Day 1
Breakfast: The Grounds of the City
“The Grounds of the City is located right in the heart of the Sydney CBD. This cafe has a spectacular old-world interior which is perfect for your next city lunch. They also have a stunning location in Alexandria which I am super keen to try! Here is what I ate for breakfast: Avocado and Bacon on Toast (it wasn’t directly on the menu however, they could adapt their toasted sourdough to omit eggs and add on sides of avocado and streaky bacon) and a Mimosa (the perfect breakfast cocktail)!”
Lunch: Bad Hombres
“Bad Hombres has been on my list to go to for a while now and I was so excited to finally try it last night! Bad Hombres is an entirely vegan and gluten-free Mexican-style restaurant that is located in Surry Hills. The menu also shows which dishes contain nuts and soy, which was so comforting and reassuring. As usual, before ordering I spoke to our waiter, explained my allergies and handed over my chef card. Since the menu clearly labeled nuts, I could easily see what would be suitable for my nut allergies. Our waiter helped indicate whether my sesame and kiwi fruit allergies were in the dishes I was interested in trying. Even though I selected dishes that did not contain nuts, my waiter still made a note of my nut allergies when taking my order. I safely ordered: chips and guacamole, chipotle potato tacos, and miso eggplant tacos. I went on Taco Tuesday night so I was keen to try the 3 tacos for $15 deal. Both the potato and eggplant tacos were delicious and I would definitely order both again.”
Dinner: O Bar and Dining
“I emailed through my allergy card prior to attending to see if they could cater to my allergies and they were amazing! They sent through everything on the menu that I could safely eat, as well as dishes they could adapt. Here is what I safely ate: pumpkin ciambella (with olive oil instead of butter), lightly torched ora king salmon (omitted the wasabi sesame), apricot and fennel glazed pork belly (with no Turkish pistachios), flash seared black opal F1 Wagyu, crispy sweet potatoes and a complimentary vegan chocolate filled with chocolate mousse and mango pieces. Overall, such an amazing fine dining restaurant with a large variety of options. O Bar & Dining was extremely accommodating and had wonderful customer service, the waiter constantly reiterated the menu modifications made for me. Outstanding dining experience!”
Drinks: Opera Bar
“Opera Bar is Sydney’s most iconic bar located right under the Opera House on the water’s edge. Overlooking Circular Quay, there are stunning views of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. There is such an amazing vibe here and is the perfect location to have a drink either during the day or at night! I have only had drinks here so far, but I am keen to try some food next time I go. I was safely able to drink the cider on tap here.”
Sightseeing: Walk around Circular Quay
“See the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the Royal Botanical Garden!”
Sightseeing: Sydney Harbour Bridge!
“Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge!”
Sightseeing: Rocks Markets
“See the Rocks Markets on the weekends.”
Day 2
Breakfast: Brix and Beans Coffee House
“A small inviting cafe just near the waterfront at Barangaroo. I safely drank freshly squeezed juice here. They also made smoothies with dairy milk here, so I spoke to the staff to make sure they were not prepared in the same blender. They confirmed the juices were made in a fruit presser which was completely separate from the blender used for the smoothies so the juice would be safe for me. It was delicious!”
Lunch: Zushi Surry Hills
“Zushi has become one of my favourite restaurants since overcoming some of my seafood allergies! They have two restaurants, Surry Hills and Barangaroo. They serve delicious Japanese cuisine with a modern twist by using carefully sourced local ingredients. I attended Zushi Surry Hills recently with my family and it was amazing. In addition to my allergies, my brother is also allergic to wheat and potato. I made a booking through ‘OpenTable’, which enabled me to add our allergies to the booking notes. When we arrived they had already placed a gluten-free soy sauce and a nigiri menu on our table since we could have these! I also showed my chef card to our waiter who showed it to the chef and added our allergies to our order on their system. Here is what we safely ate at Zushi Barangaroo: edamame, nigri- salmon, seared salmon, and seared kingfish nigri, baby salmon rolls, ocean roll (omitted all sauces, sweet soy and honey mayo), seared wagyu steak nigri, and drinks! Zushi was wonderful at accommodating my family’s dietary requirements. They even have a vegan menu and gluten-free soy sauce available upon request.”
