Healthy eating is easy in Melbourne, thanks to the city's many excellent cafes and restaurants. There are a wide variety of options, whether you're following a paleo, primal, low-sugar, keto, or other diet.
A little indulgence here and there won't hurt. It doesn't matter if you like it or not. You may, however, be pleased to learn that the Melbourne restaurant scene has recently loosened up a bit, if you're in the mood for some nutritionally balanced fare.
A time has passed when being healthy was equated with being drab. Restaurants all over the city are now serving up creative dishes that are high in nutrients and low in fat. Here are the best places in Melbourne to indulge without feeling bad about it at healthy restaurants and cafes.
The best healthy & paleo cafes and restaurants in Melbourne
Those who have committed to the Paleo way of life will be the first to tell you that the Paleo philosophy is not a diet. It's more of a way of life. The Paleo way of life is also known as the Caveman diet because of its devotion to all things hunter-gatherer. This way of life is popular among celebrities and many people in the fitness industry. To put it another way, in order to nourish the body, you should focus on eating foods that are high in nutrients but low in toxicity, such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fruit, nuts, and seeds.
Patch Cafe, Richmond
Paleo-friendly Patch Cafe has a wide variety of delectable dishes and a menu that is largely gluten-free. Nearby Richmond's central business district, it's a convenient location.
This is a coconut crepe filled with hazelnut butter, fresh berries, and bananas that is called the Planet of the Crepes. For breakfast, we recommend the bacon, chives, avocado, and red onion jam-topped chilli eggs and the red onion jam-topped chilli eggs.
Lunch options include the "Don't Knock-It Until You Try It" dish, which includes cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese, among other delicious ingredients. In addition, there's a dish called the "Caveman II," which features Moroccan-style chorizo, pan-fried tomatoes, and a choice of eggs.
Patch Cafe also serves kombucha, cold-pressed juices, and Bulletproof coffee, among other unique concoctions.
Serotonin Eatery, Burnley
At Burnley's Serotonin, a fitness and education facility, there is also a restaurant called the Serotonin Eatery. Breakfast, lunch, and drinks are all available here, and they're all excellent.
Our favourite is the Nutrition Bomb, a colourful plate of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, hummus and sauerkraut that includes a poached egg.
All of these items are included in the Galaxy Acai Bowl, which also includes a granola of fruit and nuts with toasted nuts. Those who like their mornings a little sweeter should try this dish.
Green Hemp Smoothie, for example, consists of kale, spinach and dates, hemp seeds and chia seeds as well as almond milk in an almond milk base. Some hot drinks that don't contain dairy or gluten can be added to this, such as the shining latte, which contains turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and organic coconut milk as the primary ingredients.
Seedling Cafe, Melbourne CBD
Gluten-free and paleo-inspired fare can be found at both of Melbourne's Seedling Cafes in the CBD. Flinders Lane as well as little Collins Street are two separate locations.
Seedling Signature Baked Eggs and Goji Granola, which are both made in-house and follow paleo and gluten-free diets, can be found on the breakfast menu.
Choose two salads and a protein (such as grass-fed beef meatloaf) from the Seedling Lunch Set, which is one of the lunch options available.
Many other hot and chilled drinks are available, such as lattes with beetroot and turmeric, various juices and smoothies, and Bulletproof coffee (which is made with coconut oil and stevia).
Terror Twilight, Collingwood
At Terror Twilight in Collingwood, attendees are filled with good feelings. The ability to customise the bowls was a major selling point for us.
Cauliflower or broccoli is a good place to start, and you can always add more ingredients later. You can also choose from a variety of protein options like poached eggs, kimchi, avocado, red cabbage sauerkraut, or jalapeno and lime hummus. Finally, you can finish your salad with roasted sweet potatoes or coffee-glazed smoked pork belly.
Additionally, similar broths can be found at Terror Twilight, where the base is either chicken or miso and kombu.
This is the third and ultimate purpose why you should visit Terror Twilight, which has an incredible selection of drinks.
There’s also kombucha, smoothies and cold-pressed juices.
