Who said being a Vego was boring?

When I order a steak I get it medium rare - pink, tender and pretty bloody. 

Meat accompanies most of my meals and needless to say when my dad announced he was remarrying a vegetarian 2 years ago, I was horrified! 

However... eating like a vegetarian is something I have grown to love. Not only do you avoid the temptation to gorge yourself on that incredibly unhealthy beef burger, that may result in meat sweats (!), but, you can walk away from a meal feeling pretty light and healthy. 

The Veggie Bar on Brunswick Street is the first Veggie establishment I have visited since arriving in Oz and I was not disappointed.

Like most of the joints on Brunswick Street it has that quirky, charismatic feel to it that seems to portray the best of Melbourne's foodie culture. The fact that you are fighting for a table by 6pm is a clear mark of the Veggie Bar's popularity. The staff make up a mix of  multiple nationalities and all are friendly and accommodating, happy to share what their favourite dish is on the menu.

With an array of healthy fresh juices and smoothies you are spoilt for choice - the carob,banana and honey smoothie is a MUST - but either as a dessert (if you have room after the more than generous main courses) or a breakfast.

The food menu itself is excellent value for money and there is definitely something for everyone - salads, stirfrys, pastas, wraps, burgers and so it goes on! The menu is truly international and allows for all types of Veggie delights! 

I opted for the samosa to start followed by the Tagine. The samosa was crispy and delicious, accompanied by tzatziki and a tomato chutney. The Tagine was tasty - roasted veggies on a bed of cous cous. The heat of the Tagine caught me slightly by surprise! If you aren't too fond of spice make sure to spread the natural yogurt side over the Tagine BEFORE you put your fork straight into the Harissa paste and dig a mouthful of the cous cous! My only criticism with the Tagine would be the sweet potato - it seemed to dominate a bit and was slightly under cooked. Despite that the flavours were excellent - the sprinkling of dukkah on top of the Tagine added a rich nutty taste that went nicely with the sultanas that had been mixed through the cous cous. Bland is definitely not a word I would use for the food or the atmosphere of this funky restaurant.

I will definitely be heading back soon to try as many of the dishes as I can. I suffer from serious food envy and I think all tables within a 100m radius felt my eyes glaring over to their tables! Going on looks, I would definitely say the soba noodles with tofu in a satay sauce needs to be tasted! And...for all those that don't reckon their boyfriends/husbands would ever set foot in a veggie place, let alone find something they enjoy (heaven forbid in a vegetarian restaurant!) I reckon the man sized burrito that comes with a generous side of chips would keep them satisfied!