Smith & Deli - Review - Collingwood - Melbourne - The Infatuation

"There’s so much variety at this vegan dining hall that wait staff often have to reassure diners that yes, it’s all plant-based. That includes the hot pastrami sandwich, the bacon-and-egg brioche roll, the salted-caramel cannoli, and the tiramisu donut. Chef-owner Shannon Martinez pioneered the cuisine in Australia and is known for cold-cuts, cheeses, and almond croissants that are almost as good as the real thing. Staff are cheery, laidback, and likely to have more than one piercing, and Martinez’s neo-goth style extends to a shoppable range of tees, tote bags, coolers, and cat-eye sunnies. Look out for ramen nights at more upscale sibling restaurant Smith & Daughters next door, when you can get impossibly creamy tonkotsu and sip yuzu highballs." - Ellen Fraser