Finding a vegetarian meal in Adelaide that doesn’t feel like an afterthought — a sad side salad next to everyone else’s mains — is harder than it should be. At Cafe Brunelli, plant-based eating runs through the actual menu rather than sitting off to one side. Wood-fired pizzas, pasta, risotto and even breakfast all have genuine vegetarian options at both the Rundle Street and West Lakes locations. Here’s what’s actually worth ordering.

Does Cafe Brunelli Have a Vegetarian Menu?

Yes. Both the Rundle Street CBD site and the West Lakes location run a dedicated plant-based menu alongside the main Italian menu, and vegetarian wood-fired pizzas sit right next to the traditional and gourmet ones — not tucked away as an afterthought. That matters if you’re the one vegetarian in a group of meat-eaters and don’t want to negotiate substitutions for ten minutes before ordering.

The kitchen treats vegetarian orders as standard rather than a special request, which shows in the detail — halloumi that’s actually grilled to order, roasted vegetables rather than raw fillers, and pasta sauces built to stand on their own without needing meat to carry the flavour.

Best Vegetarian Pizzas to Order

Cafe Brunelli’s wood-oven pizzas are the reason a lot of people walk through the door in the first place, and the vegetarian range gets the same treatment as everything else that comes out of that oven. We’ve written a full guide to Cafe Brunelli’s wood-fired pizza if you want the detail on how the dough and the oven itself work — but for vegetarian diners specifically, a classic Margherita is the benchmark. Simple, no shortcuts, and a good test of whether a pizzeria actually knows what it’s doing.

Beyond the Margherita, the gourmet and vegetarian pizza selections rotate seasonal vegetables — think roasted pumpkin, mushroom, capsicum and fresh herbs — over the same wood-fired base as the meat pizzas. If you’re after a starter first, arancini balls appear on the Rundle Street menu and are worth asking your server about if you want something vegetarian to share before the pizza arrives.

Vegetarian Breakfast: What’s Actually Good

Breakfast is where a lot of “vegetarian-friendly” cafes quietly give up, but Cafe Brunelli’s Rundle Street breakfast menu has two dishes worth calling out specifically.

Veggie Breaky ($24.90) — two eggs your way (poached, fried or scrambled), avocado, roasted tomato, mushroom, sauteed spinach, hashbrown and grilled halloumi, served with freshly toasted bread. This is the closest thing on the menu to a full vegetarian breakfast, and the halloumi is what lifts it above a standard veggie plate.
Smashed Avocado ($18.90) — two poached eggs, avocado, cherry tomato, feta and a balsamic glaze on freshly toasted bread, finished with lemon. Lighter than the Veggie Breaky, and easy to ask for without the feta if you’re avoiding dairy.

Both dishes work whether you’re grabbing a quick coffee-and-breakfast before work in the CBD, or taking your time on a weekend.

Pasta, Risotto & Salads for Plant-Based Diners

Outside of pizza and breakfast, the pasta and risotto sections of the menu are naturally flexible for vegetarians — tomato, mushroom and vegetable-based sauces sit alongside the meat and seafood options, and risotto in particular lends itself well to a vegetable or mushroom base. Salads round out the list for anyone after something lighter.

If you’re vegan rather than vegetarian, it’s worth flagging that directly with your server rather than assuming — cheese, cream and butter show up across a lot of Italian cooking, Cafe Brunelli included, so a quick conversation about what can be left out saves back-and-forth once the food is already on its way.

Why This Matters in Adelaide’s Food Scene

Adelaide has a genuinely strong Italian food culture, but Italian cooking has a complicated relationship with vegetarian dining — a lot of “vegetarian options” in Italian restaurants amount to a Margherita and a side salad, with everything else built around meat or seafood by default. That’s a fair criticism of plenty of places, but it’s also exactly why a kitchen that treats vegetables as the main ingredient rather than the omission is worth knowing about. Risotto, in particular, is one of the few Italian dishes that was arguably built vegetarian first — the technique relies on starch, stock and constant attention rather than protein doing the heavy lifting, which is part of why it holds up so well without meat.

None of that makes a restaurant vegetarian-friendly on its own. What does is whether the kitchen actually cares about the vegetarian dish tasting finished, rather than treating it as a subtraction from the standard version. That’s the difference between a Veggie Breaky that’s clearly been thought through — halloumi, roasted vegetables, a proper hashbrown — and one that’s just a Big Breaky with the bacon and sausage taken off the plate.

