Lacto
Ovo
Beer/Wine
Australian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. An all-day Indigenous Australian bar and kitchen with a choice of four vegan shareable dishes on the menu as well as five side dishes. Open Tue-Thu 11:00am-10:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-12:00am, Sun 11:00am-10:00pm. Closed Mon.
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Mabu Mabu, Federation Square, Tenancy 25, 2 Swanston St, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3000
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Last update on 22 Nov 2021 by Guest
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Added by PotatoesTho on 22 Nov 2021
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12 Reviews
First Review by andreasaysyes
Aloo
Points +7215
Wow - Edit
So much to love about Big Esso. The staff, the vibe, the variety, and the food!!
Read moreWe loved that the vegan items were marked on the menu and that they have a vegan set menu. Everything we considered, looked so interesting and different.
The food was delicious, fresh and unusual.
They also sell housemade vegan stock such as Sriracha sauce, pineapple hot sauce, spices, tea, salts and others.
Guest
CabernetS
Points +368
Vegan set menu is great! - Edit
Lovely use of indigenous flavours. We had a choice of vegan options a la carte, a three course degustation or a five course degustation. We went with the 5 course and matching drinks. Food was amazing. Service was very fast. Lots of yummy food, staff kindly gave us takeaway containers for the food we couldn’t finish. We went during rising festival.
Read morePros: Delicious food , Friendly staff, Generous portions (food and wine)
Cons: Service was a bit faster than we could keep up, Radicchio was a little bitter
Guest
Lotuseater18
Points +28
Fantastic!! - Edit
Did a great job at vegan inclusion.
Read morePros: The Torres Strait Islander food was amazing! , Great service
Cons: Radiccio was a bit bitter
Guest
novog1
Points +1299
Great location, indigenous flavours - Edit
Indigenous flavours mixed with vegan treats, great loc8ion
Read moreGuest
stopsign38
Points +1101
Indigenous restaurant with vegan menu - Edit
So great to be able to
Read moreexperience a full menu with all indigenous flavours. A full vegan menu is available (with two vegan set menu options) makes this a great place to eat. Naarm mushrooms were fantastic.
Updated from previous review on 2024-04-06
Pros: Vegan menu , Native Australian flavours , Most options are already gluten free
Guest
molly.ophelia
Points +387
Unique food supporting local communities - Edit
Big Esso had plenty of vegan options, all made using local, native ingredients and recipes. The restaurant supports native communities and causes and is super different to most other food I’ve experienced in Melbourne.
Read morePros: Wide range of options , Native recipes and ingredients , Friendly staff
Cons: Expensive
Guest
giulilliput
Points +20
Absolutely suggested - Edit
If you want to try some indigenous of Torres Islands’ food and contribute ti a super ethic business definitely go here.
Read moreSuper central but not turistic spot!
Guest
RebeccaKilinski
Points +104
Delicious and unique - Edit
Cool Indigenous restaurant/bar using native ingredients to create great unique dishes. There were lots of vegan options in the starters and “harvest” part of the menu, and 1 vegan main (only 4-5 mains in total), no desserts, a vegan cocktail. We shared 2 starters and 2 harvest plates. All were absolutely delicious! Meal came out quickly which was great for our pre-theatre dinner at 5pm.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Delicious and unique , Friendly and helpful service
Cons: Music a bit loud for my liking but typical today
Guest
RVST
Points +84
A unique experience - Edit
This is a great menu put together with native ingredients as the USP. The First Nations fusion dishes taste delicious and are certainly filling. It looks as though more vegan options have been added when compared to prior reviews too. Being based in Federation Square is a plus as well.
Read morePros: Native ingredients , Range of flavours, Location
Guest
LenaSta
Points +609
Great food, but pricey - Edit
Really Greta food from ingredients I have never had before. All vegan dishes are clearly labelled and there are several dishes to choose from. Portion sizes are a bit small though and it is quite expensive. But if you want to try some Indigenous food this is an awesome place to eat!
Read morePros: Several clearly labelled vegan options , Delicious from local ingredients
Cons: Expensive , Small portion sizes
Tiggy
You might have missed that there was already a listing for Big Esso.
Read moreLenaSta
Yes I did, thank you! Was looking for Mabu Mabu :)
Read moreGuest
beancurdled
Points +1633
don’t miss it - Edit
Mabu Mabu Big Esso is one of my highest recommendations to anyone, especially international travellers visiting the city. It’s an unmissable opportunity to try inventive dishes, featuring indigenous ingredients, cooked by a First Nations chef.
Read moreI was very excited to hear that Nornie Bero was opening an restaurant in Fed Square after hearing about her delicious food at the Yarraville tuck shop. They launched with takeaway picnic boxes at the end of lockdown, before hospo reopened for dining in. I jumped to order one and enjoyed with a friend in the nearby Botanic Gardens.
Since then, I’ve eaten there a few times for lunch and dinner with colleagues. It’s best to go with a group so you can try a range of the vegan share plates. Don’t skip the croquettes, they’re my favourite.
Updated from previous review on 2022-07-09
Guest
andreasaysyes
Points +161
My new favourite restaurant - Edit
Super super delicious food - like nothing else in Melbourne in terms of ingredients and taste. So many vegan options to choose from, and the portions are pretty generous - I had two small plates and a side and was very full afterwards. Cocktails are also delicious.
Read moreIt would be great if they had some large dishes that were vegan, but otherwise no complaints. Staff were great, lots of different seating options, great atmosphere and location.
Pros: Unique and delicious food, Lots of vegan options, Great atmosphere
Cons: No vegan large dishes
Guest
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