Hunters Harvest, Seddon
Hunters Harvest places an emphasis on whole foods and superfoods in order to create a cuisine that is both delicious and free of moral ambiguity. Smoothies and cold drinks served in bowls will be available as the event's centrepiece for those who wish to quench their thirst.
Toasted nuts and seeds, sauerkraut, sprouts and avocado are just some of the ingredients that make the Yogi Bowl one of our favourites.
In addition, the Protien and Lean Green, a hill of greens and a poached egg, is a fantastic choice. The delicious Chipotle Chicken, which combines seasoned chicken breast with Mexican spices with brown rice, salsa, avocado, black beans, and a variety of other ingredients, is a great option for those who follow a grain-based diet.
With a variety of fruity and savoury options like the Cheeky Choc, which is made with cacao and bananas, as well as smoothies like the Green Dream with kale, spinach and cucumber, the menu of smoothies is also quite extensive.
For hot beverages, Hunters Harvest does not disappoint, as evidenced by the availability of options such as golden lattes, vanilla matchas and bulletproof coffee.
The beat, Armadale
Many of the cafes on this list are part of larger wellness centres that offer more than just meditation or yoga classes. The Beat is no exception. In order to promote a holistic approach to health, the cafe features local organic produce whenever possible on the menu.
One of our favourite salads is the Organic Ben and Breakfast Salad. It's packed with greens (kale and organic quinoa), as well as mint, kale, broccoli, avocado, and mixed organic nuts. Eggs from biodynamic farms, spinach, and goats feta are some of the key ingredients in this dish.
The Salmon Poke Bowl, for example, is a combination of turmeric sour cream, organic quinoa, pickled cucumber, fermented carrot, and wild salmon.
At The Beat, customers can choose from a wide selection of flavoursome smoothies and juices. Kale, spinach, bananas, dates, almonds, spirulina, coconut water, and other ingredients make up the Mean Green.
Laneway Greens, Melbourne CBD and Richmond
Laneway Greens' menu features bowls, pots, and smoothies made with sustainably sourced and locally sourced ingredients. If you're trying to eat healthier, try this recipe for grilled free-range chicken with celery, grapes, spinach, quinoa, parsley and spring onions. It's one of many delectable choices available. Braised Cape-Grim Beef and Seasonal Greens, as well as roasted salmon, apple, and carrots are also on the menu at this restaurant.
Laneway Greens has a wide variety of smoothies to choose from if you're in the market for one. In addition to the kale and kiwi, this smoothie contains celery and cucumber as well as avocado and spinach as well as ginger and coconut water.
The fact that Laneway Greens has locations in both the CBD and Richmond means that it is a great option for both weekend getaways and weekday lunches.
Healthy Self Co, Yarraville
For the most part, the food served at Healthy Self Co. is plant-based, with an emphasis on free-range, organic, and regionally sourced ingredients. A wide variety of options are available to those who aren't interested in eating plant-based diets, including the Bright Bowl that features a variety of meat-based and non-meat-based ingredients.
For a more substantial serving of greens, the Magic Bowl includes sautéed greens, broccolini, green beans and mushrooms along with avocado smash, avocado mash, and a poached egg.
Healthy drink options include a wide variety of smoothies, smoothie bowls, cold-pressed juices, kombucha, matcha lattes, and golden lattes, to name just a few.
Hunters Roots, Melbourne CBD
Hunters Roots caters to those who are health-conscious and enjoy creating their own bowls from fresh, locally sourced ingredients that are delivered daily.
Start by choosing a base, such as rice medley or soba noodles from the available options. After that, you can choose from grilled salmon or poached chicken as your protein.
Avocado, beetroot kraut, egg omelette, spiced broccoli, roasted eggplant, and other ingredients can be added in the next step. Alternatively, they can be omitted. Choose your salad's dressing and garnishes next.
Green Fields, for example, consists of spinach, kale and matcha as well as banana and mango as well as ginger and coconut water.
Superbowl, Ripponlea
The Super Bowl is another great location for bowl customization. You can start with brown rice or a green slaw if you prefer grains. A variety of protein options, such as sashimi salmon, yakitori chicken, or beef tataki, are then available.
