Serves meat, vegan options available. Licensed restaurant with clearly labelled vegan dishes on the brunch and dinner menus. Vegan dishes include portobello benedict, a big breakfast, sticky sesame cauliflower nibbles, mushroom & walnut bolognaise, marinated tofu, and stuffed portobello mushroom. Open Mon-Fri 10:00am-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 9:00am-10:00pm.
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39 Abel Smith St, Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 20 Feb 2024 by christy1993
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20 Reviews
First Review by Mellifluoust
AliceMurray
Points +398
Lots of options! - Edit
A great range of vegan options, I had the vegan breakfast bowl and it was very filling. A warning though, the coffee is extremely potent. I like strong coffee so kinda enjoyed it but most of my companions didn't finish theirs
Read moreGuest
danielaj
Points +875
Used to be good - Edit
Used to be my go-to however in the past year they have almost no vegan options- in a meal that had the option to be made vegan I was served meat with my meal that I was told vegan and told afterwards in was in fact meat. They have a few dishes that have the option to turn vegan but not many. Cabinet doesn’t have vegan options anymore either. Disappointed
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-08-01
Guest
SamRN
Points +18
Great food and great vibe - Edit
Great vegan options, friendly staff and cool atmosphere. Had the mushroom Benedict, was delicious.
Read moreGuest
maddywa
Points +203
It was okay - Edit
Had a few vegan options but the ones we tried (big vegan breakfast and scrambled tofu on toast) were really bland. Excellent coffee.
Read moreGuest
nbuk
Points +140
Good for groups & dog friendly - Edit
Menu is fairly standard with some good vegan options. Nothing spectacular but entirely fine. Good for groups, including a great outdoor space that is also dog friendly. Good craft beers and some nice vegan cakes.
Read moreGuest
@ndy
Points +1276
Average Brunch!.... - Edit
We tried the Vegan breakfast and the Green Pea falafel bowl here for a brunch. The falafels were good but we thought the rest of the bowl was an unusual fusion of flavours which didn't really work.
Read moreThe breakfast was served cold, the sweet corn cakes were bland and the tofu scramble portion was tiny! I was glad I added a side of hash browns with it because it was a small meal for $21!
Menu items are clearly marked vegan or vegan as an option which is great.
It's a lively, vibrant place and the service was good but this was a really average experience here for the moderate prices of their meals.
Guest
cheskie
Points +155
Great options! - Edit
I’ve been to this restaurant several times. They do have a really good variety of vegan options, the Buddha bowl with tofu is great and the plant-based burger there is another favourite. But what I especially like about the Southern Cross is the Raspberry cheesecake style slice- absolutely delicious! It’s a great atmosphere with indoors and outdoors eating and live music on some nights. There’s even a free once a month salsa class!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Wide range of seating options, Cool decor
Guest
Guspops
Points +58
Good option - Edit
This bar and restaurant has a great atmosphere with friendly staff and good vegan options.
Read moreNot all meals are created equal here- some are better than others.
Pros: Lots of vegan options, clearly marked , Caters to many dietary requirements
Cons: A little expemsive
Guest
Zot
Points +108
Great location, disappointing food - Edit
Wonderful beer garden, good drinks selection, but really disappointing food.
Read morePros: Several vegan options, Great beer garden
Cons: Food lacked love and flavour
Guest
Sabrinski
Points +94
Yummy food - beautiful courtyard - Edit
Went there for lunch and had the Burger which was good. The vegan options on the dinner menu looked even better with lots of clearly labeled vegan options. If you get the chance sit outside in the courtyard and play a round of giant yenga 😊
Read moreGuest
planteatingkiwi
Points +97
Lots of great vegan options - Edit
The menu has lots of really yummy looking vegan options, all clearly labeled. I had the mushroom stone grill with spiced carrots and potatoes - it was tasty, the mushrooms especially (they were totally delicious). Beware that there are meat stone grills, so if you hate the smell of meat cooking, talk to the server about options for where to sit.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
caity
Points +112
Superb - Edit
Delicious food for a fancy night out. Highly recommend! Skip the tofu scramble. Everything else is divine
Read moreGuest
Sushinina
Points +2541
nice restaurant - Edit
Many vegan options. I had the vegan hot plate, it was a bit small tbh but besides that it was really good. The cakes were delicious.
Read moreGuest
Nadia123
Points +94
Three course vegan option - Edit
A lovely restaurant for a special occasion like a birthday party, date, or formal dinner.
Read moreVery tasty vegan options with every element on the plate having an individual, full flavor which retains the taste of the original ingredient. Everything is cooked very well, fits together, and has been thought through. Presentation is also very pretty.
