Fo Guang Shan Melbourne

It's right in the heart of the city, but you won't find any over-caffeinated business meetings taking place here. With cool marble floors and high ceilings, this tea house is run by the Fo Guang Shan Buddhists, who provide teas and vegetarian dishes based on recipes designed in the kitchen of the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple in the Illawarra, New South Wales. Fo Guang Shan are also lucky enough to have access to a green roof on the top of their premises, where they grow vegetables and herbs, cooked fresh into dishes and used for tea. The unspoken rule of this place is to show respect for others at all times. Next to the restaurant is a Buddhist temple available to the public for meditation practice – everyone's welcome, but remember, if you just want to look, take care not to disturb the meditators.