Snack: OMG Donuts
“Introducing OMG Donuts – the allergy-friendly treat that’s about to redefine your donut-loving experience. OMG Donut’s mission is to create a genuinely inclusive product that almost everyone can enjoy. Their donuts have certifications from Vegan Australia, Kosher Australia and the Halal Authority of Australia. Their donut mix is vegan, gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, sulphite-free, preservative-free, has no artificial additives, colourings or preservatives and is a non-genetically modified product. They have 13 amazing flavours, my personal favourites are OMG Cinnamon and Cacao Delish. Many of my friends and family who have no dietary requirements have tried OMG Donuts and could not believe they were free from so many allergens! They have pop-up stalls at markets, shopping centers, functions, events, expos, driveways and more—you can stay up to date with their locations on their website.”
Dinner: Giuls
“Giuls is a neighbourhood casual restaurant that offers a selection of Italian classics located in the heart of Surry Hills. The menu is very clearly labelled, it shows vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free and what can be adapted to meet the above options. Before talking to my waiter, I had a look at the menu and picked some options that looked like they might be suitable for my allergies. I showed my waiter my chef card and explained my allergies. They were very accommodating and catered to my needs. They double-checked everything with the chef! Here is what I safely ate: Giuls Foccacia (this was already vegan and vegetarian, it only had rosemary and smoked salt on it), Rigatoni, Grass-fed Lamb Ragu (omitted the Parmesan bread and used vegan pasta so there was no egg or dairy in it) Everything was delicious and the staff were so accommodating, looking forward to coming back!”
Drinks: Squire’s Landing
“The Squires Landing is a stunning restaurant located in Circular Quay and looks out to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and beyond! There are multiple levels and on each level the views are incredible. I have only had drinks here so far, but I am keen to try some food next time I go. I was safely able to drink the wine, as well as the cider on tap here.”
Sightseeing: Walk through the city
“Walk through the city and enjoy some shopping.”
Sightseeing: Moore Park
“Catch lightrail over to Moore Park to see the Vegan Markets monthly”
Sightseeing: SCG or Allianz Stadium.
“You can catch some AFL, NRL or Cricket.”
Day 3
Breakfast: Oh My Days
“Oh My Days is a plant-based bakery with an entirely vegan menu. This super cute and delicious cafe is located in Glebe. The perfect go-to breakfast spot! Before sitting down at a table I spoke to a staff member to check if they would be able to cater to my allergies. Since the menu is entirely vegan, I was assured there was no dairy or eggs. Once seated I had a look over the menu to see what I thought would be suitable. I picked out some chocolate pancakes and a fresh juice, which sounded amazing. I then checked with my waiter that this dish was suited to all my dietary requirements and it was! Here is what I safely ordered: gluten-free chocolate chip banana pancakes with spiced banana caramel and chocolate sauce, DIY apple and orange juice. Oh My Days was wonderful at accommodating and assuring me that they could cater to my dietary requirements. It seemed there were more items on the menu that I would be able to eat, so I am looking forward to returning shortly to see what else I can eat and also ordering the delicious pancakes again!”
Lunch: Tequila Daisy
“Tequila Daisy is a Mexican restaurant located in Barangaroo, Sydney with stunning waterfront views. Their Mexican-styled menu already shows gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and/or vegetarian dish options. As usual, I showed the waiter my chef card and talked through my dietary requirements. Since I have eaten here before, I informed the waiter of what I have eaten in the past and they double-checked with the chef to ensure they could safely cater for my dietary requirements again. Here is what I safely ate: Dish 1: Tequila Daisy classic guacamole and corn chips, pulled pork and roasted pineapple salsa tacos, al pastor pork belly with charred jalapeno salsa, kingfish tostada with cucumber and habenero salsa, roasted pineapple, coconut panna cotta, and mango sorbet. As usual, everything I ate at Tequila Daisy was delicious! These dishes were also suitable for my brother who is anaphylactic to wheat and potato.”
