A local institution, I found this place nice in atmosphere, appealing in its food offerings, and yet a bit too costly. I didn't mind it as a vacation splurge, but if I lived here I'd have to limit my visits. That being said, that was a fantastic laksa; sweet and lemongrass flavored with a wonderful array of toppings and inclusions, notably tempeh and some very thin sliced mushrooms. A rounded, satisfying meal to be sure. It came mild, but they offered me some sort of chilli sauce; it was delicious with or without. I would have been happy to explore the rest of their offerings. read more

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I've been to Shakahari (and Shakahari Too in South Melbourne) maybe 5-6 times over the past few years and was always a little bit disappointed. The taste and quality of the food just never really seemed to jibe with the price, which is on the slightly higher end for the portion sizes. I always walked out of there thinking I had spent too much money on a pleasant but overpriced meal. But eating here tonight, I was not at all disappointed and in fact would now be perfectly happy recommending Shakahari to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. I've tried lots of different things on their menu over years, but nothing really wowed me. Tonight though I had the Malaysian curry, and it was super-yum. It's definitely a step up from your standard cheap-o Asian coconut milk curry, with way more "sophisticated" flavours than what I've had at hawker markets in Asia, so I didn't mind paying the $22.50 for it. It had a slightly gourmand feel to it, with intriguing flavour combinations like the "mustard pear chutney" which was really pretty tasty. My boyfriend had the stew with quinoa and really enjoyed it. We sampled from each other's plates and while I liked his meal too, the Malaysian curry was better. His stew overall tasted healthy and fresh, whereas the Malaysian curry tasted more hearty and warming (and probably less healthy, ha.) But we would happily order both again. Ambience-wise, this place is REALLY loud and echo-y at dinner time when it fills up with diners. It's probably way more pleasant at off-peak hours. We could barely hear each other speak, it was so loud. The place itself is cute -- an old house with creaky old floorboards and bright paint and high ceilings -- but no real decor to speak of and doesn't really make you feel cosy and comfortable (but it could with a bit of work. The character's there, the charm's not.) Service was nice. Servers were pretty busy but didn't seem to let that affect them. They were polite and pleasant. Clientele was mostly hipster. Out back there's a really cute garden, but I never see anyone out there using it. Maybe it's not really set up for dining? Honestly their outdoor space is a lot cuter than their indoor space and I could really see them making something out of it in the future. Definitely worth a visit for tasty and inventive vegetarian food, with vegan and gluten-free options clearly marked on the menu. Also a couple of options clearly marked as "no garlic and onion" for those of you who are vegetarian Buddhists too. read more

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Tucked away next to La Mama theatre on Faraday Street, I'm pretty sure Shakahari is the only vegetarian restaurant in Carlton. The restaurant looks like a couple of single-level terrace houses, so I never noticed it until a friend invited me to a birthday dinner there. It seemed like birthday celebrations were the thing to do at Shakahari the night I was there - I counted 3 big tables and there were a few smaller groups who could have been parties too. Rather than making it too noisy, the big tables added to the celebratory atmosphere. I can understand why you'd choose it as a venue for groups - the menu is suitable not only for vegetarians, but also vegans and our gluten-free friends. The cuisines available were varied - from laksa (good despite it being a little bit more wholesome than you would get at your local Malaysian), to tempura (AMAZING), to gnocchi. Our whole group were happy with their meals and there was much plate-swapping. The service was good, especially considering how busy the restaurant was, and the wine list was far better than I expected from an essentially health-driven business. I was very pleasantly surprised by almost every element of Shakahari. read more

Shakahari Vegetarian Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

I am a meat eater with a vegan girlfriend. I found this place to be amazing. Everything I ate was great. No need for meat when food tastes like that. I booked dinner for my girlfriends birthday and they gave me a table in front of the fire and brought out some soy cream with a candle in it and sung happy birthday to her. It made her night. All the staff were so friendly. We will Definetly be eating here again read more

I returned to shakahari with 30 year old memories of a quiet almost spiritual experience of eating the best of what vegetarianism could offer, granted that that consisted of mostly brown rice, vegetables and maybe some gomasio. I was curious as to how the restaurant had aged and developed. I don't think it has really -- the food was mediocre, the noise level high enough to interfere with digestion and the wait service appalling. One tip to the kitchen -- the entres were good but portions too large so as to interfere with the enjoyment of the main course. Carlton seems to be thriving creatively, but shakahari has fallen behind. read more

