Vegan
Italian
Beer/Wine
Licensed vegan Italian restaurant open since Dec '21, serving antipasti, pasta dishes, mains such as chicken, fish and calamari, a degustation menu and desserts. Beer, wine and cocktails available. Open Tue-Sat 12:00pm-3:00pm, Tue-Thu 5:00pm-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 5:00pm-11:00pm.
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- Outdoor seating
- Reservations required
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 11 Aug 2023 by Tiggy
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Added by Aloo on 02 Dec 2021
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81 Reviews
First Review by MargaBouten
Jayness33
Points +382
Delicious. Great staff. - Edit
I had the lasagne and the chocolate cheesecake. Both were divine.
Read morePros: The entire menu is carefully curated, all vegan, I feel like I'm in Italy, The flavours are exceptional
Cons: This is fine dining. Prices are reflected.
Guest
Tiggy
Points +13759
Overpr*ced bullsh*t - Edit
I know everybody has org*sms over this place, and I thought I would too, but it was just so disappointing. I had not been here since it first opened at the end of 2021 and imagined it would have got better. It’s important for me to say that the service was good and the wait staff pleasant and friendly. After starting with drinks (a delicious cosmopolitan for me) we were brought the arancini balls as ordered. These were lovely and crisp and had a nice flavour, but there was already a hint of disappointment, as the taste of the sauce was just a bit too subtle for me. The carpaccio was tasty, but not as strong in flavour as I might have expected, especially considering the presence of an attractive-looking parmesan. it was all downhill from there. The napolitana sauce on the $32 gnocchi sorrentina was not even as good as some I’ve made at home. By the time I realised I had paid $36 for a pile of eggplant posing as swordfish I just thought what the f*ck. Although the chocolate cheesecake that followed was delicious, it didn’t make up for my sense of being ripped off. I don’t normally complain about the price of fine-dining restaurants because it’s my privileged choice to go there, so I know what I’m in for. I understand CBD (especially Hardware Lane) overheads are high and often lower prices means staff aren’t paid properly. However, this restaurant just seems unviable to me if it charges so much for such mediocre food. This doesn’t mean you should go to some murder kitchen instead. That will always be worse/wrong and I’m conscious that my bad review might give people an excuse to dismiss a vegan place for a slaughter salon like Maha , Matteos, or Hochi Mama. That is not at all the intention..
Read morePros: Pleasant, friendly staff, Delicious cheesecake and drinks
Cons: Mediocre napolitana sauce, Swordfish a f*cking joke - a pile of eggplant , Dishes outrageously expensive
Kittybiscuit
I’ve definitely found it has decreased in quality for me. I’m not sure if my expectations were too high or if quality has slipped.
Read morebeancurdled
Damn, I love eggplant but even I wouldn't pay $36 for a measly serve of eggplant with a side of...🍆!
Read moreTiggy
@Kittybiscuit - yeah I don’t think it’s just me
Read more@beanurdled - 🤣
Yes I love eggplant too but there’s a limit and size matters. Serving size that is.
beancurdled
😋
Read moreAloo
I had such a different experience of the food. I didn't have what you had, and have visited with omnis who were impressed.
Read moreGuest
Monkey02
Points +85
Amazing chef selction - Edit
Very a delicious italian experience!
Read moreThe tasting menu was great, especially the mock fish was amazing.
Tiggy
Looking forward to a special dinner here in a couple of weeks.
Read moreGuest
novog1
Points +744
Fancy Italian - Edit
Delicious mock meatballs with sugo
Read moreGuest
robynie
Points +115
Underwhelming - Edit
The menu online made this place sound too good to be true and unfortunately it was. We arrived about 8 minutes early for our reservation and were awkwardly told to come back at the exact time, not offered a drink or anything even though the place was totally empty. When we returned, a different staff member was very friendly though. Carpaccio was pretty good, but mains felt like something I could make at home which is not what we want for the high price point. It was nice to try once, but we wouldn’t go back with all the other great vegan options in Melbourne to try.
Read morePros: Full vegan menu, Carpaccio, Wide pasta
Cons: Awkward interaction with staff, Expensive, Average food
Tiggy
Super bad form making you leave and come back, particularly if there was room in the restaurant. Definitely not in keeping with the fine-dining standard you’d expect.
Read moreGuest
chinaamber
Points +278
Amazing food. - Edit
I had the carbonara which was really tasty. My parents had gnocchi and risotto which were also good. Just wish I could have tried more dishes 😕. The service was super friendly and quick, they were really busy the whole time we were there. I'd definitely be back if I lived in Melbourne.
Read moreGuest
CabernetS
Points +250
Yummy vegan Italian food - Edit
Very filling yummy food. Some of the best vegan cheese I have eaten. But you also shouldn’t overlook the amazing h crackers they are on. Other dishes were also great!