Following this, you'll need to choose from a variety of toppings like cucumbers, beets and avocados. Finally, you'll decide on a dressing as well as any additional garnishes you'd like to add.
The Popeye Popper, which includes spinach, avocado, kale, white mulberries, banana, hemp seeds, almond butter, and almond milk, is just one of many smoothie options.
Bendigo Wholefoods
This is a great place if you happen to be in Bendigo and are looking for a place to get some healthy food. You won't be disappointed if you visit Bendigo. With these values in mind, Bendigo Wholefoods' menu is designed to reflect the company's philosophy of sourcing as much locally as possible, and focusing on whole foods.
West African Chicken, served with a green salad and "raw slaw," is a favourite of ours. Our other favourite is the Brocc Bowl, which includes steamed broccoli with poached eggs, spinach with raw almonds and avocado with a tamari-ginger dressing.
Israeli Lamb cooked with sumac and lemon served with tabouli, green salads, and labneh are just a few of the other delicacies on offer.
Bendigo Wholefoods not only makes Bulletproof coffee, but also smoothies and fresh juices.
Meatmaiden, Melbourne CBD
Steakhouses can be a good option if you're trying to find a restaurant that serves healthy food as well. The majority of restaurants will offer a variety of vegetables and greens to accompany your meats.
A great example of this is Meatmaiden, a restaurant that specialises in meat but also offers a wide range of delectable side dishes. In addition, there is a mushroom filled with caramelised spinach and onion, which is served with green leafy vegetables and citrous dressing. Kangaroo pastrami is one of the menu's more unique options for starters.
The crew of the Meatmaiden brought a wood-burning smoker out from United States with them on board. Saltbush lamb shoulder, and twenty-hour smoked black brisket are just a few of the delectable options on the menu.
San Telmo, Melbourne CBD
Another Argentinian steakhouse, San Telmo, focuses on meat as its main selling point.
Argentine charcoal grills cook the steaks at San Telmo, which are cut from pasture-raised Hereford beef and served with a variety of sides.
Sides like salt-baked beets, charcoal-roasted sweet potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and burnt carrots are all good choices for our list. The herb-seasoned leaves of the season can also be used.
Gazi
If large amounts of pita bread and chips are avoided, Greek cuisine can be a nutritious option for dinner. It's hard to go to Melbourne without stopping at Gazi, a fantastic instance of Greek street food in the CBD.
Lamb shoulder, chicken off the spit, and pork belly are just a few of the traditional protein-heavy dishes on the menu. You can then choose from a variety of side dishes, such as grilled broccolini, beetroot salad, or sautéed greens, to accompany your meal.
Hellenic Republic
The Hellenic Republic, which is part of the same restaurant group as Gazi and shares its name, specialises in Greek dishes that can be enjoyed by the entire family. It's easy to make a meal that's tasty and good-for-you, just like Gazi did, by substituting vegetables and lean proteins for the usual bread and french fries.
For starters, try the chilli butter prawns, baby octopus, barramundi with burst tomato and olive oil, spit-roasted chicken, pork bellies, and a succulent shoulder of lamb roasted slowly in its own juices. Add some salad or garnishes like taramosalata to it after that.
Hunky Dory, multiple locations
Fish and chips can be a nutritious meal option if you avoid the fries and fried fish at all costs. It's possible to pair your fish of choice with one of Hunky Dory's "super salads," such as the spinach, kale, and broccoli salad. Grilled fish is available at the restaurant in a variety of ways.
As one of the restaurant chain's many selling points, Hunky Dory in the Melbourne area is open every day of the week from lunchtime until late at night.
Grill’d
Grill'd is one of the few burger joints that offers options for people consuming healthier. An egg, almond meal, coconut cream, tapioca flour, psyllium husk husk, honey, and salt-based low carb loaf is a slender pita-style loaf that is made from these ingredients. A low-carb bun is an excellent choice if you're trying to cut out grains from your diet. They also have sweet potato fries that are fried at a higher temperature, but zucchini and avocado are also available.