Dinner: Meat Wine and Co
“I discovered one of the best steaks last Friday night at The Meat & Wine Co. This restaurant is located right in the heart of Barangaroo and they have an amazing and delicious range of dishes available. The menu showed vegan and vegetarian options and they were also able to adapt some of their dishes to cater to my allergies. They reviewed my chef card and my order with the chef. The only dish that I was looking at ordering that couldn’t be adapted was the chips as they were fried in the same fryer with other food I was allergic to. Instead, I ordered a salad with my steak. Here is what I safely ordered: Dish Sourdough Bread, extra virgin olive oil (Omitted the cultured butter), 200g Monte Fillet with Salad (Omitted sauces), Roasted Pumpkin (Omitted Vannella’s stracciatella) Every time the waiter brought out my dish they always confirmed this was the dish suitable for my allergies. Another aspect that I found reassuring was how the waiter explained how they adapted the dish to cater for me. Hearing them explain how they took out the stracciatella from the roasted pumpkin to omit the dairy component of the dish for example gave me confidence that the dish was safe. I had such a great experience at The Meat & Wine Co. I felt very comforted that my dietary requirements were being catered for. It was all so delicious!”
Drinks: Untied Rooftop Bar
“Untied is a rooftop bar such a stunning location overlooking Barangaroo. I came here for a sunset drink and it did not disappoint. There are such great vibes on the rooftop, it is the perfect place to go for a drink before dinner. They also had some delicious cocktails – I loved the lychee martini!”
Sightseeing: Walk around Darling Harbour and Barangaroo
“See the beautiful waterfront views. There are plenty of stunning rooftop and waterfront bars to stop at along the way.”
Sightseeing: Markets at Glebe
“Walk around the Markets at Glebe and do some shopping.”
Sightseeing: Madame Tussauds
“Visit Madame Tussauds, Wild Life Sydney Zoo, Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, or the Chinese Garden of Friendship.”
Day 4
Breakfast: Boost Juice
“I first decided to try Boost Juice after doing some research on their website. Their website says they take requests for allergens and dietary requirements very seriously and to advise the staff at Boost of your allergies so that they can ensure you are looked after and that extra care is taken. Their website also has a table that outlines all the allergen and nutritional information on their drinks. So you can easily cross-check the allergens applicable to you on each drink. The main allergen I was concerned about was dairy, since they make dairy-based smoothies. After going into the store and speaking with the staff something that I discovered, which is amazing for those of us with dairy allergies, is that they have multiple vegan items. They even have a dedicated vegan blender so there is no dairy cross-contamination. They also have a variety of dairy-free milk alternatives, such as soy milk instead of dairy milk, and sorbet instead of ice cream. My go-to order is the Fresh Juices and then I am able to choose my own fruit bases. My favourite mix is apple, orange, pineapple and passionfruit! In every experience I have had at Boost Juice, the staff have always been so kind and accommodating with my needs.”
Lunch: Sushi Meow
“Sushi Meow is a super cute little Japanese restaurant located right across the road from Bondi Beach. They have seating inside to dine in, or you can get takeaway and eat on the beach! I ordered a salmon and avocado roll here and it was delicious! This is one of my go-to sushi orders, the only issue is that they sometimes use mayonnaise in sushi rolls. So I double-checked with the staff if there were any mayonnaise and they confirmed that there wasn’t. They also had labelling as to what was vegan and vegetarian which was great to see.”
