Smith & Deli

Awesome food, and vegan products, like snacks, chocolate, different types of "cheese" and dressings and more. must go.

Popped in here to see what all the fuss is about and were definitely not disappointed! We purchased a few non-perishable items to take back to QLD and a chocolate brownie which was better than any brownie I have ever eaten (vegan or not)!.
Would very much recommend this place, if we lived in Melbourne, we would definitely be regulars here 🙂

Smith and Deli was busy today and after having my doughnut and fruit mince pie I can see why! They were very tasty! The only thing that would make me a less frequent visitor is that it's takeaway only... I'd like the option of eating in, but I guess there'd not enough space and I have the option of eating in at Smith and Daughters...

Can be quite busy, but they've excellently recreated a New York style grab and go sandwich bar. Staff are friendly and the atmosphere good. They have a small but diverse selection of groceries including some hard to find items like the non-dairy Ben and Jerry's!

What a sandwich! BLT with avocado. My plan was to eat half then and half when I got back to where I was staying. The half sandwich had other plans. It sang to my mouth at every traffic light. Soon it was reunited

Such is the overpowering deliciousness of Smith and Deli.

Come here regularly, and the food never dissapoints

Heaps of options, all good so far. They also have a heap of vegan groceries I haven't been able to find anywhere else. Get the So Delicious Cashew Ice Cream! There's nowhere to sit, most people turn left and go up to the park to eat.

Tasty vegan deli. Lots of options for rolls, sandwiches and more. They do good coffee too. Go just go!!!!

Best vegan sandwich I have had with vegan cheese and mock meat! Wished I lived in Melbourne so I could try all of their sandwiches and baked good! It was busy when I went but the service was great and we didn't have to wait too long for the food.

Egg and bacon muffin...

Soy Chai Latte!

What more could you want!!!!

This place in incredible! Vegan croissants made on-site, so many pastries and great products to buy. I love the Croissant of Eastwick (ham and cheese), the Bacon and Egg pastry roll and they sello big vego choc hazelnut bars which is the greatest vegan chocolate bar in the world, made in Germany!

Updated from previous review on 2016-05-07

Have been here several times since it opened.The sandwiches are generally tasty and filling,although the amount of filling can vary.It is our favourite Melbourne lunch place,despite the very lengthy waits.The cinnamon donuts are excellent.The staff are friendly and efficient.There could be more gluten free options.

Smith and Deli is all of my dreams come true. Imagine freshly baked croissants, subs which are out of this world and creative desserts which are changing by the hour!

Had the godfather and my boyfriend has the wiggum. Definitely would recommend if your in Melbourne

Worth the wait ! Amazing toasties I especially like the egg mcmartinez ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The whole trip to Melbourne worth it just for this place! Incredible sandwiches, perfectly constructed desserts - I can't even describe the magical texture of the opera cake. Great range of vegan pantry items with large refrigerated section. 10/10 would recommend

I happily drive over half an hour to buy from here. I only wish they stocked more ingredients like creams and cheeses to take home and use.

Smith and Deli isn't near me however I'd be happy to go out of my way any day to visit this place!
I've tried the Maury ballstein, the friend zone as well as two different pies from their specials board (one was a take on a four n twenty, the other a chicken and mushroom) nothing has ever disappointed. Each visit I've had to treat myself to one of their bakery treats and they are always so delicious!!

This place is life changing! everything is vegan, everything is amazing, I couldn't have asked for more!

This place was PACKED with a line out the door when we went, and they did a great job at managing the crowd.

The food was really delicious, prices aren't bad, and there's a HUGE selection. Definitely enjoyed it.

Generally decent quality food, Smith and Deli offer something that other Vegan establishments appear to have forgotten... sandwiches.
There is however an unfortunate lack of options (about 2 sandwiches) for those who do not (for whatever reason) desire imitation flesh. Hopefully this will change in time if the demand is there.

There's so much hype about this place, I simply had to try it out.

It's just off Brunswick Street, not far from Smith and Daughters. When I arrived there were a lot of people standing near the entrance and I wasn't sure if this was the queue. In fact, service is pretty quick and friendly. But if you are ordering something fresh, the sandwiches or rolls, they will make it up while you wait. And you are welcome to wait outside.

