Good food with a huge menu. Be prepared, it gets packed and is very much full of meat eaters and foot traffic.
Still very good food and good staff most of the time.
Pros: Big menu, Good foodSat at a community table with a person I know and 2 of her friends. Went up to pay at the end of the meal and they decided no splitting bills for the evening because it's busy. I explained I have no cash, she asked if I wanted to talk to the manager. The manager kept interrupting me and said too busy to split bills. I explained all the time wasted she could have split the bill already. Also, if they are going to change the rules for the evening, they need to tell upon ordering to give us options. She just gave me a look. Luckily the rest of my party had cash and gave me their money and I paid on card. I have eaten here many times and never had them pull this crap.
Food made me sick all night and the next day.
Found out they are owned by meat eaters. Do not want to support meat eaters exploiting vegans and vegetarians either.
Can't take your leftovers, mostly rude staff, snobs like they are the only place to eat in the whole country!
I will never eat here again. Madame K, Yongs and Lord of the Fries are within 2 mins walking distance anyway.
Pros: decent size servesVisited April 2013 on a busy busy BUSY Saturday night. There was a queue of people waiting to be seated which extended out the front door but it moved along quickly & we were at a communal table within 5 minutes. It was a loud & crowded place but it was kind of fun, depends what vibe you are seeking. The music was fab, the Flaming Lips etc, very cool decor also. We ordered the vegan burrito & the field mushroom stack & a few cocktails & I can say it all packed a massive flavour punch & we left very satisfied. Drinks & meal for two was $49. I had no problems with the service & found them friendly & genuine. I plan to go back!
Pros: Delicious vegan comfort food, Cool vibe, decor, musicBeen eating here for many years and has almost always been wonderful. I have never had any issue with getting a vegan meal. Big servings, healthy and varied options, all very tasty. Pizzas, burgers, stir fry and curry meals are all great. On the downside - the recent effort to include raw foods is great but I haven't been very impressed by the raw dishes - not enough dressing, small, not filling.
Pros: almost everything on menu is delicious, everyone loves it, even non veg friends , pleasant at quieter times of dayHave been going to veggie bar for about 15 yaers now and it still amazes me how good the food is and the amount you get. I have tried most things on menu and have always liked all of it.
Pros: VEG ONLY, TASTY FOOD, VALUE FOR MONEYI've been going to the Vegie Bar for many years, and almost every time I tell myself it will be the last. I struggle to believe it's a business with a sincere focus to creating genuinely healthy and tasty meals in a positive environment for v*gans and those trying it for the first time. The rude and pretentious staff, the incredibly long wait between having someone acknowledge you're there and your food arriving (if it's even the meal you ordered), and staff telling you something is vegan when it's clearly not, I wonder why I continue to return. There are many other options on Brunswick street run by people who are happy to have you as a customer.
Really great restaurant located in Melbourne. I've been there 3 times in my stay in Melbourne because there was just so much great stuff to chose from on the map. Really busy at night, so reservations are recommended. People stand in line to get a table. Friendly staff, food is excellent.
Pros: Excellent food, Super friendly staff, Great locationAs a vegeterian / vegan you'll love this place: there's plenty of choice in the menu, including raw food. Very fresh, very tasty. Friendly staff and the place has a good warehouse vibe. Come early, though, even if the place is really big (a beer garden, a mezzanine and a smaller room are added to the warehouse).
Pros: excellent food, healthy cuisine, funky placeAfter hearing some rave reviews from some Melbourne friends, my partner and I visited Vegie Bar on a Friday night this month. I heard it got busy early so we arrived at 5.30, to find it already quite full. Initially we were seated at a long "community" table which when full, would of had us next to people we didn't know (doesn't really worry me though) but before we ordered a small private table became available which we were offered.
The menu is quite extensive and easy to read, with little symbols next to the foods which are or can be made Vegan (as well as gluten free and raw options). The entire menu is Vegetarian. I liked that the menu comprised mainly of old favourites like nachos, stir fries, pizzas etc. I chose the tempeh, brown rice and greens stir fry with satay sauce (I had a choice of 3 sauces). My partner got a margarita pizza (he's not overall adventurous & a carnivore). I couldn't believe the size of my stir fry when it came out, it HUGE and so so so flavoursome! I was in heaven eating it, and even got full before I'd finished which is rare for me. It only cost $14-15 for the stir fry which is amazing considering the size and quality. The next night I ran in there quickly at about 5pm to grab a take away tofu stir fry (again I chose satay sauce) for the drive back home. It too, was incredible.
My partner and I also got a chocolate mud (Vegan o'course!) to takeaway which was possibly the best cake of my life and my boyfriend couldn't tell any difference between that and a "real" version.