Southern Cross Garden Bar serves yummy cocktails, has an outside area and has a classy interior.
If you go here do expect to pay quite a bit though and waiting time for food is quite long.
Pros: Amazing three course vegan food, perfect for a special occasion, all around quite swanky
Cons: Cost, waiting time
Guest
citizenInsane
Points +1453
So many vegan options - Edit
I like the place, and the menu, with super clearly marked vegan options.
Read moreThe thing with this place is that it can be one thing or its opposite.
The staff members can be super friendly, or really not welcoming.
The portions, too, go from too much to too little.
And the food items go from delicious to bland, and from super oily to 0 oil...
I went there quite a few times, and must say I had all kinds of varied experiences!...
Pros: Many vegan options , Nice place, Central
Cons: Random portions and seazoning , Staff can be not welcoming
Guest
jennybean678
Points +101
Great vegan optikbs - Edit
I was really pleasantly surprised by the number of vegan options available here. I had the walnut and mushroom ball salad for my main and the raw chocolate torte for dessert, both of which were delicious. So good I had to return before leaving Wellington to try one of their dairy free milkshakes which also did not disappoint. Definitely worth a visit.
Read morePros: lots of great vegan options, great atmosphere
Cons: a little on the pricey side
Guest
KiwiNerd
Points +18
great options! - Edit
Had the portobello benedict and it was amazing! Cannot recommend it enough. Likewise, the vegan mac n' cheese I had on a previous visit was very tasty
Read moreGuest
Elizalodge
Points +112
My Vegan go to in central Wellington!!! - Edit
Southern Cross is a ethical and sustainable restaurant. This should be highest on the vege option on this list! They have a food cabinet with new food every day and always has about 5 vegan options in it ranging from vegan chickpea Mediterranean salad, to vegan Lamingtons, to vegan cheesecake and vegan slices. There's always something new! Just yesterday I got a $4 vegan chocolate banana muffin. About 80% of the options on the menu are either vegan or can veganized. With cashew cheese sauce used on their Mac and cheese and other dishes, and Tofu offered as an extra option alongside a non vegan option.
Read moreJust noticed yesterday their winter Brunch menu has changed to dairy free yoghurt and coconut Milk in their Oatmeal and Granola options! You can get dairy free milkshakes for an extra $2. All their coco and bananas used are fair-trade!
I live and breathe their Vegan Buddha Bowl! There's so many vegan options to choose from, just google their online menu! I'll be sure to post photos the more I go.
Also the outdoor area is so lovely! Best atmosphere and feels like such a hidden gem.
Pros: They no longer use dairy yoghurt or milk in dishes, Their take away containers are bio degradable/eco!, They always have events on
Cons: Would be cool to have an online menu for cabinet!
Guest
Temi
Points +65
mixed feelings - Edit
Southern cross is the best vegan food if i feel like dining in a restaurant and eating European style food. they generally have one vegan option with a few meals that can be adapted to be vegan also. the menu is always clearly labelled and updated regularly. the only issues i have really had with Southern cross is that quite often you will have a long wait for you food (even starters) with no warning from wait staff and on one occasion after clearly asking for the vegan version of the breads and dips i was given a yogurt based dip. for such a vegan friendly restaurant i was surprised the waitress didn't seem to understand or notice a mistake had been made when i asked what the dips were. it made me feel very uncomfortable eating the rest of my meal unsure what other mistakes had been made.
Read morePros: good vegan options, clearly labelled menu, good service
Cons: long waits, got given a yogurt dip (not vegan)
Guest
Mellifluoust
Points +807
vegan entrees, mains and desserts, oh my! - Edit
Unexpectedly for a bar/restaurant, the Southern Cross is very vegan friendly... there are vegan entrees, 3 mains and 3 desserts. On top of that, there's a vegan wine list - that's something I've never seen at a restaurant! On this visit, I shared the marinated tofu grill and the winter veggie stack with my companion. The tofu was tasty and served with a yummy udon noodle stir-fry - only complaint would be that they only gave us 3 smallish slices of tofu! The stack came with garden salad and a polenta cake - again tasty, but sadly the pumpkin in the stack was hard as rock. Although we didn't order dessert (choice between cake, sorbet and even vegan fondue), I've had the choc-rasp cake before - served warm with non-dairy ice cream, coulis and chocolate sauce, awesome.
Read morePros: Vegan wine!, Cozy yet classy atmosphere., Vegan fondue!
Cons: Moderately expensive, Small portions
Guest
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