Food - what an amazing choice. They have fresh pastries, salads, soups, and pies on display and you can have sandwiches made up from 11.30 to 4pm. Breakfasts are served all day. Some examples of the sandwiches include the 'Foghorn Legless' which is a chicken schnitzel, bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch and celery salt or a BLT. Gluten free options are available on most items. See the photo on this site of the menu to give you a better idea.

There is no seating.

There are groceries as well, so you can pick up cheeses, readymade meals, spices, flour, chocolate, and many other yummies...yeah, it's a great shop and you don't have to check all the labels because it is all vegan!!

I've been here a number of times and often get almond croissants and the fake cheese, ham and tomato ones. The vanilla slices are incredible as are the doughnuts. The service is also always friendly even when very busy. I love the variety of items they have plus the grocery selections are awesome too.

The staff are great and the take home groceries you can buy are great.

Get prepared to feel a little on the larger size because I don't know who could resist the many tasty cakes with gluten free options available.

This was my first time trying mock meat and they do it well. I had the Parmageddon..seriously delicious!

I'll be back for the 'turkey stuffing sandwich' for sure

Now that I've sampled a number of different items at Smith and Deli, I'm ready to declare myself a fan. Mind you, on my first few visits I was unsure, so I wouldn't guarantee you, like a previous reviewer has, that if you go in and order anything, you'll love it.

On my first visit I grabbed a citrus slice, a pasta salad, and a coffee to takeaway. I've never ordered coffee there again, as I didn't like it. Too cold, very sweet notes. The citrus slice reminded me a bit of lemon curd and a bit of marmalade but I would have liked it more tart and less sweet. You can see my preference emerging here. Similarly, I thought the pasta salad needed a bit of something to cut through the garlicky, creaminess of the mayo.

Based on recommendations, I went for a sandwich next time, the Temple of Doom. The BREAD! So chewy, sour, bubbly...the perfect Sanfrancisco style sourdough. The fillings were nicely balanced too - spicy jalapeños, vinegary pickles cabbage, that rich, garlicky mayo again. The bread was really the star though. I can't honesty say it was worth the price, although I know they use expensive mock ingredients.

My most recent visit was the most satisfying. Potato and three cheese pizza - as expected, the base was as perfect as their bread. And the feta style vegan cheese sprinkled over the top replaced everything I miss about strong, salty, briny white cheese. And, damn, they had almond croissants! I didn't think anyone could match the ones Crumbs used to make on a Saturday but this did. Perfect.

While, mostly due to the high prices, I don't really feel it's worth crossing town to eat from the deli, I'll always grab a few things when I'm in the area. And, as mentioned, the staff are exceptional so it's always a pleasant experience, no matter how busy.

Though a little heavy on the mock meat, Smith and Deli are filling a gap and providing much needed tasty deli style sandwiches to the Vegan masses. The cakes and slices are also in a class of their own, albeit pricey. Expect to spend some serious cash when you clap eyes on the various cakes, slices and pastries you may have longed for since saying farewell to their less than kind counterparts.

After hearing rave reviews of this and the mothership (Smith & Daughters), was looking forward to lunching upon Smith & Deli's divine wares. Upon entering the deli via a lengthy queue, one is immediately struck by the vast array of vegan specialty items, and the mouth begins to water in anticipation - an anticipation unfulfilled by the actual product. My 'chicken schnitzel' was a cold, crumbed piece of tempeh (strange, as the local supermarket - not to mention the venue itself - sells all kinds of faux-chicken items) covered in very little sauce with a few shreds of salad.

This establishment is a seriously overrated, underwhelming gimmick whose express purpose appears to be cashing in on cashed-up vegans. Could make a far better sanga at home for a wee bit less than the $15 scantily-filled slabs of bread on offer here....and the cakes are pretty darned average. Won't be wasting my hard-earned again here in a hurry.

