The Best Vegan Cafés in Sydney for Brunch & Sweet Treats

The Australasian café scene has a global reputation for being ahead of the curb when it comes to breakfast, brunch and lunch. We introduced the world to flat whites and latte art, set the trend of smashed avocado on toast and proved that brunch should be the most important meal of the day (luckily, plenty of Sydney restaurants are still offering vegan-friendly brunch takeaways right now).

It’s safe to say our café scene is one to envy. The New York Times wrote about “The Art of the Australian Breakfast”, meanwhile The Guardian published a guide on “How to breakfast like an Aussie”. And now we’re proudly raising the bar with cafés dedicated to vegan food.

Vegan food in Sydney

Veganism is on the rise and as a result, Sydney’s dining scene is responding with zealous. Vegan cafés in Sydney are opening on a regular basis, non-vegan eateries offer more and more plant-based dishes and Sydney’s vegan restaurant scene is especially flourishing.

We’ve put together a guide of our favourite vegan cafés and delicatessens in Sydney worth a visit. Our list is bound to have what you’re looking for, whether it’s health bowls and non-meat pies or sweet vegan cakes and pastries.

Buddha Bowl Café

The answer to all your breakfast bowl and health bowl dreams

The ethos behind this Newtown café is to create delicious and healthy food using sustainable and ethically-sourced ingredients. Buddha Bowl Café achieve that goal with admirable quality by using organic and fairtrade produce whenever possible and having a commitment to using 0% plastic.

Even better, Buddha Bowl’s ethos is backed up with some seriously good food. Their plant-based menu is dedicated to fruity breakfast dishes, vegetable Buddha bowls, health-kick smoothies and kombucha on tap.

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What to eat: The Bedouin Bowl, a warm falafel waffle with roasted vegetable hummus, wild rice and tahini dressing.

Open Monday to Friday, 7am – 4pm; Saturday, 9am – 2pm. Located at Flourmill Studios, 100/3 Gladstone Street, Newtown, Sydney 2042.

Café Nowa

Tasty vegan food inspired by Australian and Nepalese cuisine

The menu at Café Nowa is built around fresh fruit, flavoursome vegetables and an extensive selection of Nepalese spices – a combination we personally can’t get enough of. Run by a passionate young chef called Kabir, the eatery is dedicated to serving nutritious and ethically responsible dishes in a homey, casual atmosphere.

Kabir has scattered Nepalese speciality dishes throughout the menu, such as curries and momo dumplings. This is original vegan brunch food with a welcoming Asian twist (if you’re after more Asian vegan eateries, check out this article).

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What to eat: Momos or The Veggie Burger (the massive patty is full of corn, pea, sweet potato and herbs, then delicately crumbed and fried with chilli jam).

Open Tuesday & Wednesday, 9am – 4pm; Thursday to Sunday, 9am – 4pm and 5 – 9pm. Located at 109 Crystal Street, Petersham, Sydney 2049.

Shift Eatery

Sydney’s original vegan delicatessen

If you’re a vegan in Sydney and after quintessential Australian brunch food, then Shift Eatery is the place for you. The team behind this Surry Hills café have designed an all-in-one vegan eatery for people making the shift to a vegan diet. For those contemplating the switch, a visit here may be all the convincing you need. Why? Because Shift Eatery has a truly tasty menu that would satisfy any diet type.

Expect to see creative dishes like vegan bacon-and-egg bagels with sweet chipotle sauce, mushroom toasties with kale pesto, or chia waffles with tangy orange syrup. Enjoy it with cold-pressed juices, delicious smoothies and oat milk flat whites.

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What to eat: Smokey Baked Beans on sourdough with avocado smash, cashew cream cheese, mint and lime oil, cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander.

Open Monday to Sunday, 8am – 3pm. Located at Shop 4/241 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, Sydney 2010.

Funky Pies

Proof that non-meat pies are finger-licking tasty too

A pie shop with a philosophy, this Bondi eatery is turning heads for all the right reasons. Funky Pies not only serve absolutely delicious vegan pies, but they’re also doing their bit for the environment, one pie at a time. They support ethical charities, endeavour to reduce their carbon footprint and consciously make people-friendly choices.

This means punters can feel guilt-free when they smash one of their “eco-funky” pies inspired by international cuisines. Visit their Bondi café and eat them fresh from the oven, alongside fair-trade organic coffee and vegan smoothies.

