- info@markandvinnys.com
- G07, 38-52 Waterloo St Surry Hills 2010
- +61 2 90077789
Best Options Menus
and Italian Places to Try
Surry Hills is a useful place to explore when you want vegan pizza without limiting the rest of your meal. The suburb has dedicated vegan dining, pizza specialists and Italian restaurants that approach plant-based food in different ways.
If you’re searching for vegan pizza Surry Hills, the most useful comparison is not simply which restaurant has the word ‘vegan’ on its menu. Look at how the pizza is built, whether the dish is vegan as served or needs a substitution, what else you can eat, and whether the restaurant suits the people you are dining with.
This guide looks at those differences in detail, starting with the three vegan pizzas currently offered at Mark & Vinny’s and then comparing them with other nearby Italian and vegan-friendly options.
Surry Hills has a useful mix of pizza and Italian dining styles, which means vegan diners are not restricted to one kind of restaurant. Depending on what you want, you can choose a fully vegan menu, a pizzeria with dedicated plant-based choices, or an Italian restaurant where vegan dishes sit alongside traditional options.
This matters when you’re eating with a group. One person might want a vegan pizza, another may prefer pasta, and someone else may want a classic Italian dish. A broader menu can make the whole dinner easier to plan.
For people coming from central Sydney, the suburb is also close enough to the CBD to make a short trip worthwhile when the menu and atmosphere are a better fit for the occasion.
Mark & Vinny’s currently lists three vegan pizza options, and each takes a different approach to flavour. That variety is useful because the choice is not simply between ‘vegan’ and ‘non-vegan’ – you can choose a pizza based on the ingredients and style you actually enjoy.
Funghi Vegana combines miso-glazed king oyster mushrooms, fermented garlic, plant-based mozzarella, pickled onions and fresh sorrel. It is the most umami-focused of the three, with the mushrooms providing a substantial bite and the miso glaze adding savoury depth.
Fermented garlic adds another layer of flavour, while plant-based mozzarella contributes richness. The pickled onions introduce acidity, and fresh sorrel adds a bright, sharp note that balances the richer mushroom and mozzarella elements.
If you usually choose mushroom pizzas or prefer savoury flavours over sweeter toppings, this is the most complex of the three options.
The Classic Margherita keeps things simple with San Marzano tomato, Buffalo mozzarella or plant-based mozzarella, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. Choosing the plant-based mozzarella makes this pizza vegan.
Because there are relatively few ingredients, the balance matters. Tomato provides the main acidity and sweetness, basil adds freshness and aroma, and olive oil rounds out the flavour. The plant-based mozzarella gives the pizza the creamy element normally associated with dairy.
For someone trying vegan pizza for the first time, this can be the easiest starting point because the flavour profile remains close to a classic Italian Margherita.
The Eggplant Parmigiana is the most substantial of the three, combining charred eggplant, San Marzano pomodoro, Roma tomato, plant-based mozzarella, black garlic, basil and vegan parmesan.
The charred eggplant gives the pizza a soft, hearty texture with a smoky edge. The two tomato elements bring acidity, black garlic adds mellow depth, and vegan parmesan reinforces the savoury Parmigiana-style character.
For diners who prefer richer vegetable dishes and a fuller, more comforting pizza, this is the strongest choice of the three.
How the Three Vegan Pizzas Compare.
| Pizza | Flavour profile | Best for | Price* |
| Funghi Vegana | Earthy, savoury, umami-rich, fresh | Mushroom lovers; bold flavours | A$30 |
| Classic Margherita | Fresh, tomato-forward, simple | Classic pizza fans; first-time vegan diners | A$27 |
| Eggplant Parmigiana | Rich, smoky, comforting | Hearty vegetable-pizza lovers | A$30 |
*Prices supplied by the client for this article; check the live menu before publication.
Choosing a vegan-friendly restaurant is easier when the menu goes beyond one dish. At Mark & Vinny’s, the current menu also identifies Lasagne Vegana, Charcoal Bucatini and Ginger & Cashew Cheesecake as vegan.
That gives diners more ways to build a complete meal, whether you want to share a starter, choose pasta instead of pizza or finish with a plant-based dessert. It also makes the restaurant practical for mixed groups because vegan and non-vegan diners can order from the same broader Italian menu.
The menu uses dietary labels such as Vegan, Vegan Option, Gluten Free and Gluten Free Option. Anyone with a food allergy should still discuss ingredients and preparation directly with the restaurant.
Mark & Vinny’s is not the only place to consider. The options below differ in how they approach vegan pizza, so checking each restaurant’s current menu is important.
