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#VISITBALLARAT

Your ultimate vegan and vegetarian guide to eating out in Ballarat

Visit Ballarat

11 Nov 2021

Filed underFood & Drink

Veg out on dishes that not only pack a punch of flavour but highlight the very best seasonal plant-powered food.

Here’s our top picks of the best places to find delicious vegan and vegetarian in Ballarat.

Chat For Tea

If you ask a local where to find Ballarat’s best vegetarian, most will send you to Chat For Tea. Standing the test of time, this all-Asian restaurant has been Ballarat’s only specialty vegetarian restaurant for almost two decades.
And what’s better is the fact most of the menu is also vegan, including the popular deep fried soy nuggets, wasabi and pepper.
More than 50 varieties of tea can also be found on the menu, including bubble tea over the summer months.

Drive

Soak up the morning sun from the outdoor oasis at this popular servo-turn-café.

Savour in the flavours of the Seven Spice Sri Lankan Chai – made by Grounded Pleasures right here in Ballarat –  while you take your time to select from the seasonally-inspired menu.

We can certainly vouch for the Carrot Cake Granola and Sourdough French Toast.

Eclectic Tastes Cafe & Pantry

It’s the sweet corn fritters for us at this popular corner café.

While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the local produce and gift range inside.

The Forge

Watch pizza being prepared right before your eyes at this family favourite.

We can’t go past the potato pizza with mozzarella, garlic, parsley, salt flakes, rosemary and cracked pepper.

Coming in at a close second is the roast pumpkin pizza with San Marzano tomato, spinach, Meredith Goat Cheese, garlic, rosemary and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

For pasta lovers, you can’t go past the Gnocchi Gorgonzola.

Watch pizza being made at The Forge, Armstrong Street North. Image: Matt Dunne.

Webster’s Market and Cafe

Located just a short stroll from Lake Wendouree, it’s easy to see why Webster’s Market and Café is always brimming with locals.

The Seasonal Greens Bowl with quinoa, broccolini, peas and spinach, almonds and preserved lemon, poached egg, avocado and goats cheese is a crowd favourite, or for a quick lunch option, the Mushroom Panini always pleases.

Saigon Allee

From pho and fried dumplings to summer rolls and salt and pepper tofu, Saigon Allee will take you on a culinary journey to the streets of Vietnam.

In summer, the outdoor courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy a vegan-friendly Apple Amour.

Pancho

If the sound of Totopos Con Salsa, Tequenos, Elote A La Parrilla and Yuca Con Salsa Verde isn’t enough to convince you to book a table at Pancho, then maybe food critic Michael Harden will.

Michael described the food at Pancho as some of the best South and Central American food in the country.

So, what are you waiting for?

Take it from us, make a booking for Pancho ASAP. Image: Matt Dunne.

The North Star Hotel

We’re just going to jump straight to the dessert menu because how can you go past an Orange and Date Pudding with toffee sauce (insert drool face).

For those who will be opting in for entrée, main and dessert, you’re in good hands – the menu here is packed with vegan and vegetarian options.

Lola at The Provincial Ballarat

Lola is all about stylish European-inspired dining which is beautifully shaped each season around the region’s best produce.

A number of the restaurant’s offerings have vegetarian and vegan options available and the chefs are also very accommodating when it comes to various dietary requirements, especially when notified in advance.

You’ll also notice a lot of Lola’s menu is gluten-free by default.

Across Victoria’s Midwest, we acknowledge that we travel across the ancient landscapes of many First Peoples communities.

These lands have been nurtured and cared for over tens of thousands of years and we respect the work of Traditional Custodians for their ongoing care and protection.

We recognise the past injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this country. As our knowledge grows, we hope that we can learn from their resilience and creativity that has guided them for over 60,000 years.

As we invite people to visit and explore Victoria’s Midwest, we ask that alongside us, you also grow to respect the stories, living culture and connection to Country of the Ancestors and Elders of our First Peoples.