Overall I give Vegie Bar 9/10. My only, very small, disappointment with it was about busy it got and quite noisy. The table we were on was very close to the tables around us making it slightly hard to hear but the food was so incredible I know why it's such a popular place.
we first went here about 8 months ago and weren't impressed we have since been back maybe 6 times and now really love it. it depends on when you go as busy times can be quite uncomfitable and loud but go during the day or before the rush and its a great spot. good wholesome food at good prices. portions are big so dont over order. great for people watching in a great area. vegan mains are good but they lack a good vegan dessert. i have tried the salads, pizza, currys, soups, stir fries all good.
Updated from previous review on Friday March 18, 2011
I really love this place. I think it's my favourite vegetarian restaurant in Australia. The food is great, the ambience is funky and cool and the prices are very reasonable. The berry cheesecake with whipped cream on the side was delicious!
Pros: Excellent food, Ambience, Reasonable pricesBeen here a couple of times. Once at lunch and once for breakfast.
Lunch: the menu was expansive and varied and catered well for vegans. All pretty tasty. Good experience overall and was very excited to come back on the next trip to Melbourne.
Breakfast: a lot more limited - only had 3 vegan options. They seem to have a fascination with eggs. I ordered a couple of soy coffees and realised on the first sip that they gave me dairy instead. They did quickly fix this but... c'mon.
Same as what everyone here is saying: funky place, service not the best.
What really angered me last time was that we had practically a full meal remaining and asked for a take home bag only to be told they dont do that because "it's unsustainable." Right - let's throw away a complete meal because that's sustainable. If they want sustainable then how about starting by ditching the dairy and eggs.
That left a sour note so probably won't be back! (Nonetheless in the spirit of fairness I'm leaving a 4cow rating even though I feel like leaving a 1cow rating)
Pros: Plenty of options (but not at breakfast), Energetic vibeService here can be apathetic, disinterested, and inefficient. Some staff will have overdrawn sidebar conversations with both each other and whiney customers who need to hurry up with their business. Staff tend to have little regard for the line of people waiting to be seated or pay for their food, and will leave you standing for 5-10 minutes without so much as eye-contact acknowledgment that they're interested in helping you. Restaurant can get CRAZY busy at peak hours, but that's no excessive for the pathetic service we've seen here.
Other than hit-or-miss serving etiquette, the food here is excellent. You may wait quite a while for your food. Good vegan options abound. The lentil burger is their best burger; alcoholic mixed drinks are excellent and on-par with top drinks from anywhere else. Neighbourhood is eclectic and interesting. Definitely take a stroll through it after dinner. Down the street from Vegie Bar is also a raw vegan -friendly restaurant called Yong Green Food.
Atmosphere is funky and casual. Beautiful people abound. Definitely a must-visit for Vegetarians and Vegans who are dining-out in Melbourne.
Pros: Great 100% vegetarian food, Good vegan selection, Funky atmosphereI adore the Vegie Bar - this is my local hangout between uni classes. Their coffee is fantastic; fairtrade and with a generous dusting of chocolate powder. The atmosphere is so enjoyable and it is very hard to go back to the real world. I have brought non-veg friends and family here and they are always surprised with the quality. The restaurant caters very well for Coeliacs, and as such, mama is very impressed. Love the Vegie Bar so much!
Pros: menu choice, back bar is superb, fantastic wait staffI love it here. It's always busy and has great atmosphere. The meals are well priced and you get a huge portion. The chick pea dahl is to die for. Great pizza's, fresh juices, wicked coffee and yummy salads. I LOVE THIS PLACE
Pros: cheap, big portions, good coffeeBeen here a few times as it's always highly recommended and received rave reviews but I am yet to be impressed.
I find the staff aren't as friendly as other places, the food isn't that great and it's always crowded. It feels a bit chain store like to me.
Enjoy that there are raw options at times, the vegan dessert is good too. Only had one staff member there that seemed friendly and she was clearly stressed.
One time my partner and I simply weren't served, another time our meals simply didn't arrive.
Guess it depends on the day?
Situated in the heart of Brunswick Street, Fitroy, this trendy little night spot is popular amongst carnivores, omnivores and herbivores alike.
At night, this place has a real party atmosphere and can get pretty crowded - as can all the restaurants along this strip. In the day it has a rustic quality about it and is still pretty busy, but not filled to capacity as it is in the evenings.
Part of the reason for the popularity would have to be the extensive menu. There is a huge range of vegetarian and vegan meals that are both large in size and delicious. Mexican and asian-influenced meals are accompanied with tasty sides and really frothy smoothies and drinks.
Aside from the great meals, you might get to spot a celebrity or two...I saw James Hetfield and the rest of the crew from Metallica eating here. Wow!
You don't wait long for your meal and they are quick to get your meals to you.
