Seasonal plant-based favorites, made fresh daily Thoughtful ingredients, bold flavors Gather around the table at Verdura
A table of colourful plant-based starters

A fresh startto every meal

Small plates built to wake up the palate: charred, crisp, creamy and bright, all made from what the season is offering this week.

  • 100% plant-based
  • Many gluten-free
  • Made to share

Signature starters

Four plates our chefs return to again and again, each built around a single hero ingredient.

Charred leek with hazelnut romesco Chef’s pick

Charred Leek & Hazelnut Romesco

$15

Leeks blistered over embers, laid on smoky red pepper romesco and finished with toasted hazelnuts and chive oil.

Saffron Cauliflower Fritters
Gluten-free

Saffron Cauliflower Fritters

$13

Golden florets in a chickpea batter, served warm with lemon-zest salt and a cooling cashew yoghurt.

Wild Mushroom Pâté on Rye
Guest favourite

Wild Mushroom Pâté on Rye

$14

Roasted cremini and walnut blended silky, piled on toasted rye with pickled shallots and thyme.

Burnt Aubergine Baba
Shareable

Burnt Aubergine Baba

$12

Aubergine charred until smoky, whipped with tahini and lemon, finished with pomegranate and warm flatbread.

Fresh & crunchy

Bright salads, crisp vegetables and cooling small bites for the start of a long lunch.

Shaved Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

Shaved Fennel & Blood Orange

$12

Paper-thin fennel, citrus segments, olives and a pistachio crumb.

Crunchy Papaya Slaw Salad

Crunchy Papaya Slaw

$11

Green papaya, herbs and peanuts in a lime and palm-sugar dressing.

Lotus Root Crisps Crispy

Lotus Root Crisps

$9

Thin-sliced, twice-fried and dusted with smoked paprika salt.

Tempura Green Beans Crispy

Tempura Green Beans

$10

Crisp-fried in sparkling rice batter with yuzu-soy dipping sauce.

Watermelon and Mint Cups Small bite

Watermelon & Mint Cups

$8

Chilled melon, cucumber and mint, served in a crisp nori cup.

Sesame Cucumber Smash Small bite

Sesame Cucumber Smash

$8

Cool cucumber with chilli oil, toasted sesame and black vinegar.

From our kitchen

Great starters begin before the stove is lit. Here is what we cook with, and how we coax flavour from it.

Ingredients we celebrate

  • Toasted hazelnutsRoasted in small batches for a sweet, buttery crunch.
  • Baby leeks & fennelPicked young from partner farms for gentle sweetness.
  • House-fermented chilliesAged for weeks to add warmth and depth.
  • Cultured cashewOur dairy-free base for creamy dips and yoghurts.

How we prepare them

  • Ember charringVegetables meet live coals for smoke and caramel.
  • Quick picklingTen minutes in warm brine keeps colour and snap.
  • Slow confitGentle oil cooking makes roots tender and rich.
A chef plating a vegetable starter in a busy kitchen
Chef’s special

Ember-Roasted Carrot “Ceviche”

Heirloom carrots roasted in embers, cured in lime and coconut, with avocado and crisp plantain.

$17Reserve to taste

Perfect pairings

Choose a starter and see what we pour and serve beside it.

Fresh juices and herbal drinks garnished with herbs
  • Fresh juiceCold-pressed green apple & celeryCrisp and clean against the smoke.
  • Herbal drinkLemon verbena iced teaLight, citrusy and cooling.
  • Homemade dipSmoked almond aioliRich, silky and lightly smoked.
Reserve a table See the full menu