Why Vegetables Matter So Much at Sonora (and a Secret Dream I Probably Shouldn’t Share)
I’ve got a confession. I love vegetables. Maybe a little too much. Some chefs get excited over dry-aged beef or rare seafood flown in from halfway across the world—me? I get just as fired up about a weird herb I find at the markets or a root vegetable that’s only in season for a couple of weeks.
Winter is when most people slow down in the garden—but this year, I’m expanding. We’re moving our herb and veggie growing to a bigger space out in Western Sydney, and I’ve become a bit obsessed with packing it full of edibles you don’t usually see: herbs that don’t have English names, strange greens with amazing textures, and the kind of vegetables you have to forage or grow yourself because you’ll never see them at the supermarket.
This morning, for example, I picked up some fresh olive herb—vibrant and aromatic—and I’ve been collecting cuttings of rare white lavenders for weeks. I’m always looking. As the garden grows and our connection to the soil deepens, I can feel it: the shift toward something new. Something real. We’re moving into an exciting space of Urban Garden to Table—and we get to be one of the few in Sydney building that from the ground up.
At Sonora, we’ve always kept the menu tight and focused. That gives us room to obsess over every detail—from the house-made tortillas to the way a squash is grilled. It also means vegetables aren’t treated as an afterthought. Sadly, that’s still a thing in a lot of restaurants. Vegan or vegetarian options can feel like they were added five minutes before service. But here, whether you eat meat or not, we want every dish to taste amazing and feel intentional.
We love building dishes around seasonal produce. When something is in peak condition—even if it’s only around for a few weeks—we build it into the menu and let it shine. We don’t treat vegetables like a sidekick. We treat them like the hero.
(And okay—don’t tell Sonora, but I’ve got this quiet dream of opening a fully vegan spot one day. Shh. She might get jealous.)
A Few Vegan Restaurants We Love in Sydney
If you’re on the hunt for places that take vegetables seriously, here are a few of our favourites:
- Yellow – Potts Point’s finest when it comes to modern plant-based fine dining. Their creativity with veg is world-class.
- Gigi Pizzeria – Vegan Neapolitan pizza in Newtown that doesn’t miss cheese one bit.
- Shift Eatery – Great for a casual plant-based lunch and famous for their vegan “Reuben” sandwich.
- Alibi Bar & Dining – Upscale and completely vegan, inside the Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo.
- Soul Burger – 100% plant-based burgers across Sydney, super satisfying and great for takeout.
Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just into damn good vegetables, we’re glad you’re here. Come by Sonora and taste what’s in season—we’re always excited to share what the garden (or forest) gives us.
—Roy
