Seven Eateries to Hit When You're Trying to Make Meat-Free Monday a Habit
With options like these, you may even opt to go meat-free more than just once a week.
Seven Eateries to Hit When You're Trying to Make Meat-Free Monday a Habit
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With options like these, you may even opt to go meat-free more than just once a week.
If thinking about meat-free Mondays conjures up images of boiled vegetables, soggy tofu or a simple salad, you're doing it all wrong. In a city as health-conscious as Sydney, there are heaps of restaurants dishing up wholesome vegetarian meals that are both innovative and delicious. Grab a meal at one of these spots, and you'll soon see that there's absolutely no reason that meat-free needs to equal flavourless. In fact, these stellar restaurants make vegetarian eating so appealing you may just find yourself extending that meat-free commitment into the rest of the week.
To get you started, we've teamed up with our mates at American Express to pick out the best spots to go when you want a vego feed with zero compromises on flavour. Whether you're looking for a veggie-driven banquet, premier farm-to-table eating or a healthy casual spot for a quick evening meal, we've got the place for you. From brekkie to dinner, these eateries make meat-free eating a total breeze. Plus, they all accept your American Express® Card so you can stock up on points while treating your body like the glorious temple that it is. Kiss that soggy tofu goodbye.
Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
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At this NYC-inspired cafe, the menu heroes local producers and big flavours. And it does so in a stunning space with a jewel-toned colour palette, neon-lit menu and blue marmoleum flooring. While the snug menu isn’t exclusively vegetarian, the vast majority of dishes are meat-free, with many options catering to vegan and gluten-free eaters as well. For breakfast, the rice pilaf with cranberries, almonds and goat’s curd is a winner. There’s also a Belgian waffle with lime and honey buttermilk ricotta and caramelised pineapple that sweet tooths will go crazy for. Breakfast at Matinee is available all day, but at midday, the kitchen welcomes in lunch items including turmeric roasted eggplant salad. Round it all out with a salted caramel vegan shake and you’ve got yourself one helluva delicious meat-free Monday.
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At one-hatted Yellow, your preconceived notions about vegetarian-eating will go flying out the window. The meals at this all-vegetarian spot are the stuff of legends. There’s the excellent Jerusalem artichoke served with goat’s yoghurt and malt and the comforting corn custard with miso milk crumb and a poached egg. Honestly, though, you could close your eyes and point at anything on the menu and come away as happy as a clam. With distressed wooden tables and the geometric bling of mirrors and gold frames, this is the perfect place for a veggie meal that’s as delicious as it is wholesome.
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Thought Dead Ringer was mostly about world-class cocktails? Think again. As incredible as those liquid concoctions are, this place also wins major points for its local produce-focused food menu. And on Mondays, it’s an all-vegetarian affair. The reasonably priced Meat-Free Mondays set menu ($37pp) lets you sample the best of the restaurant’s vego offerings, including an incredible pumpkin gnocchi and roasted beetroot and goats curd topped with walnuts and persimmon. Round it all out with the devilishly good sticky toffee pudding, and you might just find yourself committing to vegetarianism on the spot. While Mondays are entirely meat-free, Dead Ringer dishes up vegetarian delights week-round.
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For the quintessential Surry Hills vegetarian experience, there are few better places than Yulli’s. This long-standing favourite has been satisfying tastebuds for years in gloriously unpretentious style. The tapas-style menu sees dishes like edamame and coconut moneybags sitting beside papadums and Vietnamese pancakes. The chefs have clearly scoured the globe for influences and it has paid off to delicious effect. Go with a group of friends so you can work your way through as much of the menu as humanly possible. And make sure to save room for dessert, because it’s truly a revelation. We’re obsessed with the chocolate fudge slice served with yuzu jam and honeycomb, but the Davidson plum and persimmon crumble is also a strong contender for our affection. At a ridiculously reasonable $40, the banquet option — which gets you three courses plus dessert — is also well worth a look.
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Priscillas has something for everyone — from food and drinks to dancing, drag, music, cabaret, burlesque and sexy magic (it’s a thing). Whatever you’re in to, it’s probably here. And if it’s vegetarian eats you’re after, you’ll be well looked after, too. In the Priscillas kitchen, vegetables are the stars of the show, the menu heroing plant-based options like island-style coconut ceviche and ‘crab-less crabcakes’ made with spiced jackfruit and palm hearts. The menu, which is 85 percent vegetarian, also caters well to vegans and the gluten- and lactose-intolerant. The crispy cauliflower and broccoli ‘wings’ with ranch dressing are moreish enough to make you forget all about the poultry alternative. So pop into one of those luscious velvet armchairs and indulge away.
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Inspired by Middle Eastern street vendors and the splendour of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, this Glebe gem is our go-to for stellar contemporary Middle Eastern fare like fried cauliflower fattoush and hummus with burnt butter. While the menu here isn’t exclusively vegetarian, there is a stunning nine-course vego degustation ($52pp) that lets you try delights like the turmeric baghrir (crumpet) with confit leek, crème fraîche and grape molasses; sheesh barak (Lebanese dumplings) with braised silverbeet, shanklish cheese and fried chickpeas; and haloumi with honey and macadamia dukkah. Set across two floors of exposed brick, peeling paint, and antique chandeliers, this delightful joint will leave you totally, wholesomely sated.
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At the beginning of 2018, Little Lord shook things up a little, migrating to an exclusively vegetarian menu. The ever-changing options are displayed on a set of old-school chalkboards behind the front counter, so make your way up there to see what’s on offer. Admirers of Little Lord’s three-cheese toastie, never fear. It’s still around, albeit with the grana padano replaced by pecorino. If your tastebuds crave something sweeter, there’s homemade granola with lavender yoghurt and poached plums. Or, perhaps sample one of the homemade cakes from a range that changes regularly based on fruit seasonality. Throw in a couple of creative salads, such as sugar snap peas with miso butter and white sesame, and you have a lineup that even the most vehement carnivores will salivate over.
As you drink and dine with your American Express, reap all the sweet rewards of being a Card Member. Explore the many ways American Express has your back here.
Header image: Anwyn Howarth.
