Welcome to Brisbane, a city that absolutely blew me away with its beautiful sights, enticing culture, and delicious food! We had so many magical moments in Brisbane - from the inaugural member of our Best Vegan Restaurants in the World list, to watching the sunset with a kookaburra beside us - this is a city that will go down as one of our favourites from our tour around Australia. Brisbane's motto, 'Meliora Sequimur' means 'We aim for the best' and my goodness, this is embodied in the vegan restaurants in the city. What a wonderful place: vegan foodies, you must visit!
Eating Vegan in Brisbane
“Australia is a phenomenally beautiful country, and every time I go away and come back, it never ceases to amaze me.” – David Wenham
Though it isn't such a hotbed of plant-based options as Melbourne and Sydney, there is still a lot to get your tastebuds tingling in Brisbane. And, as we found, the vegan options here are some of the most incredible we've ever tasted. From sumptuous comfort food, to creative and crazier options, there is so much to delight you in Brisbane. We absolutely recommend that you head to this marvellous city next time you're in Queensland, and give some of these tasty plant-based eateries a try!
1st: Yavanna
9/2 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington QLD 4064, Australia
It's clear to say that we loved Yavanna: in fact, they can lay claim to the inaugural spot on our 'Best Vegan Restaurants in the World' list. We were absolutely blown away by the quality of the plant-based food offered by this tranquil and friendly restaurant in Brisbane's leafy suburbs.
This food was absolutely sensational. Mike ordered the Signature CFC, which included homemade vegan fried chicken, with fries, creamy mash, slaw and gravy. This sounds simple, but the flavours were absolutely mind-blowing. The signature herbs and spices on the crumb of the vegan fried chicken exceeded the flavours of even the Colonel's famous recipe, whilst the vegan chicken was tender and had the most impressive texture. The chips were perfectly cooked, and the creamy mash was an absolute dream! Honestly, this meal was beyond impressive.
I chose the Farmhouse Favourite, which included a vegan chicken schnitzel, served on a bed of creamy mash, with garlic greens and gravy. Again, their homemade vegan chicken schnitzel was so flavoursome, with that incredibly tender and delicious texture. Their imitation meat is extremely impressive here, I genuinely believe that omnivores would not be able to tell the difference. The crispy texture of the crumbed schnitzel alongside the perfectly creamy mash formed the perfect contrast - and oh my goodness, the broccoli was soft whilst retaining a bit of bite, with a delicious garlic touch. The gravy was thick and finished off this dish with such finesse. Wow, Yavanna, you made these gravy loving Brits very, very happy.
We were a little full after our mains, but having devoured such impressive food, we absolutely had to try something from their mouthwatering dessert cabinet too. I went for the Hazelnut Bueno Slice, while Mike chose the Brownie (his favourite!) Just like the mains, the presentation of these desserts was impeccable, even down to the neatness of the chocolate sauce drizzle. Though I am not a fan of the flavour of rose petals, which were sprinkled on my bueno slice, the flavours of my dessert were otherwise incredible: creamy hazelnut, crunchy biscuit, and a delicious chocolate praline top layer. Mike's brownie was sweet and indulgent too, a perfect way to round off the most delicious meal.
The quality of the flavours, ingredients, and presentation at Yavanna obviously come at a slightly higher price, with meals ranging between AU$20-30. However, we didn't think that this cost was actually too bad for food of this standard, it wasn't that much more than we were paying for meals across Australia that were nowhere near this impressive. My Farmhouse Favourite cost AU$28 (approx. £14.97, €17.19, or $18.61), while Mike's Signature CFC was AU$30 (approx. £16.04, €18.42, or $19.94). Our desserts came in at AU$8 each (approx. £4.28, €4.91, or $5.32). For such incredible food in a beautiful restaurant, with friendly and helpful service, it was easy to deem Yavanna worth of being one of ATWIVE's Best Vegan Restaurants in the World.
2nd: Grassfed
67 Fish Ln, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
We headed to this incredible plant-based burger joint to try the famous Aussie Burger and oh my goodness! This is something that shouldn't work, but it absolutely does! This vegan burger patty was sandwiched between sauce, lettuce, onion, a vegan fried egg, vegan cheese, beetroot and pineapple... and it was one of the tastiest (albeit messiest) burgers I have ever eaten!
The restaurant itself was a really cool place to hang out; the staff were really friendly, the music choices were great, and it just generally had a great vibe. I wish we'd had longer in Brisbane, as I would have loved to have tried more of the creative and fun vegan junk food on their menu! As it was, we finished off our meals with one of their ice cream sundaes. I am a massive fan of vegan soft serve, as you might know from the vegan soft serve in London blog, so couldn't turn down the opportunity to try some here too! We picked the Fudge My Brownie Sundae, which included huge chunks of brownie, fudge, and an indulgent chocolate sauce drizzle. It was everything that we had been hoping for, so creamy, sweet and delicious. I wish you could get vegan soft serve sundaes in more places, but I guess this does make Grassfed even more special!
Grassfed's unique recipes include lots of plant-based ingredients, which come at a cost, so it shouldn't be surprising that their food is more expensive than just your standard burger. However, we didn't think the prices were too bad, all things considered. The Aussie Burgers came in at AU$15.90 each (approx. £8.52, €9.80 or $10.75), while the sundae was AU$10.50 (approx. £5.61, €6.46, or $6.99). We will definitely be back for more, next time we're in Brisbane!
3rd: Lord of the Fries
3a/352 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, Australia
You might remember Lord of the Fries from our Top Places to Eat Vegan in Melbourne blog. This fully plant-based fast food chain caught our eye for their vegan dupes of popular fast food items, including incredible breakfast items. In Melbourne we tried their classic burger, and their vegan nuggets combo, which impressed us for their taste, price, and convenience. So we were looking forward to visiting again, next time we happened across a branch in Australia.
This time, we both fancied something a little different, so picked the hot dog combi meal. There was a choice of hot dogs, but we chose the Melbourne hot dog, which included a vegan sausage topped with ketchup, mustard, and cheese. I've never had cheese on a hot dog before, so I wasn't really sure whether or not it would work - I'm pleased to say, it definitely did! The cheese added an extra bit of indulgence to this classic fast food dish, and I am really sold on it as a topping now!
Having now sampled a range of Lord of the Fries menu items from across Australia, we are confident in their consistency and value for money. If you are looking for a quick bite, or a tasty treat, Lord of the Fries won't disappoint! The hot dog combi meals cost AU$18 (approx. £9.61, €11.07 or $12) which included the hot dog, fries, and a drink. Not a bad price for quick and friendly service, a filling meal, all entirely vegan too!
Where is your favourite place to get plant-based food in Brisbane? Are there any new places or old favourites that we've missed? Leave us a comment to let us know (and others who might be visiting too!)
Recommendations
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Where should I stay?
There are tonnes of hotels, apartments and hostels available in Brisbane - for affordable places to stay with a choice of beautiful ensuite private and dorm rooms, check out Selina Brisbane. Or for something a little more basic, but with clean and comfortable private rooms in a leafy suburb, check out Kookaburra Inn.
Tours & Experiences
Brisbane is a beautiful and iconic city, with so much to see around every corner! For a unique perspective on the city, why not try the Brisbane Story Bridge Adventure Climb? With audio commentary and 360-degree panoramic views you won't forget this in a hurry! Or, if that's not for you, check out some of the top-rated Viator tours below!
Please note that the tours displayed below are automatically selected for their popularity by Viator, not chosen or recommended by us. Please carefully consider the ethics of animal-based tourism activities before taking part!
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