Melbourne’s Best Raw and Raw-Friendly Vegan Restaurants for Fresh, Living Food

Melbourne’s food scene has long been a magnet for plant-based eaters, and those drawn to raw cuisine and living foods will find plenty of rich flavours, vibrant textures, and lively cafés to explore. While fully raw vegan restaurants are few, the city’s best plant-based spots celebrate fresh, uncooked produce through juices, smoothie bowls, Buddha bowls, salads and raw treats. From markets to neighbourhood cafés, here’s a curated guide to where raw and raw-friendly vegan fare is thriving in Melbourne today.

1. Super Raw — Preston Market’s Raw-Centred Vegan Café

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Nestled in Preston Market, Super Raw brings fresh, nourishing plant-based food to the market crowd with a focus on raw treats, smoothie bowls, Buddha bowls, juices and chia puddings that let fruit and vegetables sing. Its menu is built around quality seasonal produce, blending deep greens, juicy fruits and crunchy raw toppings into bowls and smoothies that feel like meals rather than snacks. Raw treats feature prominently too, offering a naturally sweet finish to a revitalising lunch or afternoon boost.

This is the kind of place a local might start their weekend with: a vibrant smoothie bowl in hand, the chatter of market stalls around them, and a sense that eating with simplicity can also be incredibly satisfying.

Best for: Smoothie bowls loaded with fresh fruit and seeds, cold-pressed juices, raw snacks and plant-rich bowls.

2. Vegie Bar — Fitzroy Institution with Raw Highlights

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A beloved Melbourne vegan institution, Vegie Bar isn’t strictly raw, but its menus carry thoughtful raw and uncooked dishes alongside cooked plant-based classics. Long before vegan food became mainstream in Melbourne, Vegie Bar was showcasing colourful salads, raw sides and interesting plant-centred plates that celebrated produce in its pure form.

Here, diners can enjoy plates where crisp salads and cold, fresh vegetable combinations come together with other dishes crafted from seasonal vegetables. In a city where sharing plates and vibrant dining conversations are part of the cultural fabric, Vegie Bar remains a reliable stop for anyone wanting to enjoy raw food within a broader vegan meal.

Best for: Salads and fresh sides that showcase uncooked vegetables and vibrant seasonal produce.

3. Friends of the Earth Melbourne Food Coop & Cafe — Community Café with Raw Options

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More than just a café, Friends of the Earth Melbourne Food Coop & Cafe is a community-oriented space that offers wholesome plant-based food with plenty of uncooked, raw-friendly options. Locals often choose it for brunch or lunch when they want something clean and refreshing — think crisp salads, fresh greens and market-inspired bowls — alongside a strong ethical ethos rooted in cooperative principles.

This is the sort of place where the food feels like part of a collective commitment to nourishing both body and community. With seasonal produce and simple menus that lean into freshness, it’s a great stop when you want a relaxed meal that’s as much about environment and values as it is about eating well.

Best for: Crisp salads, seasonal bowls, and plant-rich options that are light and refreshing.

4. Monk Bodhi Dharma — Balaclava Café with Occasional Raw Creations

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Monk Bodhi Dharma is a quirky, beloved café in Balaclava that serves strong coffee, wholesome vegan dishes and occasionally raw menus or raw-friendly plates — particularly on evenings when special plant-based dinners are featured. Locals often savour the raw sides and cold dishes here, which pair beautifully with a weekend brunch or late-morning coffee.

Though it’s not exclusively raw, its playful approach to vegan food often includes cold-pressed juices, raw salads and seasonal plates where vegetables and herbs are left uncooked and bright. With its relaxed ambience, it’s a reminder that raw food in Melbourne doesn’t always arrive in strict category form — sometimes it’s about the intention to let produce shine in its pure state.

Best for: Fresh sides and salads, occasional raw-centric dinners, and thoughtful brunch plates.

**5. Fresh and Raw-Friendly Dishes at Melbourne Vegan Restaurants

Melbourne’s strong vegan culture means many restaurants serve excellent raw or uncooked options alongside their broader plant-based menus. These spots aren’t raw restaurants in the strictest sense, but they celebrate freshness and quality produce in ways that resonate with raw food lovers.

• Crossways Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant — A budget-friendly CBD favourite where fresh salads and crisp greens make excellent starters before heartier vegan mains.

• Brother Bon — A Northcote mainstay serving contemporary vegan dishes that often include refreshing, uncooked sides.

• Green Man's Arms Bar and Restaurant — A vegan-forward pub offering plant-centric plates with light, raw-friendly salads and sides.

• Sister of Soul — In St Kilda, known for brunch classics where fresh greens and uncooked accompaniments balance richer vegan fare.

• Cookatoo Kitchen TAKEAWAY — A highly rated takeaway option in Richmond where crisp, plant-fresh sides accompany vegan sandwiches and snacks.

These restaurants are ideal for groups where some diners want raw or mostly raw items and others prefer cooked plant-based favourites. Asking for salads to be served uncooked or swapping warm sides for cold ones is a common and welcomed request at many Melbourne vegan kitchens.

Best for: Mixed group meals where raw options are part of a broader plant-based menu.

**6. Melbourne Market Juice Bars and Raw Treat Stalls

Melbourne’s markets and juice bars often present some of the best opportunities for fully raw plant-based snacks and drinks. Places like Super Raw at Preston Market exemplify this, but similar stalls at Queen Victoria Market or weekend green markets serve cold-pressed juices, raw desserts and energy bars that are uncooked, nutrient-dense and fresh.

Exploring these venues is a joy — they feel less like conventional dining and more like a food-centric exploration of seasonal produce. A chilled juice after a wander through the market, or a raw fruit and nut bar to fuel a city walk, both embody the raw ethos by letting simple ingredients speak for themselves.

Best for: Grab-and-go raw juices, fruit bowls, raw sweets and market-fresh snacks.

Tips for Finding Raw Vegan Food in Melbourne

Melbourne doesn’t have many exclusively raw vegan restaurants anymore in the way some other cities might, but raw cuisine lives through cafés, market stalls and salad-rich menus at vegan restaurants across the city. Some practical tips:

• Look for cold-pressed juices and smoothie bowls at vegan cafés — these are almost always uncooked, vibrant and nutrient-rich.

• Ask for salads and sides uncooked at plant-based restaurants; many kitchens happily adjust preparations to suit raw preferences.

• Explore markets for fresh raw snacks and treats when dedicated sites aren’t available.

• Visit spots with raw options on rotating menus, such as Monk Bodhi Dharma on special raw dinner nights.

Using tools like vegan restaurant directories (for example, HappyCow) can help locate current vegan and raw-friendly options before a visit. 

This article was written by a plant-based food journalist who specialises in exploring how cities nourish bodies and communities through ethical, vibrant cuisine. With a particular interest in raw and living foods, they aim to connect mindful eaters with the very best that Melbourne’s vegan scene has to offer.