For the longest time Yulli’s has been one of the most reliably fun ports for vegetarian and vegan diners in Surry Hills (those money bags alone earn them repeat visits). The fact that they’ve always had a pro-drinks agenda never hurt either. Having branched out into the craft brewing world in 2014, Yulli’s is also a name you now associate with smashable Australian-style beers like their Norman Australian ale, Seabass Mediterranean lager and Amanda mandarin IPA.
These days their beers are brewed deep in the heart of Alexandria’s industrial wilds, and the huge warehouse has become something of an after-hours haunt. They have big tables up on a mezzanine level above the fermenting tanks, and the menu here has an inclusive attitude, catering to vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free friends. Chips comes with a punchy garlicky aioli, and steamed dumplings are the sticky, thick-skinned variety filled with cabbage or kim chi. Four perfect little pucks of kale and turnip inside a pan-fried gyoza wrapper are our pick of the dumpling menu – they get their savoury heft from the judicious application of Chinese black olive mustard and smoky chilli oil.
More substantial hungers can be quelled with gyros and nachos, and you can up your veg intake with a surprisingly tasty dish of broccolini charred and served simply with black sesame hummus. And you even score extra sustainability points when you eat here – they are sourcing ingredients from local growers wherever they can to keep food miles low.
If you like your beers small batch and experimental, the brewery also has a range of specialty brews on tap. Maybe it’ll be a lemon myrtle witbier on your visit, or a chardonnay barrel-aged IPA. It’s anyone’s guess each time you head in.