Approximately 3.8 million Australians follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, with dining locations across the nation adapting menus to accommodate the increasing demand for plant-based options.
The rise of the nation’s interest in meat-free dishes shows no signs of slowing down with Aussies making a whopping 1.45 million searches each year on the subject. To help hungry diners find their next vegan-friendly meal, a new study by premium pizza oven brand, Gozney, has uncovered the cities around the nation that are the most vegan-friendly for dining.
The study analysed 48 of Australia’s most populated locations and ranked results based on per capita the number of restaurants offering vegan and vegetarian options, those rated four stars and above, as well as relevant Google search terms, from restaurants to recipes.
Top spot was secured by a surprising victor; Port Macquarie beat out Australia’s biggest food capitals including Sydney and Melbourne to secure the crown as the nation’s vegan and vegetarian capital, thanks to a whopping 1405 restaurants offering vegan-friendly options, 80% of which are rated 4-star and above. This equates to 338.6 per capita, with the highest concentration being found near Clarence Street where diners can discover more than 15 veggie and vegan-friendly restaurants including Reyhana and Town Green Buffet and Bar.
Plant-based pizza lovers are especially spoiled for choice in this town, with 113 restaurants serving up vegan and vegetarian-friendly slices such as Enzo Woodfired Pizza.
"With more than one million searches made yearly on average around vegan and vegetarian terms in Australia, the shift towards meat-free alternatives is increasing across the nation, even among those who aren’t strictly vegan or vegetarian. For anyone looking for a quick and easy meat-free option, a versatile dish like pizza is a great place to start,” says Christian Pohio, Gozney Australia’s General Manager.
Elixiba Herbal Alchemy Bar & Restaurant - Maroochydore.
Taking silver as the nation’s vegan capital is Caloundra, which proved that despite its smaller population, the town still offers a range of options for those seeking a meat-free meal with 1021 restaurants offering vegan and vegetarian options. The best spot for veggie dining locally was Bulcock Street, situated right by the beach, as one of the last original shopping streets on the Sunshine Coast, this spot is perfectly paired with a cold drink in the sun while you munch on a vegan-friendly takeaway meal.
While on the Sunshine Coast, head to Elixiba Herbal Alchemy Bar & Restaurant in Maroochydore for the ultimate plant-based feast from a menu boasting dishes that are vegetarian, gluten-free and created with taste and health in mind.
No Bones Byron Bay.
Rounding out the top three was Albury, which straddles the border of NSW and Victoria, with the city boasting a massive 17.1 vegan-friendly restaurants per capita. This is almost nine times more than fourth place Blacktown. For those finding themselves along the state border, try Downtown Pizza to enjoy a wood-fired slice.
Interestingly, the data revealed Blacktown residents are particularly eager to get creative in the kitchen, turning to Google for meat-free meal inspiration. The study found the city had the most searches per capita each year for the terms ‘vegan recipes’ and ‘vegetarian recipes’, almost double that of second spot Werribee, Victoria.
When looking for the ultimate Australian state to visit as a vegan or vegetarian, New South Wales is the place to be with the region securing a total of three spots in the top five. The study revealed that NSW had nearly double the number of restaurants per capita compared to the second-ranked state Queensland.
Chef-hatted Shu Restaurant - Collingwood.
Byron Bay is a hive of vegan and vegetarian restaurants like No Bones on Fletcher Street where his plant-powered tapas and cocktail bar is on a mission to save the Earth one Brussels sprout at a time.
Surprisingly, Australia’s major cities do not dominate the vegan and vegetarian dining scene. Canberra ranked highest in 20th spot, with 4.2 restaurants offering meat-free meals per capita. However, despite their large populations, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth all boast less than 0.5 per capita.
In Melbourne, make sure to visit Chef-hatted Shu Restaurant when looking for plant-based dining options, where Chef Shu Lu delivers modern Sichuan cuisine to Collingwood foodies executed with a creative mind and contemporary philosophy; along with Green Man’s Arms Hotel in Carlton, which is the suburb’s first vego pub.
Green Man's Arms Hotel - Carlton.
With such few dining options available per capita, residents are often relying on their own cooking skills. However, this does not mean interest is lacking, searches for vegan and vegetarian-related terms are searched 237,360 times a year in Melbourne, which equates to more than 650 times a day.
Not to be outdone, Sydney makes 217,920 searches annually, which per capita is comparable to those in the much higher-ranking locations, like Port Macquarie and Caloundra.
