Vegan
Juice bar
Beer/Wine
Asian
Finer dining set amongst Hyde Park by St Mary's Cathedral. Serves yum cha at lunch with dishes coming out regularly from the kitchen during peak time. Asian style meals at dinner. No garlic or onion used. Fully vegan, including alcohol, since Jun 2019. Reported closed August 2022.
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2-4 College St, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2000
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 31 Aug 2022 by Guest
Update business info -
Added by eric on 01 Aug 2007
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196 Reviews
First Review by Petesternz
Carla.Rowe23
Points +411
AMAZING!!! - Edit
This is by far my new favorite restaurant!
Read moreThe staff were very helpful and knew all the allergens on the menu, which is refreshing!
The food was incredibly fresh and the service was exceptionally quick.
We stuffed ourselves silly and we didn't even get to the mains part of the menu! We will have to come back soon and try some more dishes!
An excellent restaurant and I highly recommend to everyone :)
Guest
Veganswife
Points +315
Stunning and original - Edit
We were blown away by this restaurant. Four of us, including one vegan and three vegetarians, went for a birthday lunch on the spur of the moment. There was an excellent range of dishes arriving continuously to choose from. I particularly loved the curry puffs and ginger dumplings. The desserts were amazing. Highly recommended. I did not check if the wine was vegan.
Read morePros: All vegan, Great range of dishes, Continual yum char service
Guest
Buddy45
Points +95
wow - Edit
One of the best vego Asian restaurants ... The yum Cha is exceptional. The passionfruit donuts A+++
Read moreGuest
Rhianna-Thriving
Points +16
First Vegan Restaurant - Mindblown - Edit
First time at a vegan restaurant! Been to cafes but never proper lunch/dinner food and went for their lunch yum Cha. Absolutely amazing, everything was beautiful and tasted superb. Little bit freaked out by the fake meat but it just felt wrong because it tasted so real and it's been years since I've had it! Beautiful atmosphere and location, perfect to go with two people because dishes come out with three serves (dumplings etc.).
Read moreGuest
Tiggy
Points +13928
Just great, exceeded expectation... - Edit
I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was at this place and at how full I was afterwards. Of course the atmosphere was fantastic (in spite of the mosquitos on a warm Sydney late-summer evening). It did take us a while to be attended to when we wanted to order but the food was worth the wait. The dishes we ordered could at first glance have been pretty much what we’d had before at other places – although the ‘mushroom, asparagus, red capsicum, soft tofu and cashew nuts tossed in a creamy coconut lemongrass sauce in an Asian pastry nest’ stood out as exciting – but everything we ordered was impressive and better than we expected. The ‘Australian mushroom gow dumplings’ were delicious, more than your everyday dumpling. The ‘glass noodle spring rolls’ were as good as any spring roll I’d had before and the ‘smoked soy, orange, coconut, chili and coriander betel leaves’ were fresh and tasty. The cost of the meal was under $60 - what you’d expect from a restaurant like this, if not cheap. We didn’t have room for dessert this time but will definitely be coming back again on future visits to Sydney.
Read morePros: Vegan food of a high standard, Fantastic atmosphere
Cons: A bit of a wait for service
Guest
Violistakaren
Points +76
I am stunned and awed! - Edit
This might be the best vegan meal I have eaten in my 23 years as an herbivore. The United States has nothing to compare to the flavor and freshness and serenity of this beautiful restaurant.
Read moreGuest
RebekkaClaire
Points +73
AMAZING!! - Edit
The food was absolutely delicious and had the most amazing flavours! We went for dinner and the setting looking out at the park was reay pretty and very relaxing!
Read morePros: Amazing Food, Inexpensive, Inviting Staff
Guest
SergeBrel
Points +57
Superb - Edit
A great restaurant tucked away in a wonderful garden oasis in the centre of Sydney. Lovely food, service and ambiance
Read moreGuest
chantea
Points +234
Melbourne: Take Note - Edit
Listen up all Melbournians, yes we may be the vegan capital of Australia, but let me just say, we do not have a Bodhi in the Park, and for this fact, our status is diminished.
Read moreThis little place is absolutely awesome. What fantastic food, fantastic ambience and fantastic customer service.
It's not easy to find…we were looking for it, but then stumbled upon it just as we thought we were well and truly lost. But it was worth it. We got a tonne of tapas for dinner, and yeah it was pricey, but it was worth it. We took a meat-eating relative and she kept say 'you should check if this is really vegan' because she couldn't believe it. We got ten tapas all up and I was desperate to have dessert but I couldn't fit it in.
Worth coming to Sydney just to go here. A truly award-winning restaurant.
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Taste, Atmosphere
Cons: Pricey, Some items are a bit oily (deep fried)
Guest
vegan louise
Points +607
Still a winner - Edit
I have been going to Bodhi for over 20 years and I still love it! From the number of different moves, the menu changes and price changes, it is still fabulous. When vegan asian food was a novelty in Australia, Bodhi got me through and I still visit it when back in Sydney.