A few times I've been here I've been a bit let down by the service by a few of the staff. They've seemed to be having a particularly bad day and you feel like you're an inconvenience for asking for a table. However, that's not all the staff, just a few.
Overall, this is a great place to have a fun, tasty and hearty meal for a reasonable price.
I've gone to this restaurant a few times and have been really impressed by the menu. Although it is always packed full of people (even at 9pm on a Sunday or Monday night) the food has been varied, satisfying and fairly priced.
Definitely one of the better veggie places in the city but dont go expecting a chilled out or relaxing dinning experience, dinner sometimes feels like your at a crowded city bar on a Friday night (although obviously that appeals to many people!).
Pros: Lots of different options on menu, Quality food, decent priceMy husband and I went here on a recommendation. We checked out the menu on another website and decided to try it. It was a Tuesday night, the music was very loud and it was fairly busy. It continued to become packed and even noisier as they cranked up the music and there was a huge line out the door.
We ordered 2 soups, rice balls, the cajun stew special and the risotto. It was very good, very hot and came pretty timely.
The service was not so great, you didn't know who your waiter was and they all ran around and never asked if you needed anything else.
We did not finish all of our meal and when we asked to get it to go, the waitress flat out said no and it was part of their food safety policy. WTF is that? I have never in my life heard of that, and especially ordering vegan food with no animal products to go bad, this does not make sense, it was some rice and vegetables for God's sakes. I can't believe they think it's better to just take your money and throw out the food than let you enjoy it later that evening or the next day. Totally unacceptable. I looked it up too and it's not illegal to allow to go or doggy bags, next time I will bring my own tupperware and tell them off if they try to take my food away.
We said no to dessert and then were left alone for another 15 minutes after our food was done. No offer to bring the bill, no coming back to ask if there was anything else. I don't get why they ignore you when you're done and the table is empty and they have a lineup out the door. Do they not want more customers to be seated?
We had a really good time until the rude waitress threw out our food, left us at the table with no bill and the music was cranked even higher.
It really put a sour taste in our mouths and we were looking forward to coming back, but now we're just pissed off with the place.
Pros: good flavour, good presentation, vegan friendly
JaimieCS
The majority of restaurants in Melbourne no longer allow doggy bags.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mixed-bag-may-leave-you-sick-as-a-dog-20111015-1lqnl.html
The food was absolutely fantastic! Lost of GF and Vegan choices. The GF+Vegan Choclate cake was to die for. The Singapore noddles was huge and delicious, feeding two of us easily. The Rice Balls where yummy and the Tomato and Vegie pasta was a big hit as well. Tons of food, fast service, nice 'busy' atmosphere, we loved it! Wish we weren't leaving tomorrow so we could go back.
Pros: Fast Service, Big Serves, Friendly StaffThe Vegie Bar is a stalwart, I've eaten nearly every vegan dish on the menu and never had a less than amazing meal.
It's loud and busy and you nearly always have to wait for a table but I've always had excellent service, (the staff are all awesome) despite the size of the place and only once have I waited a bit long for my meal to come out.
The dishes are very generous and it's good value for money.
Pros: great food, great service, good valueBeen to the Veggie Bar quite a few times. It's great to have large licensed vegetarian venue so close to the city, generally good bistro-style food with ample menu and generous portions for reasonable price.
Mostly I've had good service but some staff (maybe they are inexperienced and need more supervision) seem more interested in being "Brunswick-cutting-edge-cool" than in ensuring customers get good service. Waited 45 mins for burgers, it wasnt v.busy, others got served well ahead and staff person's attitude was really dismissive when we politely inquired. Not o.k.-- it's a mistake for any restaurant to rest on its laurels no matter how good business seems.
The "mostly greens" with tempeh is yumm, so are the pizzas.
Most of the staff are great too, I'll go back if I'm in the area but I wouldn't take guests and I wouldn't make a point of travelling there.
I like their meals, usually pretty amazing and I usually go for the rice balls or curry, or the vegan supreme pizza. Wish they had more vegan lunch specials and desserts though :(
This place is wonderful. Perhaps not the very swiftest staff in the world. Yes, you might well have to wait for and/or share a table. But there is a terrific variety of great food.
I would not strongly recommend the burgers. I've tried the tempeh and lentil burgers, but as another reviewer said: meh. Be more adventuresome. Oh, and check the specials board.
As an American on vacation (er, holiday), I was lucky to even hear about Vegie Bar. I searched Happy Cow for restaurants in Melbourne, and Vegie Bar is in Fitzroy. But Fitzroy is a very, very near suburb -- Veggie Bar is 10 minutes from Melbourne's central business district on the easy-to-find, easy-to-use tram system (route 112).
Do yourself a favor and go there.