VIVO 78
VIVO 78 is an Italian pizzeria and wine bar at 78 Campbell Street, around a five-minute walk from Central Station. Its current menu includes Pizza Verdure di Stagione, made with yellow tomato passata and seasonal roasted vegetables and listed as vegan. The restaurant also offers a wider Italian pizza menu, cocktails and wine.
For someone comparing vegan pizza Surry Hills options, VIVO 78 is a direct alternative because its vegan pizza is clearly identified on the menu rather than relying only on a cheese substitution.
Via Napoli
Via Napoli’s Surry Hills restaurant focuses on Neapolitan-style pizza, with 13-inch, 50cm and one-metre formats as well as pasta and antipasti. Its current menu states that vegan cheese is available and that a gluten-free base is available for the 13-inch pizza.
This is a different approach from Mark & Vinny’s dedicated vegan pizza choices: vegan diners can adapt suitable pizzas using vegan cheese. Anyone with strict dietary requirements should confirm the complete preparation with the restaurant.
I Love Pizza
I Love Pizza at 620 Crown Street has a dedicated Plant Based category with several vegan pizzas, including Vegan Peri Peri, Vegan Chicken Pesto, Vegan Lovers and Vegan Margherita.
The broader plant-based selection makes it an option worth comparing when diners want several different vegan pizzas to choose from or share.
Pellegrino 2000
Pellegrino 2000 at 80 Campbell Street describes itself as a neighbourhood trattoria. Its current menu focuses on Italian dishes such as pasta, seafood, meat and vegetable preparations rather than a dedicated vegan pizza section.
For a vegan-pizza search, it is better treated as part of the wider Surry Hills Italian dining scene. If vegan food is essential to your booking, check its current menu and ask what can be accommodated.
Pan Divino
Pan Divino’s Surry Hills restaurant is at 560 Crown Street and focuses on Italian dining shaped by seasonality, handmade pasta, wood-fired dishes and shareable plates.
Its current menu identifies vegan dishes including Roasted Cauliflower, Insalata Divino and Amalfi Lemon Sorbet, but the published menu does not establish a dedicated vegan pizza. It is therefore more relevant to diners seeking Italian food with vegan choices than to someone looking specifically for vegan pizza.
Yulli’s Surry Hills is a different dining proposition. Its current menu states that all dishes are vegan and draws inspiration from South-East Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, with dishes ranging from dumplings and mushroom plates to an artichoke calzone.
Mark & Vinny’s, by comparison, is a modern Italian restaurant with vegan, vegetarian and non-vegan dishes on the same menu. For mixed groups, that means vegan diners have dedicated choices while other guests can stay with traditional Italian dishes.
If everyone at the table wants a completely vegan menu, Yulli’s may be the natural fit. If the group wants Italian pizza and pasta while accommodating different diets, Mark & Vinny’s offers more flexibility.
Removing dairy is only one part of making a successful vegan pizza. The base, sauce, toppings and finishing ingredients still need to work together.
The base: The crust should be strong enough to carry the toppings while still giving you a satisfying crisp edge and chew.
The sauce: Tomato sauce should provide acidity, sweetness and moisture without making the centre heavy.
The toppings: Plant-based toppings are most effective when they bring different textures and levels of flavour rather than simply adding volume.
Plant-based cheese: It can provide richness and familiarity, but the pizza should still be balanced when the cheese is not the dominant flavour.
Freshness: Herbs, pickled vegetables and leafy elements can lift richer ingredients and keep the final bite fresh.
Balance: A memorable pizza usually has contrast—crisp and soft, rich and fresh, savoury and bright.
If dietary requirements are strict, a vegan label is useful, but asking a few direct questions can prevent surprises.
Start with the experience you actually want. Mark & Vinny’s offers three current vegan pizzas plus vegan pasta and dessert choices. VIVO 78 offers a clearly identified vegan vegetable pizza in an Italian pizzeria and wine-bar setting. I Love Pizza provides a broader dedicated plant-based pizza selection, while Via Napoli approaches vegan dining through available vegan cheese and suitable adaptations.
If you want an entirely vegan menu rather than Italian pizza, Yulli’s is a different but highly relevant local option. Nearby Italian restaurants such as Pellegrino 2000 and Pan Divino are better considered for their wider menus and selected vegan dishes.
Mark & Vinny’s is located at G07, 38-52 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills. Check the current menu and reservation availability before visiting, especially if a specific vegan pizza is the reason for your booking.
Menus and dietary options can change, so use the restaurant’s current menu as the final source before making your choice.