Read moreThe location is just beautiful, the meals are still great.
I love yum cha. The only thing that isn't so fabulous is the increase in price, but I guess to pay for the location and it is in Sydney the price is fair.
Updated from previous review on Saturday August 17, 2013
Pros: Yum cha variety, location, great place for non-vegos
Cons: Bit pricey
Guest
neve13078
Points +36
delicious! - Edit
This is one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. I highly recommend it. Great service and delicious food! It is quite hard to find though and you would only be able to find in on foot.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Good toilets, Nice staff
Cons: Can be expensive, Hard to find
Guest
Lanky
Points +408
Agreed: Alright but overpriced - Edit
I still go to Bodhi once in a while for two reasons: first is because its fun to be able to do the Yum Cha thing once in a while; second because of its pleastant location.
Read moreAs others have noted, the food is pretty overpriced, and the flavours tend to be more on the sweet and bland side. They dont have real chilli, they dont have real vinegar- only the sweetstuff.
Pros: Vegan yum cha experience, BEautiful setting
Cons: Overpriced, Too Sweet, No Spice
Guest
gracep
Points +96
Not that good - Edit
This place is quite upmarket in its vibe, which is nice in a way, but I've been there three or four times, and each time the food has been pretty so-so, and very expensive for Australian restaurant food (one of the times it cost me $55 for yum cha, and I mean it cost that for me, not for me to pay for a group to dine with me). I found that there were a few really good dishes (from memory they were wontons, some kind of spinach dumpling, and an especially delicious dish made from rolled up bean curd skin with vegetable pieces inside it). I would maybe go back to have those dishes again at some point, but otherwise, the average service and food at the large cost you get them for mean that this restaurant isn't one that I'd recommend. Try Green Gourmet if you're looking for good vegan Asian. They don't do yum cha as often as Bodhi, but they do do it, and it's great. They're also a helluva lot easier to find than Bodhi.
Read morePros: Vegan, Some good dishes, Nice vibe
Cons: Expensive in a mostly unwarranted way, Hard to find
Guest
moo
Points +70
Too posh and westernised to be worth it - Edit
Bodhi serves reasonably tasty, fresh food. But it's just lacking in interesting or authentic Asian flavours, throws in too much oil and sugar, and charges far too much for the park-side views and posh lampshades. Yum cha's a more pleasing experience than the main menu, but Green Gourmet in Newtown is tastier and cheaper (yet unfortunately only open from midday).
Read morePros: fresh food, nice (if fancy) atmosphere
Cons: expensive, uninteresting food
Guest
veganjess86
Points +499
lovely but pricy - Edit
I've been here a few times and it's been great each time! It's nice for special occasions since it is expensive and portions are small. I also went here for a friends birthday party where she rented out the whole place and there were people walking around with little tastings of a bunch of things. As for their regular menu, the mock duck wraps will delight anyone vegan or not :)
Read moreGuest
Mellifluoust
Points +807
First yum cha! - Edit
Since becoming vegetarian at a very young age, I've always avoided yum cha since it's (usually) decidedly meaty - so I was really excited to come to a place where I didn't have to worry about what was in anything! All their outdoor seating suited us well on a sunny lunchtime. We tried 4 savoury dishes and 2 sweet between 2 people, which was a perfect amount and came to about $20 each. If you're eating on a budget, make sure you stick to a limited number of dishes - it can very easily add up, especially if you get lots of "special" dishes.
Read morePros: Leafy setting, No worries for vegans
Cons: Can get $$$
Guest
Moix
Points +345
Twice Awesome - Edit
First time I came here I was happy with their all vegan dinner menu with dishes mostly under $20 and a beautiful romantic park setting. The second time I came here around midday for their Yum Cha & it was also awesome! The desserts were especially wonderful. The staff were friendly & attentive & the place is licensed. It's an excellent place for a slightly more special occasion but still very affordable.
Read morePros: Vegan variety, Beautiful park setting, Affordable
Guest
marta red
Points +63
great food poor service - Edit
we were at bodhi in the park for dinner tonight.We chose this restaurant because is 100% vegan and wanted to try something new.I ordered a jasmin martini to drink and I was really happy with my choice because it had a fantastic flavour.As entree we took prawn tempura and dumplings I have to say the fake prawns tasted like real!!Well done also the dumpling,tasteful and light.As main course we had sweet and sour chicken-and it was so good we had another one!!!- and BBQ duck really good,too.Three flavours ice cream tasty and unique.The food was really excellent but we were not pleased by the service.This was the first day after reopening and the only expert waiter was training other 2 waitresses and that made for a very poor service.Table too small and chairs unconfortable.Very nice music,though.
