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• Vegano Italiano

For a cuisine rich in vegetables, it is actually quite rare, even in Melbourne, to find an Italian restaurant with vegan options clearly marked on the menu. Even less so in the outer suburbs. So when my work decided to have our Christmas party at Vibrante I was pleasantly surprised to find they had 5 vegan options, clearly marked on the menu. I had the pepperone - a baked capsicum with spinach, pumpkin, mushrooms, olives, cherry tomatoes, rice, served with sautéed vegetables - which whilst quite large and satisfying, was a bit expensive at $25. But I wasn't paying so had no problem ordering it. The next night I went back with my wife and another couple, and we sampled every vegan option on the menu. This time I had the Campagnola pizza, featuring spinach, zucchini, pumpkin, mushrooms, basil pesto, onions & olives. Very tasty and more than enough for one person. My wife had who is gluten-free, had the pepperone which I had the previous night, and the presentation was similar, and again, quite a large serve. Our friends had the Spaghetti Funghi Spinaci - spaghetti tossed in garlic, chilli, olive oil, mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes and olives, and the Super Salad - organic quinoa, chia, green beans, freekeh, cherry tomato, almonds and roast pumpkin with vinaigrette dressing. We also got a couple of sides of the sautéed broccoli with almonds to share. All in all, everyone enjoyed their meals, a couple of drinks, and were happy to discover another restaurant with vegan options close to home. Rating 3 stars due to the price only, a little cheaper and it would easily be 4, as the service and quality is very good.