Dinner: Totti’s
“Tottis is an Italian restaurant located in Rozelle, Sydney CBD and Bondi. Tottis is all about enjoying simple delicious food and your favourite people. A personal favourite from their menu is Totti’s signature wood-fired bread! I spoke to my waiter about my food allergies and they were very accommodating. I gave them my chef card which they noted was extremely helpful for them! They took my chef card into the kitchen to discuss with the chefs what I could eat. They came back with an annotated menu to show what menu items I could already eat and which could be adapted to suit my allergies. Here is what I safely ate: wood-fired bread, tomatoes, prosciutto, salami, pappardelle lamb ragu (using gluten-free and vegan pasta), fries with rosemary salt. Overall, I found Tottis to be an amazing restaurant for eating out with food allergies. Every time the waiters brought out a dish for me, they reiterated that the dish was catered for my allergies.”
Drinks: Bondi Icebergs
“Bondi Icebergs is in such a stunning location overlooking the beach and the pool. I came here for a sunset drink and it did not disappoint. Watching the sunset over the water was so beautiful and such an amazing view. They also had some delicious drinks!”
Sightseeing: Bondi-Bronte Walk
“See beautiful coastline views!”
Sightseeing: Bondi Beach + Bondi Iceberg Pool
Sightseeing: Bondi Markets
“Walk along the foreshore and stroll through the Bondi markets”
Day 5
Breakfast: Wooden Whisk
“The Wooden Whisk is a cute cafe in St. Leonards. I have eaten here a few times now and it has been so delicious and safe for me every time! I showed my waiter my chef card and explained my allergies. They went and double-checked everything with the chef to confirm it would be suitable for my needs. I safely drank a freshly squeezed apple and orange juice. I also ate toast with avocado and bacon sides.”
Lunch: The Commodore
“The Commodore Hotel is a stunning pub located just over the Harbour Bridge in North Sydney. The menu already had gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options which was great to see. The meal l typically order at a restaurant is a steak and salad as this has the lowest risk of cross-contamination for my allergies. After speaking to the staff and showing my card I decided this would be the best option for me. Here is what I ordered safely: Sirloin Steak, fries (omitted aioli), mixed Leaf Salad (omitted dressing), and and Aperol Spritz and a Passionfruit Caprioska! The food, along with the cocktails, were so delicious and I had no issues!”
Dinner: Kyushu Japanese Restaurant
“Amazing restaurant for authentic Japanese food located in Neutral Bay! The staff were also extremely polite and helpful with all my needs and questions. I showed my waiter my chef card and explained my allergies. They went and double-checked everything with the waiter to confirm it would be suitable for my needs. I safely ate the salmon avocado sushi roll, edamame and the salmon nigiri!”
Sightseeing: Milson Point
“Head down to Milson’s Point to see the stunning views of the harbour and city from right under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.”
Sightseeing: Walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sightseeing: Luna Park
“Go on some fun rides!”
Day 6
Breakfast: Pure Wholefoods
“Pure Wholefoods is a cute cafe in Manly. I have eaten here a few times now and it has been so delicious and safe for me every time! I showed my waiter my chef card and explained my allergies. They went and double-checked everything with the chef to confirm it would be suitable for my needs. I safely drank a freshly squeezed apple juice. I also ate toast with avocado, smoked salmon, hash browns and bacon sides.”
Lunch: Hero Sushi
“Hero Sushi has become a go-to for me for easy-to-find and delicious sushi! They have many stores in various locations around Sydney, this has been great for me when I am out and about and want something quick and healthy. I love that Hero Sushi doesn’t add mayonnaise to the Salmon Avocado Rolls, unlike many other sushi chains. I have safely eaten the following items from Hero Sushi: Avocado roll, salmon avocado roll, baby avocado, baby cucumber, baby Salmon, and fresh salmon nigiri box.”
Dinner: The Oaks
“I ordered my food directly from the staff working in the kitchen so they could easily talk to the chef about my needs. As always I showed them my chef card and explained my allergies to see what was possible. Steak and salad is typically the most safe option for me so that is what I requested. After talking to the chefs they said they could safely prepare a steak and plain salad for me! The staff were extremely kind and willing to cater to my needs. I safely ate 250g rump steak with a plain salad. Their menu shows vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options which is great to see.”