I'd been wanting to check out this deli since I first heard about it, and a bit over a week ago, I finally had a chance. We'd already had lunch, and had plans (unfortunately foiled as Frolic is no longer in business) to have waffles in the afternoon, so we didn't sample much of the food. I couldn't not try something though, so I grabbed a cardamon-mandarin doughnut to share. It was amazing, it tasted just like a real doughnut should (to the best of my memory), except even better, due to the gourmet flavourings.

There's also a great selection of vegan groceries, although, as is usual for explicitly vegan groceries, most of them cost more than I can justify spending, so I didn't buy any. However, I would like to come back sometime and buy some far too expensive So Delicious ice-cream, just to try it.

As an aside, I was expecting a "deli" to have more in the way of traditional deli products, things like salamis, hams and cheeses (they have a range of cheeses including Miyoko's, but not ones made in house as far as I saw) rather than salads and baked goods. That's not a problem as the salads looked great and the baked goods (at least the doughnut) were awesome, just not what I was expecting.

Rated only 4 cows due to having tasted only one product, but I'll probably adjust the rating once I've tasted a few more things.

On Goldfrapp's first record there is a track called 'Utopia' and it could certainly be the theme song for Smith & Deli (well for me anyway.)

The first weekend there was a long line and certainly lots going on. I was bouncing off the walls with choice and excitement that a place like this now existed. The staff are enthusiastic and seem really pleased to be engaging with such happy customers. All are up for a chat and knowledgeable about the products on offer.

Dry goods, freshly made bread, all sorts of stuff including S&D ready to go meals, their own dips and salads etc. But the main attraction is the sandwich bar and dessert cabinet. On the standard menu there are 33 sandwiches...yep seriously. Most with pretty good names too. 'Piggy Bundy', 'Club sandwiches not seals', 'Hail seitan' anyone?

The fillings range from a simple ham, cheese & tomato to the more unusual. 'Home alone' has turkey, stuffing, roasted brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce w mash and gravy :) I did make a promise to myself that first day to try all of them, eventually. 'The Wiggum' might be next with BBQ grilled tofu, maple BBQ sauce, slaw, pickles and chipotle mayo.

Did I mention that there are also daily soup and pie specials? The chicken and leek pie was faultless. Everything that you want in a pie; rich generous filling with crisp layers of decadent pastry.

I'm not much of a sweet tooth but that has changed recently due to all of this goodness now being available. There are other places with good vegan cakes and pastries but they don't always hit the mark, usually on taste or texture and sadly some miss on both fronts. Certainly not so here.

Vanilla slice is a must for me as it reminds me of being a kid (as does the egg salad). Glazed doughnuts are moist and flavoursome, cinnamon buns & coconut choc jam slice all get the thumbs up. They rotate the desserts often and the team are very much aware that people have already become addicted to their favourites but may not be available on each visit. I think I dreamt that I saw a homemade apricot bread and butter pudding in the freezer as I foolishly didn't buy it and have never seen it again.

Shannon and Mo have really hit the nail on the head with the Deli. There has never been a better time to follow a vegan diet in old Melbourne town. Nor a better time to discover how tasty, accessible and flavoursome food can be without any animal having to suffer for hedonistic tastebuds. Winning all round. Very happy days.

The best vegan takeaway food place I've had, along with my friends in the city areas to date.
Consistent

If you have been to Smith & Daughters then you will have a pretty good idea of why you should go to Smith & Deli, their NYC Deli-style counterpart. If you haven't been to either eatery and you're vegan, you are SERIOUSLY missing out! In fact, if you're not vegan and you haven't been to S&D you're seriously missing out! The food is out of this world amazing. They are the masters of crave-quenching mock foods and just general deliciousness! But the best part is the beautiful vibe of this venue. They work really hard to have that old school neighborhood deli thing going on. They remember your name, engage in friendly banter, and Shannon and Mo are often about to say hi and explain how it all works too. Do yourself a favour and go...now.

So freaking awesome. Can't say enough good things. Just go there and order something, anything, and you will not regret it.

This place is more proof that Shannon is a genius. Vegan croissants! The food is the top quality you expect from Smith and Daughters and the place is full of people who want to be there.

Everything is amazing; the sandwiches, the pastries, the staff and the vibe. Highly recommended.