Vegetarian and vegan diets are fast becoming one of the biggest food trends around. You may be picturing salads and acai bowls, but plant-based food doesn’t have to be a casual affair. Ditching meat has never been so easy with the plethora of fine dining options cropping up around Sydney.
Whether you’re a vegetarian, trying to reduce your intake or just enjoy good food, here are the high-end hotspots where you can get your meat-free fix.
Paperbark
Vegans rejoice, this completely plant-based fine dining establishment is wowing Sydneysiders with its creative eats. Like the native species that bears its name, Paperbark is all about local.
The restaurant sources its ingredients from local producers and incorporates native plants in often surprising ways. Ingredients like lemon myrtle and sea blite make appearances on this multicultural, decidedly contemporary menu. It’s accompanied by a curated list of all-Australian, minimum-intervention wines.
You’ll find the restaurant in Waterloo’s modern Casba building, serving up dishes in a bright, airy space filled with plants (of the inedible variety). The relaxed atmosphere and creative touches like a giant paperbark sculpture across one wall make it a popular spot amongst locals.
The team behind the project are seasoned veterans on the vegan scene. Grace Watson and Joe Pagliaro run healthy fast food chain Verd, while Joey Astorga and Hellene Algie helm the Alfie’s Kitchen popups.
Dine à la carte, or have it all with the sumptuous seven-course kitchen menu. The eatery also offers a three-course tasting menu that changes on a weekly basis.
The plant-powered arsenal includes innovative creations like a dish of paperbark mushrooms, potatoes, karkalla and Kakadu plum. If you’re just looking for a nibble, sample their range of tasty bar snacks – the salt-and-vinegar potato churros are a crowd-pleaser. Finish up with the persimmon, parsnip and fennel ice cream.
Yellow
This restaurant started out catering to meat-lovers in 2014 before transforming into a vegetarian mainstay in 2016.
Chef Brent Savage and renowned sommelier Nick Hildebrandt set out with the goal of making vegetables the hero of their dishes, and the pair hasn’t looked back since. As the heads of a high-scale restaurant empire, the duo parlay their know-how into a truly magical dining experience.
Even the most ardent of carnivores have taken notice – the eatery scooped up two Chef’s Hats this year and was named ‘Best Degustation’ at the 2018 Time Out Food Awards.
The European-inspired menu stars heirloom vegetables from local suppliers, alongside a range of natural, organic and biodynamic wines from across the globe.
There’s a large variety of dining options: five- and seven-course vegetarian and vegan tasting menus, à la carte, a shared group menu or weekend brunch. Truffle connoisseurs will delight in the winter special: a luxurious five-course truffle degustation.
The venue is situated in Potts Point’s historic Yellow House terrace, formerly an art gallery showcasing some of Sydney’s most famed artists. Fittingly, the eatery’s interior is also kitted out in varying shades of yellow.
Vegan patrons can dine on a medley of romanesco, tomatillo, green pepper and preserved lemon, while vegetarians will enjoy the onion, stracciatella, tonburi and eucalyptus.
The Gantry Restaurant
Occupying a prime waterfront location in the swanky Pier One hotel, The Gantry offers splendid views of Sydney Harbour. This establishment has an emphasis on relaxed fine dining.
While meat is served, plant-based diners are welcome – the restaurant offers a vegetarian and vegan à la carte menu and six-course tastings. The inventive dishes, crafted from high-quality and uber-fresh ingredients, will take you on a journey of discovery.
The restaurant has earned a Chef’s Hat for its edible masterpieces. Enjoy the tranquil atmosphere while relishing delectable creations like charcoal grilled fennel with burnt apple and pickled rhubarb, or figs with house made ricotta, fresh pistachio and watercress.
By Jennifer Luu