Raveena Grover

[Update, Dec 2023: After a short period of closure, Khamsa reopened in St Peters, up the street from its former location. Find out more about the new café and updated menu over here. Read on for our article from 2021.] Nestled between Erskineville and Newtown is a small, bustling Palestinian vegan eatery. Khamsa Café holds the hubbub of clinking cutlery and coffee frothing between bright, white walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. The seating spills outdoors to a makeshift wraparound verandah where you’ll often find local pooches grazing at their owners’ fallen crumbs. Khamsa (pronounced ‘ham-sa’) was founded in 2019 – but its story begins much earlier. Ten years ago, Sarah Shaweesh, owner of Khamsa, relocated from Jordan to Australia and began learning more about veganism. When she was younger, her father took her to rallies, protests and events lobbying for Palestinian human rights in the face of Israeli occupation, and celebrating Palestinian culture. She cultivated a sense of responsibility and desire to minimise the negative impact she had on her surroundings – on all living things around her. “Because of the Palestinian struggle, it was important for me not to be involved in anything that enacted harm on the environment,” she says.  Photograph: Alannah Le Cross With most of her childhood spent ricocheting between three homes – Australia, Jordan and Malaysia – cooking was Shaweesh’s grounding. Unhappy in a nine-to-five office job a few years after relocating to Australi

People are choosing plant-based eating for its softer step on the Earth, concerns about animal cruelty, and the health benefits of vegetable-rich diets. Plus, there's been a rise in flexitarian diets – you might not be a full-time vegan, but where you can, you opt for more plants on your plate. Only a few years ago, vegan dining meant a whole lot of pulses and sprouts, but now Sydney is home to plant-based burger shops, classic Italian pizzerias that showcase cheese and meat alternatives, gelato shops that favour coconut bases, and a growing contingent of fine diners offering fancy degustations for vegans. Below, we've rounded up the best vegan restaurants in Sydney. Cool with eggs and dairy? Check out the best vegetarian restaurants in Sydney. Got a mixed group? Head to one of the best restaurants in Sydney. On a budget? Have a look at the best cheap eats in Sydney. Want to shop sustainably? Check out our guide to ethical shopping in Sydney here.