Grill'd also serves salads, such as the "Superpower Salad," which includes grilled chicken breast, cos lettuce, avocado, beetroot, nuts, and cherry tomatoes, as well as a dressing made with extra virgin olive oil. Grill'd also serves a variety of soups and sides.
Grill'd places a high priority on the quality of its ingredients, as evidenced by the usage of grass-fed beef and lamb on a consistent basis, as well as free-range pork and RSPCA-certified chicken.
Conclusion
If you're looking for wholesome fare, the Melbourne restaurant scene has recently relaxed. Patch Cafe has a largely gluten-free menu that adheres to the Paleo diet's principles. Celebrities and many people in the fitness industry swear by the Caveman diet. Seedling Cafe, Terror Twilight, and Hunters Harvest all serve paleo and gluten-free options. Seedling Cafe's customizable bowls were a major selling point for us.
A wide variety of beverages, including kombucha and juices, can be found at Terror Twilight. In addition to meditation and yoga classes, the majority of the cafes on this list are part of larger wellness centres. Both the CBD and Richmond are home to Laneway Greens. Healthy Self Co. focuses on locally sourced, organic, and free-range ingredients for its plant-based menu. People who are health-conscious and enjoy making their own bowls are catered to by Hunter's Roots.
They also make smoothies and fresh juice in addition to Bulletproof coffee. When it comes to food, San Telmo, an Argentinian steakhouse, the focus is firmly on the meat. Gazi, a healthy take on CBD street food from Greece, is a great example. As a part of the same restaurant group as Gazi, the Hellenic Republic bears its name. Hours for Hunky Dory in the Melbourne area range from noon until late each weekday. Because of this, Grill'd uses only grass-fed beef and lamb in all of its dishes.
Content Summary
- Healthy eating is easy in Melbourne, thanks to the city's many excellent cafes and restaurants.
- The best healthy & paleo cafes and restaurants in MelbourneThose who have committed to the Paleo way of life will be the first to tell you that the Paleo philosophy is not a diet.
- It's more of a way of life.
- Our favourite is the Nutrition Bomb, a colourful plate of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, hummus and sauerkraut that includes a poached egg.
- All of these items are included in the Galaxy Acai Bowl, which also includes a granola of fruit and nuts with toasted nuts.
- Seedling Cafe, Melbourne CBD Gluten-free and paleo-inspired fare can be found at both of Melbourne's Seedling Cafes in the CBD.
- At The Beat, customers can choose from a wide selection of flavoursome smoothies and juices.
- Laneway Greens' menu features bowls, pots, and smoothies made with sustainably sourced and locally sourced ingredients.
- The Super Bowl is another great location for bowl customization.
- Another Argentinian steakhouse, San Telmo, focuses on meat as its main selling point.
- The Hellenic Republic, which is part of the same restaurant group as Gazi and shares its name, specialises in Greek dishes that can be enjoyed by the entire family.
- Hunky Dory, multiple locationsFish and chips can be a nutritious meal option if you avoid the fries and fried fish at all costs.
FAQs About Melbourne Restaurants & Cafes
Here are the basics: Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils. Avoid processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.
In recent years, several studies have found that the paleo diet may help increase weight loss. For instance, one study in 70 women observed that following the paleo diet for six months resulted in 14 pounds (6.5 kg) of fat loss, on average, and a significant reduction in belly fat.
These foods are known to benefit heart health because of their poly- and monounsaturated fat content. Keto places very heavy emphasis on fat in general, as it is the cornerstone of the entire diet. Paleo, while not necessarily a high-fat diet, uses this recommendation to support overall health.
Strict paleo dieters exclude all grains from their diets — including rice — primarily due to their high phytate content. Although it's technically prohibited, many people still consume small amounts of white rice while following a paleo diet because it's lower in phytates compared with other types.
Unprocessed potatoes are paleo.
Generally, unprocessed potatoes of all types can be part of a paleo diet. Similarly to grains, which are off-limits on paleo, potatoes are starchy and rich in carbohydrates. Therefore, they should be fine to eat in moderation on the paleo diet.