Pros: variety, vegan-friendlyA nice vibe and friendly staff, but the food did not live up to the hype. The tofu burger bun was burned, and the satay needed more kick - either some spice or more acidity - that or the tofu needed more seasoning, because on the whole it was pretty bland. The penne in my husband's pasta had clearly been cooked earlier and just reheated. The pumpkin & tempeh pizza was a creative idea, and the crust and toppings were good, but it came with loads of very bland cheese on it, and it would have been better without any at all. Maybe we just caught them on an extra-busy day - if they slowed down and took a little more care I think this place could be really good.
First of all I'm shocked to see a few not so good reviews. I've been eating at the Vegie Bar for 22 years and yes I think in the past there was a bit of attitude from the old manager and some staff, but in last ten years, the service couldn't be better and the staff are very friendly and helpful. For the amount of people that go through this oasis, I'm astounded that they can get the food out so quickly.
I've eaten at veg places all over the world and this is my favourite. It's not a restaurant, it's a cafe, and a fun one at that. The atmosphere is always up and the staff are quick as a flash, the problem is that it's so popular that sometimes it can be impossible to get everyone served straight away, sometimes you might have to wait a couple of minutes, but just sit back and enjoy the atmosphere. Life is not a race.
I never get bored with the Vegie Bar. It's the first place I head for when I get back to Melbourne. Try the Mostly Greens with tempeh and extra satay sauce. Also the menu pizzas, especially the Zen pizza. You could live off one of their burgers a day and only $7.50 Aust, that's about 4.00 Euro for a sit down meal that is huge. Slightly extra for a small bowl of extra satay.
The only meal I've ever not raved about was a curry, many years ago, but I haven't tried it since, so maybe even their curry is OK now.
Love the Vegie Bar, long live the Vegie Bar. I wish I could give a 6 cow rating.
After dinner, go to Bar Open up the road for some great indie music, but beware, the drinks can be expensive.
Pros: Tasty, Nutritious, Reasonably pricedVegie Bar is a bit of a Melbourne institution and I love visiting this place. It has always been really busy every time I've been but the service is also always really fast and friendly. Prices are very reasonable and the food is great, with HEAPS of variety on the menu as well. Definitely worth a visit!
Pros: Variety, Great Food, Reasonbly pricedFor my review and many many more - http://www.womow.com.au/biz/The-Vegie-Bar-Fitzroy/
I love this restaurant.
i really enjoyed my lunch at the Veggie bar. I had a stirfried dish off the specials board and a tempeh stirfry from the menu. both were great. i was very happy.
Pros: veg food!, location
I have been to Vegie Bar many times being vegan and often hanging around Bruswick St. After the very 1st time I went there, I left disappointed. The staff I encountered have always been icy, the food has always been average. There is a pompous atmosphere in that place and I have not once encountered friendly service. I once waited for about 45 minutes for a lunchtime dish - no one even bothered to let me know it was on its way. I kept giving it "second chances" but I will definitely not be returning.
Pros: On Brunswick St, Good interiorWe were really excited about Vegie Bar after arriving late in Melbourne one Friday evening. The menu was amazing. Full of great looking dishes of every type. Unfortunately, not one of them turned out to be particularly good. Everything was average - at best. My seitan burger was nothing like it was advertised, and was about 1/4 the size of the bread and drowned in salad. Frozen french fries and a below average smoothie made it an average overall experience. There are MANY better veggie restos in Melbourne... Pizzas were better choice
Pros: selection, atmosphereThese burgers are huge and tasty, and one of the items that has made this place what it is. Good variety on the menu, fresh juices and lots of vegan options. Always busy, and therefore a bit too much noise and movement to be really relaxing. I also feel a little rushed, like they need your table ASAP, which is not pleasant.
Pros: burgers, juice cocktails
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Hiya, just wanted to write a quick response about the inability to let you take your paid for left overs. The health department have gone way too far and taken it to a new extreme. According to the health regulations no cafe or restaurant is permitted to allow customers to take home their left overs. Somehow, they make the distinction between a meal that you have paid for and had delivered to your table v's something that is take away and quickly thrown into a container.
Of course it's all linked into the letigious nature of modern life and people getting sued if they get sick. Apparently we can not make the correct decisions about correct storage in the fridge, ways to re-heat or how quickly we should eat this food. Therefore no doggy bags for anyone.
Strange that they cited sustainability as the reason. Such a waste. When we are already throwing out billions of dollars of food annually, it's just crazy to throw out perfectly good food. Try explaining that to the starving millions around the globe.
I'm ranting! But it's not a veggie bar thing ( no I don't work there). I love it when places actually go against the rules and give you a doggie bag anyway. I've been traveling in Asia for 11 months and don't think twice now about getting the remainder of my meal to go. Thinking about the situation back home makes me remember how crazy it is! Take care, Claire :)