Vegetarian-friendly

If you can’t find an old pub, make one. That’s the approach the You Beauty team has taken to create this award-winning community-led venue.

Owner-chef Eilish Maloney says she sees the same customers every day “because they don’t want to spend their money anywhere else”.

Astoria Bar Ke Grill opened quietly last spring, but is now coming into its own with a host of dips, stews and a hefty moussaka.

McCarrs on Mona Vale Road is an excellent place to sit by the fire and share pizza slices topped with pepperoni, honey and chilli.

Order claypot lamb chops, firfir soup mixed with injera flatbread and more at Ras Dashen in Footscray.

Cafe Paci might have the look and feel of a bistro, but the food tells a more complex story.

For traditional Greek dishes executed in ways you might not expect.

Push past the orthodoxies at Fitzroy’s Bar Liberty, where spirit infuses everything from the playlists to the legacy of cheesy, peppery dishes.

The Potts Point shop can be overwhelming with its tea choices, however Lee Tran Lam has a cheat code for first-timers.

For Kyoto home-style ‘grandma food’ and make-your-own bento boxes.