Pickles Milk Bar
A retro milk bar slinging a fully vegan menu.
Overview
Once the undisputed heart of suburbs where neighbours met over groceries and dim sims, milk bars can feel like a piece of suburban folklore described with wistful nostalgia — especially for a generation raised on supermarkets and delivery apps. At Carlton North's Pickles Milk Bar, the retro hub receives a modern homecoming.
From hot snacks and sandwiches to baked goods and even old-school candy, Pickles serves up everything a local milk bar would. The kicker: everything's plant-based (and mostly gluten-free).
Classic sangas are reimagined as vegan-friendly options. Bacon egg rolls lean on tofu, while cheesy bean burritos bulk up with tofu scramble and potato gems. Fried chicken sangas — they come via seitan (a savoury what-based meat alternative) — are canvases for a monthly rotating flavour. Currently, it's a zesty za'atar version with baba ganoush, pickled turnips and veggies served in a pita wrap. For the gluten-free crowd, seitan gives way to a fried enoki patty that also stars in a riff on Caesar salad.
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