I'd best describe myself as a conflicted omnivore but the food here could turn me vegetarian, vegan even! We had "Avocado Magic", the "quinoa croquettes" and the sago to end the meal. The flavors were well balanced and cooked to perfection. If you've never had cooked avocado, definitely give it a crack! Personally I've never been excited about vegan food, or even vegetarian as I generally have to steer clear from dairy. But the dishes here were very tasty. The only downside here was that the service was rather slow and unenthusiastic. So I wouldn't go if you're in a rush to get anywhere quick afterwards. read more

Shakahari Vegetarian Restaurant: Restaurant Reviews 2008. 201-203 Faraday Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia (Carlton) "Vegan delights ** 2008 visit still want to return" This is an excellent restaurant. attended with spouse and friend. prior to 2008** We dined there over a year ago (2008 actually) and we are planning just a day/night trip to Melbourne as we are from Brisbane to 1. catch up with a friend. 2. shop but 3. mainly have another dinner here. Really when I get the chance I will simply travel to Melb and back to Bris only to have a meal here. The staff are excellent - very customer focused and the food is very nice and I am not easy to please given I have egg allergies that require an eppi pen (seriously) so it was really nice to find such a nice place with GREAT food for vegans. We called to double check menu options and things; we thought because they had answered the phone that they were open. When we arrived - had parked and walked up to the front door - it was only then that we realised that they were closed - not open for another 45 mins. This caused us to turn to leave as we had a 8pm flight to get so we had to be at Tullamarine by 6.45. To our surprise a very polite gent opened the door and asked if he could help us - we explained 'we had called and thought you were open and so turned up but its ok as we have to get a flight at 8 so we'll just pop in somewhere else' Well NO this gent would not have it. He welcomed us in; very politely and insisted on serving us - oh my gosh the menu was five pages, including drinks - alcoholic ones too. It was really nice. We were seated near the fire place and that gave chance for a photo op ; we were given menus and our orders were taken - no sooner our meals had arrived. It was so refreshing to have a restaurant owner/worker keeping in mind our plane time we had to go for. Our meals were really good - very delicious:- even out skeptic friend who we had come to visit in Melbourne was shocked and amazed at how great the vegan food was at this place. The prices were reasonable and we most definitely would go back here. read more

It's a 3.2. The venue is a bit tired. The menu is interesting but a bit heavy on a hot Melbourne night. Moving to an area with a portable air conditioner helped. The tastiest dish was a middle eastern cous cous with vegetables. The optics weren't good but the flavour was there. The satay is a shakahari staple and works well. More flavour was needed on other dishes. The wine list was ok and well priced. Not sure I'd return here. read more

I have visited this place and was really surprised with the food there. They offer great, delicious and tasty vegetarian food but their service was not good at all. They need to work on it. read more

I must admit Shakahari doesn't feel like a vegetarian restaurant. And by that I don't mean I expected it to be decked out in hippy décor, and to be served rabbit food. I just mean that not once during the night did I think, "Hmm this would go down better with a side of steak". In fact I totally forgot I was even doing the whole vegetarian/vegan thing. Shakahari has a repetition for creating dishes that rate just as high on the flavour, creativity and sophistication scale as some of the meatier options thrown together by hotshot chefs. And the moment you lay eyes on the menu, you'll understand why. It's full of some very interesting options, however they do change regularly to suit the season. I actually had a very hard time choosing, and remember telling myself I should come back to try some of the other dishes. I eventually settled on the angel hair pasta, which was nicely done and not over cooked as they can sometime be. I would've liked some more though considering it was a main and I gulped it up in two and a half mouthfuls. The staff were pleasant and the atmosphere nicely lit to set the mood. However the prices can be seen as a little on the high side. read more

Shakahari Vegetarian Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - Carlton, VIC

Lunch was very pleasant in one of the garden tables. Food was O.K. and service was friendly.

Good food, Nice spot - overpriced for what you get for your money. I would think around 15 bucks would be an acceptable price. 22 is steep for a veggie dish with small serve of rice. read more