Best cheap eat

Zucchini dumplings – either boiled or fried, filled with shredded ginger, tofu, black fungus, ginger and coriander. Brilliant with (or without) chilli sauce, $12.80.

ShanDong Mama, Melbourne, facebook.com/shandongmama

Best breakfast

Egg McMartinez – egg, bacon, cheddar on an English breakfast muffin, $7.

Smith & Deli, Fitzroy, facebook.com/smithanddeli

Best dude food

Ribs with 'slaw and mac'n'cheese. $31. Be warned – the ribs are particularly ribby, leading to the occasional customer freak-out.


Smith & Daughters, Fitzroy, smithanddaughters.com

Best snack

Spelt and seed steamed bun, fried organic tofu, pickled cucumber and gochujang mayo, otherwise known as the "I can't believe it's not a fried calamari bao", $7.50

Transformer, Fitzroy, transformerfitzroy.com

Best raw vegan

Banana pancakes, topped with fresh fruit, raw and activated Nutella and plant-based cream of the day, $15.50.

Shokuiku, Northcote, shokuikuaustralia.com

Best ice-cream

Chocolate navel gelato: a vegan chocolate base layered with navel orange sauce, one of about four vegan options on offer (from $4.20 for a single cone).

Miinot Gelato, Pascoe Vale South, miinotgelato.com

Best big night out

Shane Delia's Middle Eastern restaurant Maha is the vegan-friendliest fine diner in the city (think Turkish red lentil dumplings, or zucchini falafel with heirloom tomatoes, black Aleppo pepper and Tunisian brik.) Dinner starts at two courses for $55 and goes up to six for $120.

Maha, Melbourne, maharestaurant.com.au

Best mock product

Poached eggs at St Kilda newcomer Matcha Mylkbar – with the same nutrition profile as a hen's egg but made from all sorts of non-chickeny things such as sweet potato, coconut milk and linseed oil (for the yolks) and agar-agar and almond milk, $10

Matcha Mylkbar, matchamylkbar.com

Best down and dirty

Vegan Mac Daddy, originally called, the Big Mock – otherwise known as a (sort of) virtuous Big Mac, $18

The Cornish Arms Hotel, Brunswick, cornisharms.com.au

Best use of tofu

Tofu asado burrito with char-grilled tofu, vegan cheese, salsa, salad, guacamole, lime, $12.50

Trippytaco, Fitzroy and St Kilda, trippytaco.com.au