By Nola James
The Alley
Where 417 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 03 9820 8314, thealley.net.au
Although it bills itself as a cafe, the Alley is more a takeout joint.Credit: Eddie Jim
Open Mon-Fri 8am-4pm; Sat 10am-3pm
Prices $6-$14
Beet steak burger, sweet potato fries and sauces.Credit: Eddie Jim
Cards MC V eftpos
Flexitarianism – where you embrace a vegan (or vegetarian) diet and occasionally cheat with meat – is one of the year's biggest food trends, and Melbourne's restaurant scene has the, ahem, chops to back it up.
Fitzroy vegan diner Smith & Daughters could fool carnivores, Girls & Boys (also in Fitzroy) sends out vegan desserts, and Trippy Taco opened a second venue serving meatless Mexican in St Kilda earlier this year. Now, thanks to the Alley, vegans can have their burger and eat it too.
It's owned and run by Alexandra Pyke, a hospitality entrepreneur who has returned home after an eight-year stint in New York at veg-focused venues the Butcher's Daughter and the Fat Radish, and while it's pitched as a cafe, it's more of a takeout joint, clearly built with expansion in mind.
Dairy-free mac and cheese at the Alley.Credit: Eddie Jim
If you're after an animal-free burger, this is the place. The "mi-so hungry" (crumbed eggplant with cucumber and umeboshi slaw) is a crowd favourite; and the "beet steak burger" combines beetroot and beans with lettuce, tomato and sriracha "aioli" inside an egg-free, dairy-free brioche bun. It's moist, with good char around the "steak" and plenty of sauce to run down your arm.
Sweet potato chips are "air-fried" (AKA oven-baked). Hit up the sauce station for some delicious bright-orange carrot ketchup, too.
Dairy-free soft-serve ice-cream.Credit: Eddie Jim
There's a slew of superfood salads, and a Mexican taco bowl that might have worked better as an actual taco – the black bean "chorizo" has a good texture but essentially it's just shredded lettuce with out-of-season cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, fried tortilla crisps and a coconut dressing that's dairy-free but not remotely Mexican. And there's a cashew-based mac and cheese that's better than some dairy versions I've had – nutritional yeast and "bacon" crisps give it an umami nudge.
For dessert there's an avocado-based lime pie or a soy soft serve – maybe chocolate biscuit or strawberry milkshake flavour. Even drinks get the ethical treatment, with organic soft drinks and natural wines, although I'm a bit dubious about the basil seed water.
There's no table service: you line up, pay, return when your buzzer goes off to collect your tray of individually wrapped items. When you're done, clean up after yourself and keep on walking.
Speaking of rubbish, between two of us we put nine items into the in-store bin. Pyke assures me their compostable packaging will break down in 120 days. She's working on an off-site green waste composter and once her landlords install external recycling bins, their carbon footprint will get lighter.
Even as a card-carrying meat eater, I wouldn't rule out a return visit – trends come and go, but burgers are forever.
Pro-tip: If you're hungry after office hours you can order via UberEats until 8.30pm.
Go-to dish: Beet steak burger with sriracha aioli ($12.95).