Yulli's

On Crown Street's quieter southern stretch, this Surry Hills mainstay has run an entirely meat-free kitchen since 2008, long before plant-based dining became fashionable. The room is dark and convivial, built for lingering over house-brewed beer from the affiliated brewery and a globe-trotting menu that leans on smoke, spice and umami rather than mimicry. Regulars order the fried cauliflower, the san choy bau and dumplings that hold their own against any omnivore kitchen nearby. Much of the menu is gluten-free, and the wine list favours small NSW growers. It works as both bar and restaurant, filling early with after-work drinkers and staying loud past midnight on weekends. Nearly two decades in, it remains one of the city's most quietly influential vegetarian rooms.