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What to eat: The Rustic Bolognese Pie with tempeh and lentils, or The Spicy Thai Pie with spinach and mushrooms in spiced coconut sauce. Make sure you have the “full pie experience” with mushy peas, creamy mash and gravy.

Open Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 8:30pm; Weekends, 10am – 8:30pm. Located at 144-148 Glenayr Avenue, Bondi Beach, Sydney 2026.

Untied

Vegan bottomless brunch with rooftop views over the water

Untied is serving Sydney’s first bottomless brunch that’s 100% vegan. Every Sunday, customers can feast on plant-based brunch food alongside bottomless cocktails and vegan wines.

Heavily inspired by Mexican cuisine, the six-course menu features corn fritters with pico de gallo, palm heart croquettes, walnut and sundried tomato tacos, tofu and eggplant shakshuka, jackfruit burritos with guacamole and fried banana rolls with coconut ice cream. The noteworthy bonus is that brunch comes served on a sun-soaked rooftop with Sydney harbour views.

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What to eat: Your only option (but a very tasty one at that) is the six-course menu for $65 per person.

Bottomless brunch is on every Sunday for 2 hours, sittings at 11am and 2pm. Located at Level 4, Exchange Pl, Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo, Sydney 2000.

Gathered Kitchen

A plant-based bakery with mouth-watering pastries

While Gathered Kitchen is a delectable café in its own right, we want to bring your particular attention to their bakery section. Just scroll their Instagram feed and we promise your mouth will soon be watering.

Freshly baked every day and 100% vegan, the cabinet selection changes daily. But you can expect delicious pastries like twice-baked almond croissants with fresh frangipane, cruffins with jam or custard filling, and golden palmiers covered in icing.

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What to eat: Giant Cinnabuns with toppings like mocha nibs ganache, fresh cherry yuzu glaze or salted caramel honeycomb icing.

Open Monday to Friday, 9am – 3pm; Saturday, 8am – 5pm; Sunday, 8am – 4pm. Located at 99 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, Sydney 2037.

Nútie Donuts

The best vegan donuts and vegan cakes in Sydney

Nútie Donuts has earned somewhat of a cult following in Sydney, all thanks to their insanely delicious sweet treats  – many of which are thankfully vegan-friendly. With over 25,000 followers on Instagram, a travelling food truck and two locations in Balmain and Surry Hills, you get the sense these guys are onto something.

Designed to be allergy-free and enjoyed by all, the baked goods are always either vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free. Freshly baked every day and only in stock until sold out, you’ll need to get in quick!

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What to eat: Regular items include raw cheesecakes, colourful iced donuts, American style pies and ice-cream sandwiches.

Balmain: Open Monday to Sunday, 8am – 5pm. Located at 13 Beattie Street, Balmain, Sydney 2041.

Surry Hills: Open Monday to Friday, 7am – 4:30pm; Saturday, 8am – 4:30pm. Located at 44 Holt Street, Surry Hills, Sydney 2010.

Gelato Blue

Artisanal gelato made with sustainable coconut milk

Gelato Blue are proud to be Sydney’s first plant-based gelateria using only non-dairy, vegan-friendly ingredients that are refined sugar free. Churning out some truly creamy gelato, these guys are popular for good reason.

They serve an astonishing 25 flavours that are made daily from scratch, so pay a visit to their casual location on King Street and take your pick. Flavours change regularly, but we promise creativity is always a staple.

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What to eat: Flavours like Passionfruit Cheesecake, Pistachio, Greek Yoghurt, Smooth Chocolate.

Open Monday to Sunday, 12 – 10:30pm. Located at 318 King Street, Newtown, Sydney 2042.

Pana Chocolate

Vegan sweet treats from the acclaimed Pana Chocolate empire

Now an international and globally recognised chocolate brand, Pana Chocolate has established itself as the leaders in vegan, dairy and gluten-free chocolate. Originally from Melbourne, Pana’s sophisticated and smooth chocolate bars are completely free of refined sugars and made using organic, high-quality ingredients.

Thankfully for Sydney locals, Pana opened up a raw dessert café in 2015. The industrial space in Alexandria is modern and a treasure trove of indulgent raw treats, selling handmade chocolates, an impressive range of cheesecakes and packaged goodies like hot chocolate.

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What to eat: Sour Cherry & Vanilla chocolate or the irresistible Pana Pops, their version of a Magnum.

Open Monday to Saturday, 12 – 3pm. Located at 21 Fountain Street, Alexandria, Sydney 2015.