Read morePros: Vegan cheese board , Eggplant
Guest
Jackfruitie
Points +160
Awesome Italian food - Edit
Fully vegan restaurant with lots of Italian food. Great choices and super tasty. There’s a chef’s recommendation tasting menu which lets you try lots of things on the menu. Particularly recommend the carbonara, super creamy!
Read moreGuest
ErinJordanna
Points +406
Authentic italian - Edit
Great vegan Italian food, very authentic and delicious! Great atmosphere in trendy hardware lane. The calamari was so good, plus the truffle pasta and lasagne. The canolis - so good! Haven't been able to have that since I was non vegan in Venice 8 years ago!
Read moreGuest
MarkoObradovic
Points +544
Great Italian Food, Great Location - Edit
I'm happy whenever I have vegan options with truffle, and here I had the funghi e tartufo aranchine and parpardelle. The food was excellent, although I wish the truffle taste was a bit stronger. The restaurant is on a beautiful cozy street in Melbourne, definitely a great place for a date.
Read morePros: Great Italian Food, Scenic street
Guest
ambyeats
Points +83
Better than Italy - Edit
We first ate here in 2022 and have been dreaming of coming back ever since (we live in Sydney) and boy oh boy was it everything we remembered and more. We recently travelled through Europe and Funghi’s pasta is even better than anything we tried in Italy. It’s THAT good. Highly recommend the meatballs, carbonara and eggplant pasta. If I lived in Melbourne I would be here every week!
Read morePros: Delicious pasta, Friendly service, High quality ingredients
Guest
stopsign38
Points +900
Excellent Italian vegan - Edit
All plant based Italian restaurant. You need to eat here, bring your friends, great vegan food and wine. Even whiskey/tequila sour cocktails with aquafaba foam.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-27
Pros: Almost can’t believe the ‘Calamari’ is plant based, Eggplant tagliatelle dish, and cheesecake and panacotta desserts 👍
Cons: Pumpkin purée in gnocchi dish lacked flavour
Tiggy
Have to disagree on the calamari and panna cotta. The other dishes look delicious though.
Read morestopsign38
@Tiggy disagree based on photos? I’m sure this review was my opinion of the restaurant.
Read moreCalliope Jones
It looks like Tiggy reviewed this restaurant back in December 2021 when it first opened, commenting on both the calamari and panna cotta then (so opinion not based on photos)...maybe those dishes are better now? Great to see a fully vegan restaurant being well supported.
Read morestopsign38
Yes is a great vegan restaurant, in fact just a great restaurant full stop. Would recommend everyone try it.
Read moreGuest
Zot
Points +107
Lovely pasta - Edit
Enjoyed the plant based spaghetti carbonara.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-02-24
Pros: Delicious pasta, Great salad, Perfect service
Tiggy
Just looking at the menu. It’s the most expensive vegan restaurant in Melbourne.
Read moreotherdimension
Its because they pay their staff fairly Tiggy! Do they deserve to be paid less? Thank you for pointing out Brother Bon pay their staff fairly.
Read moreGuest
Meaghanmeaghan
Points +204
Great Italian in Melbourne - Edit
We had the calamari, arancini and carpaccio for starters and the carbonara and pappardelle.
Read moreIt was all excellent. No complaints
Guest
RadiJana
Points +157
Love the Arancini - Edit
I had the arancini and the linguine with funghi and Tartofu.
Read moreIt was delicious.
My omni partner didn’t liked the taste of the vegan swordfish
Pros: Good taste, Many options , Vegan cocktails
Guest
JohnSpithead
Points +164
Wonderful Food - Edit
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. A fabulous menu.
Read morePros: Delicious vegan food, Extensive menu, Decent portion sizes
Guest
NicholaCarr
Points +74
Vegan deliciousness - Edit
Great service, wonderful traditional Italian food. Even the omnis loved it. Highly recomend
Read more.
Guest
madelinek
Points +1983
beautiful - Edit
beautiful menu and food! don’t know why i hadn’t been here sooner but had a lovely lunch:) we had the calamari, arancini, fried olives, and a salad and all was absolutely delicious! my (non vegan) friend said they couldn’t tell calamari was vegan and loved it! a bit more on the pricy side but nice place to have a proper meal!
Read moreGuest
rymc
Points +422
Hard to go wrong - Edit
We got a last minute table here after getting off our flight - which is to say we were hungry for some real food.
Read moreOrdered a slew of appetizers (calamari, carpaccio, and Gorgonzola block), which were all good and honestly the dishes I liked the most. I appreciate that the kitchen understands how to replicate fried calamari well - could eat a bucket of them.
For pasta, we grabbed the gnocchi in marina and the carbonara. The gnocchi was good, but the marinara sauce was a bit of a let down… needed more basil or some garlic or something. I *think* this place might do low FODMAP so maybe that influences this dish though? The carbonara was great and hit the spot like what I had before removing animal products from my diet. The color of the dish is a bit off putting and it could probably be plated nicer, but it hardly matters here.