Sightseeing: Manly Walk
“The Spit to Manly walk and the Fairlight to Manly walk.”
Sightseeing: Manly Beach
“Swim at Manly Beach and all the smaller beaches along the walks nearby”
Sightseeing: Catch a ferry into the city
“Enjoy the views on the way!”
Day 7
Breakfast: Wholegreen Bakery and Cafe
“Wholegreen Bakery is 100% gluten-free and coeliac accredited. They have cafes in Waverley, Alexandria and the CBD—I went to the Alexandria location earlier this week with a couple of friends! All their items were very clearly labelled with a dietary guide. This labeling was extremely helpful to identify what menu options would be safe for me to order. After selecting some options I thought were suitable, I spoke to the staff and explained my food allergies. They brought out a very detailed booklet, which listed every item on the menu and what ingredients they contained. One of the sandwiches said it contained nuts, this was useful to confirm it only had almonds, which is one of the nuts I can actually eat! They even toasted my sandwich by covering it in baking paper so there was no cross contamination in the sandwich presser. The plain sourdough bread was also suitable however, it was touching bread with sesame, and therefore there was the issue of cross contamination. The staff very kindly suggested if I wanted bread next time I could place an order in advance and explain my sesame allergies and they would keep it separate from the bread with sesame. Here is what I was able to eat: chocolate chip cookies, vegan salad and vegetable sandwich (contains almonds).”
Lunch: Comeco
“Comeco Foods is a cafe in Newtown that is entirely vegan and gluten-free! It is also mainly nut-free—their brownies are the only menu item that uses nuts (almond meal). This cafe is known to create allergy-friendly food and has the aim of creating a place where everyone can come together to enjoy eating delicious food so of course I had to try! With such a dietary-inclusive menu, already the only allergen I really had to be cautious of was sesame. I still showed the staff my chef card and explained all of my allergies and they straight away brought out the manager to talk me through the menu. They explained that sesame is used in the kitchen however, I could order dishes that did not contain sesame. They made a note of my sesame allergies with my order so they could avoid sesame and any cross-contamination. I got Fried Crispy Lotus Root Chips, Aburi Eggplant Teriyaki Roll, and Chocolate Iced Sourdoughnuts. All of the food was delicious and I felt so safe eating out here. The staff were so knowledgeable about allergies and also extremely kind and helpful with all of my questions. I have never had an iced donut before so this was definitely a stand-out for me.”
Dinner: Silvas
“Silvas is where my dining out journey first started! A few years back my family ventured out to Silvas to ask some questions to see if it would be possible to eat there as a family with multiple food allergies. A massive shout out to Silvas co-owner Steven, who from the start has always been so accommodating to our family and has given us the confidence that they could cater to our needs. Silvas provides a wide selection of quality Portuguese cuisine, with a fan favourite being their traditional home-style preparation of Portuguese chicken. It is a family-run restaurant and has a homely and welcoming atmosphere. Here My family safely ate (for my allergies along with my brother who is anaphylactic to potatoes and wheat): Sizzling garlic prawns, Portuguese BBQ octopus, whole Portuguese chicken, espetada a madeirense (omitted garlic bread and butter), tomato and red onion salad, and garden salad with cucumber and lettuce. The waiters provided us with salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar for the table so we can safely add dressings to the salad as we wish.”
Drinks: Calaveras Mexican Cantina & Tequila Bar
“Calaveras Mexican Cantina & Tequila Bar Calaveras is a Mexican & Tequila bar right in the heart of Newtown. There are such great vibes in the bar, it is the perfect place to go for a drink with friends. They also had some delicious cocktails—I loved the passion fruit mojito!”
Sightseeing: Newtown
“Stroll the streets of Newtown for some thrifting and shopping.”
Sightseeing: Enjoy the nightlife in Newtown along King Street.
“There are heaps of bars and pubs to visit on your night out.”
Sightseeing: Holey Moley
“Play some mini indoor golf at Holey Moley where a mini golf course and bar completely outshines traditional putt putt.”
