Gopals — Restaurant in Melbourne

Gopals, on the first floor above the shops on Swanston Street, diagonally opposite the Town Hall, has been one of my favourite places to eat out at for many years, in fact from my days at uni. It has excellent delicious, healthy, vegetarian and vegan buffet food (but not self serve) and at very reasonable prices. The range isn't extensive and includes vegan curries, spinach pie, lasagna, soup, koftas, samosas and salads and a couple of deserts sometimes including the to-die-for vegan cheesecake. The servings are quite generous so you do get great value. I elom leave hungry!

It's a relatively small place with only a dozen or so small tables and a wall-to-wall bench area across the room under the front window which gives you a bird's-eye view down onto the hustle and bustle of Swanston Street.

Being upstairs it doesn't have a shop front at street level. If you walk past and blink you'll most likely miss it. At street level it only has a narrow door sandwiched between two retail stores. As you walk along Swanston Street you have to look up at the illuminated signage until you see the "Vegan Gopals Vegetarian restaurant" sign. At that entrance you'll see a long flight of stairs that leads you up to the restaurant on the first floor. However, the first thing you'll see when you reach the first landing is a couple of toilets; not the best impression hey, I mean toilets are not the first thing you want to see when entering a restaurant.

The staff is very friendly and provides a great service. Gopals is very popular and it gets very busy at lunch time, so for lunch come a little earlier or a little later. Being upstairs, Gopals isn't suitable for prams and wheelchairs and can be difficult if you have...

This place has been a staple place for me for a while now. The high-class sister of crossways, it is all substance and deliciousness. The food is classed as Australian- Indian fusion. So please don't expect the flavours to be Indian.

Some of my favourites -

Spinach pie - best served with a side salad and some tomato sauce if they will let you.

Lasagna - AMAZING! Very Italian and fresh veggy - umami cheesy flavours. Goes best with broccoli salad and French dressing.

Croquettes - delicious earthy flavour, does well with sauce and some green salad.

Cheesecake - creamy, Berry compote mixed in agar layers. It's just phenomenal. Addictive

Halava and custard - to die for. I love it when they have bits of pineapple in it .

Berry slice - lovely and very substantial with custard topping.

There's more, but you can't do it justice without going there. From students to pensioners (and pensioners & students get a discount, I think) , it's been fun to come here and have a nice vegan or vegetarian meal. Sometimes, a clean meal is good for the soul.

I used to know someone who worked in the kitchen . There's a HIGH LEVEL of integrity they practice with meal and ingredients prep. If I were on a budget or time poor fpr meal prep, this would be THE perfect place to eat . No hidden nasties in the food , clean ingredients, and stellar kitchen ethics. You can eat here without worry and enough variation in the meals to fulfil a...

It was lovely to return to Gopals and get my hippy back on. Although the place has changed a little, the essence of being a brilliant Vegetarian / Vegan restaurant is still evident.

Some may have to look hard for the entrance as it's just a door. Located in the heart of Melbourne for nearly 40 years and now owned and run by the International Society of Krishna Coonsciousness, this is a must visit restaurant whether you are into vego food or not.

There are a number of cruelty free options on the meat-free menu along with roti, rice and excellent refreshments and desserts. Starting at around $9.50 for two hot dishes and two salads with rice - it's one of the most affordable meals around - and the portion sizes are huge. The night I went there was a lasagne but they also have dishes from around the world. With fresh ingredients and a smile from the lovely staff, this place to me is heaven.

No TV in this place. Just pleasant environment with windows open and fresh air coming in.

You should book ahead because this place does get busy and has it's regulars.

You can also book functions here which is something I should consider with an upcoming birthday.

We also cater for your function, large or small.

Not wheelchair friendly - long set of steep stairs to the restaurant. Toilets on site. Kid friendly. No wifi (well at least I don't think so because I was enjoying my meal and talking to people rather than being...