Wine selection looked decent but was unable to drink on this occasion. The overall price was… fine, but pushing the line of what I think it merits quality wise.
Pros: Tasty enough
Guest
Seatown_vegan
Points +7278
On point! - Edit
Decided to come here for dinner and it did not disappoint. I was promptly seated outside upon my arrival. I had no idea what to get so, from recommendation of two people from the staff, I ordered pane e caponata and potato gnocchi. The caponata was delicious and tasted very fresh. It was highly recommended and I’m glad I ordered it. The gnocchi was delicious as well and came in a pesto sauce along with shaved Parmesan which I thought was a nice touch. You can’t go wrong dining here.
Read moreGuest
Kittybiscuit
Points +7766
Nice food - Edit
22-11-2023 I had dinner here last night. I’ve been here a few times but last night I did think it wasn’t as nice as it usually is. The olives with bread was ok. I thought the pumpkin ravioli was nice but the pasta was a bit dry on the edges. Staff were nice.
Read moreI shared the degustation menu with a friend. We were seated upstairs and it became quite busy. The antipasto was amazing. I really enjoyed the calamari and eggplant particularly but it was all nice. I loved the pasta dishes, the mushroom in particular being the standout. Next came the schnitzel served with potatoes and the grilled “swordfish.” I wasn’t a big fan of the schnitzel and I wouldn’t order it from an a la carte menu but the potatoes were delicious. The grilled swordfish was amazing. Such a great flavour and texture. Then I still managed to fit the desserts in which were very decent sizes! I really liked the berries on the pannacotta and the dessert itself. The chocolate cheesecake was nice too. I’m looking forward to return to order from their al a carte menu. I also had an espresso martini which I enjoyed. The service was good with the only issue being that with each course, we were expecting to be told what the dish was but we weren’t told and eavesdropped when the next table had their dishes delivered.
Updated from previous review on 2021-12-26
Guest
GeorgiaDay
Points +126
Delicate and delicious - Edit
It has an amazing all vegan menu! Very spoiled for choice. We chose the Arancine funghi e tartufo, Pane e Caponata, Pappardelle Funghi e Tartufo and the Gnocchi sorrentina. All were so delicious with amazing flavours including truffle 🤤 would definitely come back again 🤌
Read moreGuest
msaracen
Points +24
Best vegan restaurant in Melbourne!! - Edit
Funghi e Tartufo is hands-down, the best vegan restaurant in Melbourne. I’ve traveled all over the world looking for good vegan restaurants, and this one is one of my favorites. The food is wonderful, and the hospitality is outstanding. It’s nestled in a wonderful spot with lively entertainment and plenty of people watching. This is a great restaurant for date night or a group of friends. be sure to book a reservation on the weekend. It gets quite busy. The limoncello and orangecello is homemade and is a great way to end the meal. Don’t miss out!
Read morePros: Flavors, Hospitality , Atmosphere
Guest
BenjaminJacobson
Points +83
Ok food, ok service, poor value - Edit
The food was alright, there wasn’t a huge wow factor. But for the price, we were expecting a little bit more. The arancini balls didn’t seem like they were made fresh, maybe prepared a few days prior and then cooked, for the price I would have expected them to be made fresh. The desserts were tasty, everything else was alright but nothing that stood out. The vegan fish had a very realistic texture if that’s something that you might find favourable.
Read morePros: Desserts, A lot of options, Vegan cheeses
Cons: Overpriced
Guest
skyfury1017
Points +18
Amazing food and service - Edit
We had a smorgasbord of deliciousness, from the calamari, the pollo, meatballs, rocket and pear salad, arancini, and finally the cheesecake. My hubby was so thrown by “realness” of the calamari and pollo. But everything was incredible and so was the amazing Italian service.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-10-06
Pros: Insalata rucola e pere, Polpette al sugo
Guest
Teresa1402
Points +41
Vegan Italian that isn’t pizza! - Edit
Beautiful food of all the Italian classics. Nice surroundings, although could do with slightly dimmer lighting for a more cozy feel, but I’m just nitpicking.
Read moreI usually don’t enjoy plant based fish as I find the texture unpleasant, but I took a chance on the calamari and it was excellent. Also had the creamy carbonara and the cheesecake. Delicious! Magnifico 🤌🏻
Guest
ProfBob
Points +1123
Unbelievably good ! - Edit
Absolutely incredible plant based food. We had Mushroom Arancini as a starter followed by Parpadelle with Truffle and ‘Swordfish’ with grilled aubergine. The Arancini had a crisp outer and perfectly cooked moist rice and mushroom centre. The pasta flooded your mouth with garlic and truffle flavours. Heaven knows what the Swordfish was made from (the waiter said ‘made with love’ 🤪) but it was divine. We sat downstairs which is a little noisy so go for outside or upstairs if you like to be able to hear your fellow diners. Fabulous ‘must go’ place
Read morePros: Italian vegan food without compromise
Cons: Noisy inside
Guest
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