Tips for Ordering as a Vegetarian at Cafe Brunelli

Say it early. Mentioning vegetarian or vegan requirements when you book, or the moment you sit down, gives the kitchen the most room to get it right — especially if you’re part of a bigger group ordering a mix of dishes.
Ask about the pizza toppings that day. The gourmet and vegetarian pizza range rotates with seasonal vegetables, so what’s listed can shift — a quick question to your server avoids any surprises.
Don’t assume vegan means the same as vegetarian. Cheese, cream and butter are everywhere in Italian cooking, Cafe Brunelli included, so if you’re vegan it’s worth being specific rather than letting “vegetarian” cover it.
Use the risotto as a fallback. If nothing else on the day appeals, risotto is one of the most naturally adaptable dishes on the menu for a vegetable-based main.

Ordering for a Mixed Group

If you’re the vegetarian in a group that’s otherwise ordering meat and seafood, Cafe Brunelli’s format actually works in your favour. Because the pizzas are wood-fired and meant to be split — see our wood-fired pizza guide for more on that — you can order one vegetarian pizza alongside whatever the rest of the table wants, and everyone still gets to try a slice of each. That’s a much easier way to handle a mixed group than a restaurant where every dish is a fixed, individual plate and the vegetarian option is the one thing nobody else can share.

The same logic applies to breakfast. A Veggie Breaky next to someone else’s Big Breaky still lets you compare notes over coffee, rather than one person eating a completely different kind of meal in a different part of the menu.

Rundle Street vs West Lakes — Any Differences for Vegetarians?

Not really. Cafe Brunelli’s two Adelaide locations share the same core menu, so the Rundle Street site in the CBD and the West Lakes location inside the Westfield shopping centre both cover the same vegetarian ground. The more useful question is which suburb suits you — Rundle Street if you’re already in the city, West Lakes if you’re combining a meal with a shopping trip in the western suburbs.

What to Skip if You’re New to the Menu

Not every dish needs modifying to work for a vegetarian diner, and it’s worth knowing which parts of the menu are built around meat or seafood by default so you’re not caught out. Seafood platters and gourmet steaks are obviously off the table without heavy modification, and some of the pasta sauces lean on meat as the base flavour rather than an addition — those are the dishes worth double-checking rather than assuming a swap is simple. Sticking to the pizza range, risotto, salads and the dedicated breakfast options is the safest way to order without needing a longer conversation with your server about what can be left out.

Quick Vegetarian Order Guide

Meal	Order this	Why it works
Breakfast	Veggie Breaky	Most complete vegetarian breakfast on the menu
Light breakfast	Smashed Avocado	Easy to adapt for dairy-free
Starter to share	Arancini balls	Ask your server for a vegetarian option
Main (pizza)	Margherita or seasonal veg pizza	Wood-fired base, same kitchen standard as meat pizzas
Main (non-pizza)	Risotto or pasta with a vegetable sauce	Naturally flexible, easy to make vegan on request

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cafe Brunelli have vegetarian food?

Yes. Both locations run a dedicated plant-based menu alongside vegetarian wood-fired pizzas, pasta, risotto, salads and a vegetarian breakfast.

Can I get a vegan pizza at Cafe Brunelli?

The vegetarian pizza range can often be adapted by removing cheese or swapping toppings — check with your server on the day, since exact substitutions can vary.

What is the Veggie Breaky at Cafe Brunelli?

A vegetarian breakfast plate with two eggs, avocado, roasted tomato, mushroom, sauteed spinach, grilled halloumi and hashbrown, served with freshly toasted bread.

Is Rundle Street or West Lakes better for vegetarian diners?

Both locations share the same core menu structure, so it comes down to which suburb is more convenient rather than a difference in vegetarian options.

Do I need to book ahead for dietary requirements?

It’s not compulsory, but mentioning your requirements when booking, or as soon as you sit down, gives the kitchen time to prepare your dish properly — especially for larger groups.

Is risotto at Cafe Brunelli vegetarian?

Risotto is one of the most naturally adaptable dishes on the menu for vegetarians, since the technique doesn’t rely on meat or seafood to carry the flavour. Confirm the specific version with your server, as the exact recipe can vary.

Can a group with both vegetarians and meat-eaters order together easily?

Yes — because the wood-fired pizzas are designed for sharing, a group can order a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas and pass slices around, rather than everyone eating a completely separate dish.

Ready to Order?

Whether you’re heading to the Rundle Street site in the CBD or the West Lakes location near Westfield, Cafe Brunelli’s vegetarian and plant-based options are ready when you are — book a table and let the kitchen know what you need.