King Street’s 'vegan mile' is like the Hollywood Boulevard of plant-based dining, with meat-free menus found on almost every corner. Sitting in good company between Vandal and Vina Vegan, Mina Maria has earned its place among the stars on the Walk of Fame, offering an impressive Euro-inspired menu that could convince even the most die-hard carnivores to ditch meat for the night.
Long-time vegans will undoubtedly recognise Emma Langley and Adam Papastathopoulos, the powerhouse duo behind this restaurant, previously known as I Should Be Souvlaki. These trailblazers of Sydney’s plant-based scene started out in 2017 as a humble stall at the Sydney Vegan Markets, serving Greek souvlaki so authentic it could win Yia Yia’s seal of approval.
In 2021, I Should Be Souvlaki made the leap from market stall to its first restaurant on King Street, bringing a fresh, playful twist to Greek street food. Now, the couple has reimagined their beloved eatery as Mina Maria, a heartfelt tribute to Papastathopoulos’s Yia Yia Asimina and Langley’s late great aunt Maria.
While the name has evolved, the heart of the menu remains, with their signature souvlaki still available with 'chick’n', ‘lamb’ or marinated mushroom skewers. For those eager to see which is most realistic, the Mixed Skewer Platter for Two – served at both lunch and dinner – is a must-try, featuring all three options alongside Greek and cabbage salads, house-made 'tzatziki' and mini pitas.
Regulars will breathe a sigh of relief to see their deceptively realistic salt and pepper ‘calamari’, southern fried popcorn cauliflower and ‘pork’ koftas still on the menu, along with their house-baked 'cheesecakes' in tempting flavours like lemon blueberry, Biscoff and double chocolate.
What sets Mina Maria apart from the previous iteration is their emphasis on a more elevated dine-in experience. The revamped menu expands its reach beyond Papastathopoulos’s Greek heritage, now incorporating flavours inspired by Langley’s Russian, Dutch and English heritage. Highlights include spinach and ‘feta’ spanakopita, creamy mushroom stroganoff, tangy Russian potato salad, and the signature ‘beef’ Wellington, paired with mushroom duxelles, peppercorn sauce and crispy potatoes.
Breakfast is now also on the menu at Mina Maria, featuring everything from 'cheesecake'-stuffed French toast and ‘egg’ and ‘bacon’ croissant benedicts to souvlaki wraps and snack packs. Pair your plant-based poison with a Greek frappe, French press coffee or Bloody Maria – or make it a boozy affair with bottomless brunch or two-for-one cocktails from 5-7pm daily.
While Mina Maria is 100 per cent vegan, we didn’t even mention the ’s’ word once (that’s salad btw). It’s safe to say Sydney’s vegan scene has come leaps and bounds in the past decade, and this place is proof of what the future holds.