at its best. Always delicious and never preachy, The Green Lion has achieved what many said was impossible. What’s more: it’s here to stay.

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This vegan eatery produces fresh, authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Always a great option when you need a refresher from the chaos of life, Golden Lotus also offers catering for those looking to bring the Zen to them.

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Taking its name from the local lingo of Istanbul’s streets, Stanbuli offers an exciting Turkish restaurant. With a refined décor and food that’s designed to share, we challenge you not to enjoy the treats found inside. One last thing: their beetroot salad with green olives, pistachios and Tulum cheese is out of this world.

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By now, the story is almost legendary. One day, this extremely popular Sydney restaurant decided to go vegan and the results have been nothing short of amazing. Don’t believe us? There are lines out front every day of the week.

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My Little Panda Kitchen is perfection. Creating 100% vegan cakes that look as beautiful as they taste, they could be pieces of art! In fact, they are. So before you eat them, make sure you put them on Instagram. Not to be missed.

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Something For Jess is the kind of café you take your out-of-town friend to when you’re trying to impress. Seasonal and organic, the hip, cosy atmosphere and friendly staff are only rivalled by the dishes they bring out.

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