Read morePros: excellent food, good music, nice location
Cons: poor service, bit expensive, unconfortable seating
Guest
ProtonVehiCROSS
Points +166
Hard to find, easy to love - Edit
I don't normally like Chinese food, but I gave this place a shot because it's 100% vegetarian. I don't regret it a bit and have already been back twice! The food here is a fusion of different Asian cuisines. A little pricey but certainly worth the effort! Ambiance is elegant and sophisticated. Staff are friendly.
Read moreA hint to finding the restaurant is that is located at least 50-100m back from the main road, set down low sort of beneath and to the side of the cathedral that's nearby, and also adjacent to the aquatic centre and a park-like area. You won't see this place from the main road, you'll need to find it on foot.
Pros: 100% vegetarian, Great vegan options, Tasty food
Cons: Expensive for what it is, Difficult to find on your first visit, Asian cuisine only
Guest
OreAdam
Points +24
Bodhi in the park - Edit
I love it here! The food is always great, in a nice location, the staff are helpful, and while it is expensive, you get what you pay for. A great place to take friends.
Read morePros: Great food, Great Staff, Great Location
Cons: Hidden, Expensive
Guest
emvee
Points +159
One of my favourites - Edit
I love this place: the location is wonderful - especially in summer. The yum cha is good but I really the evening menu. I'm always happy to bring my non-veg friends here. A bit expensive, but I guess you're paying for the location.
Read morePros: Location!
Guest
mrd
Points +194
Excellent food, great service - Edit
I went to Bodhi for a business dinner and all of us really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was fantastic.
Read moreThe staff we very attentive, helpful and were very enthusiastic about the food (and rightly so!).
The restaurant is a little hard to find and is tucked under plaza next to St. Mary's cathedral. The outdoor seating in the park is great but we did get a mozzie bite or two.
Anyway, highly recommended and price-wise you get what you pay for - great food with attention to detail comes at a modest premium.
The staff mentioned the restaurant is soon to operate as a bit more of a bar, but will still keep the great food on offer. It's a great location which will suit a bar/restaurant well.
Pros: Amazing food, Great staff, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Mozzies, A little hard to find the first time
Guest
Ken4057
Points +1200
Overpriced but friendly & great atmosphere - Edit
I'd never had yum cha before, so it was a great experience, especially since it's located smack downtown in a pretty park and is all-vegan.
Read moreThe staff were very friendly and helpful (though they didn't explain the yum cha thing right away, and I was clearly initially confused).
The dishes were hit and miss. I highly recommend the deepfried prawn and potato cakes. They put the yum in yum cha.
Also, as has been pointed out, even medium looking appetizer-sized items were counted as large, and at $7.50 I walked away having paid nearly $30 for my meal.
The pigeons know this place well, and they jump at the chance to feast on leftovers when diners leave.
I had blast and would love to have brought my ladyfriend here if I could go back (but was traveling).
Guest
Junivera
Points +126
Simply an oasis - Edit
An oasis for vegan and vegetarian who normally being left out on yumcha. Simply delicious and environment supports the serenity, right in the heart of sydney! Busy lunch time and get more choice of food.
Read morePros: Very good and easy to find
Cons: Food is fast, drinks may be a while.
Guest
rap attack
Points +187
Underwelming - Edit
Haven't been there for a year. I know the owner. Nice lady but the menu needs updating. Too expensive for what you get and not creative enough
Read morePros: Location to the city, Nice atmosphere, Plenty of room
Cons: Food is not very tasty, Food not creative, Expensive
Guest
t-bone123456
Points +52
Love this place - Edit
Great setting and beautiful place to chill and have some awesome dumplings. A must-visit if you are in Sydney!
Read morePros: excellent food, healthy cuisine, friendly staff
Guest
rhod
Points +68
Great location, good food but could try harder - Edit
I've been going to Bodhi for about 10 years. It's a fantastic location in a peaceful park in the middle of sydney CBD. It makes for an excellent lunch break from the hustle and bustle of the city. The yum cha here is more interesting than most vege yum cha places. Less spring rolls and more innovative dishes. I particularly like the desserts including the donuts which are a rare treat for vegans.
Read moreNow for the bad. I find the staff have always been a bit useless here. I'm probably being a bit harsh but I find that often dishes are not hot enough, drinks take a very long time to come and if you turn down a few dishes the wait staff stop coming to you quite quickly. I still enjoy the meal but I think it could be better. One thing I think they need to improve is the speed at which things get to the table as you can't have fried food being anyting other than hot and fresh or it's becomes soggy and unappetizing. This only happens occasionally but it's not normally a problem in yum cha places so I'm sure they can improve it. It's expensive for yum cha so I don't feel too bad being fussy.
All in all definitely worth a visit for the interesting dishes and fantastic location.
Pros: Tasty vege yum cha, Great venue, Interesting dishes
Cons: Food a bit cold sometimes, Waitstaff not overly helpful, Quite expensive
Guest
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