Govindas PureVegetarian

A fixture of James Street in Burleigh Heads, this pure-vegetarian kitchen has fed the town for years on the Hare Krishna model: simple, generous, inexpensive. Much of the produce comes from an associated organic farm across the border near Murwillumbah, and it shows in the curries, koftas and thalis that anchor the menu. The kofta balls in particular have their devotees. Everything is meat-free, with a long run of vegan and gluten-free options marked clearly, and the room runs from late morning to evening seven days a week. The mood is unpretentious and communal, closer to a canteen than a restaurant, and the value is hard to match anywhere on the coast. Amid Burleigh's steady gentrification, it remains a reminder of the suburb's older, gentler counterculture — and a dependable plate of vegetarian food for anyone passing through.