If you're vegan, Melbourne is a damn good place to live. We've got top-notch cruelty-free shops, restaurants and cafés, and we've got omnivore eateries that will make their dishes vegan on request.
The one thing we didn't have was an all-vegan pizzeria. Until now.
Red Sparrow is Melbourne's first 100% vegan pizza restaurant, and it's opening on Smith Street, Collingwood in February. It's the brainchild of co-owner and chef Michael Craig, who has been cooking vegan for over a decade – most recently at vego Mexican joint Trippy Taco (which has recently opened a second venue in St Kilda). Together with his partner and co-owner Shelley Scott (pictured above), Craig will introduce Melburnians to an entire menu of meat- and dairy-free pizza.
And don't expect meatless and cheeseless versions of pizza classics, either. In his Italian wood-fired oven, Craig will be creating all sorts of wonders; some with mock meats and specially made vegan cheese. To drink, patrons can look forward to local craft beers and vegan wines.
If Sydney's first vegan pizzeria, Gigi's, is anything to go by, we bet Red Sparrow will do a cracking trade in Collingwood.
Photograph: David Robertson
Stay tuned for an opening date – and in the meantime, check out our list of Melbourne's best vegan restaurants, and our tips on vegan hacks for non-vegan restaurants.
Photograph: David Robertson