Hi all!
Welcome to a brand new segment on my blog that I hope to maintain throughout the year. I made a goal in 2018 that I would try eating at new (well, new to me) vegan-friendly cafes/restaurants in Melbourne because so many are popping up all over the place. My city is becoming one of the most popular plant-based areas in the world. I am so proud! Today, I am going to share with you 3 new ‘hotspots’ (as I like to call them), what I ate and what I thought. I hope you enjoy!
HOTSPOT NO.1 – CAFE DEL SOL 
Located: 81 Marine Drive, Safety Beach, Dromana VIC
This place is amazing. It’s literally a vegan-friendly food truck right on Safety Beach! Francis and I went there over the summer break and ate a delicious lunch whilst watching the waves crash onto the shore. You can order coffee (with plenty of assorted plant milks), raw desserts, wraps, ice-creams, smoothies and fresh juices. The staff are super friendly and provide great service.
What I Ate: Avocado Toast with Cashew Feta Cheese
I’m not lying when I say this was some of the best avocado toast I’ve ever eaten. You get three generous slices topped with mouth-watering, salty cashew feta and optional lemon juice. I’m not sure how they seasoned the avocado spread but it was so tasty. I wish it wasn’t so far from where I live otherwise I would be eating there all the time!
HOTSPOT NO. 2 – VEGIE HUT
Location: 984 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill VIC
I went here for lunch with Mum recently and ate the most delicious food. I am definitely going back. This place is 100% vegetarian with plenty of vegan options clearly labelled. You can order practically any Asian mock-meat dish you want to. They even have mock shark-fin soup! The staff are very kind and the restaurant itself was packed which was a great sign.
What I Ate: Lemon ‘Chicken’
This Lemon ‘Chicken’ was made from gluten but you can order it to be made with soy instead. It tasted exactly like the real deal! I loved this dish but found it to be super filling so I couldn’t finish it. Next time I will probably order something that comes with veggies as well. I am really excited to return.
HOTSPOT NO. 3 – HERITAGE WALL
Location: 768 Burke Road, Camberwell VIC
Heritage Wall is literally 5 minutes drive from my place which makes it a very convenient breakfast/lunch spot to visit. There are a few vegan options available including a ‘Vegan Summer Tasting Plate’ at the moment which includes a Pitaya (Dragonfruit) Smoothie, Charred Greens and a Coconut Chia Pudding. I didn’t order that however as I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it. The cafe is quite big, modern and serves coffee with lots of plant milks to choose from.
What I Ate: Acai Bowl
If you want the Acai Bowl made vegan, you do need to let the waitstaff know so they can remove the granola which has honey in it. I added peanut butter to mine instead. As you can see by the picture, they gave me such a generous scoop! I really enjoyed the fruit selection and overall it was nice but definitely not the best acai bowl I have ever eaten. It was quite runny and not as cold as I like them to be. Nevertheless, a great option to have nearby.
I hope you enjoyed this new type of post. I certainly loved eating at these places and reviewing them! Stay tuned for more in the future. Thank you for reading.
Peace & Love xoxo
It is so lovely to hear different vegan places are coming up around Melbourne! Really love the acai bowl with the peanut butter. Like you said, they gave you a generous scoop and there are coconut flakes at the side 🙂 Don’t think I’d be able to finish all of that, lol. What I like about vegan dishes is that you think more of what goes into your food, where your food comes from and how it benefits the cycle of food and life. It has been so great knowing you and because of our friendship I have become more conscious of what I eat. So great seeing you and everything will turn out okay xxx
Thank you my friend! I’m so glad we have inspired each other in different ways 🙂 it was so great seeing you again and I really appreciate all the support you gave me xoxo