Review Friends Of The Earth - Collingwood

All have a coffee and something to eat before I start my shopping. Fantastic place to shop for those interested in plastic free shopping. And yummy vegan food.

I absolutely love F.O.E. I have know this place for 30 odd years

Long term campaigners for social justice and the environment. Deeply committed community organisers.

They are working for a safer world for everyone...

My favourite place on Smith Street, hands down. FOE is an underrated vegan destination serving a rotating daily lunch special plus an assortment of pies, pizzas and sweet baked goods. I absolutely love everything they serve and sell, plus the lovely team who keep the place going.<br/><br/>I recently enjoyed a lunch of pumpkin curry, Dahl, rice, salad and toasted coconut, plus a jackfruit pie and side salad. Lunch plates are always organic and gluten-free, which isn't a necessity for me but is an added bonus. I also love that a range of non-dairy milks are available at no extra cost. Coffee is always nice, as are the speciality teas. If you're up for a dessert, my top pick is the Crumbs chocolate cake or iced strawberry donut.<br/><br/>FOE gets very busy during lunch (for good reason) so get in early if you want to snag a seat. Otherwise, they do provide eco containers to take food away.

Love this place, I used to teach yoga across the road and would go in for lunch with my partner after every Friday last winter. The always changing Vegan GF bowl is always delicious and hits the spot. This co-op is worth supporting as they are really doing the work of feeding the community in a non-pretentious grass-roots way. Awesome truly healthy food and so many bulk things hard to find elsewhere. Their bulk loose leaf tea selection is well worth a visit. Keep up the good work.

This place feels like it's been here forever. It certainly attracts some regulars and fits well into the Smith Street community. There are a couple of parts to this place. Firstly the cafe/restaurant at the front where you can order from a nice menu of healthy food that is mostly made with seasonable items plus you can order your coffee or refreshments here. The vegetarian/vegan food is reasonably priced as well. Then there is a fridge area where you can buy vegetables and eggs. Towards the rear, there are items such as handmade soaps, candles, herbs & spices and even handmade beanies which at the time of writing this - end of May cold snap, is quite appropriate. There are also packets of seeds available for purchase. Plus there is more. Love the sign at the counter about allergies (see picture). You are encouraged to bring your own bags and where possible, buy items that are sourced ethically and buy in bulk. <br/>As you can expect, there are many flyers and items on what's happening locally in regards to community events, community action groups and organisations that are looking for assistance. If you'd like to volunteer for a few hours, just ask the staff.<br/>Wheelchair friendly. Kid friendly. Good parking in Smith Street. A must visit and only wish there were more of these places around Melbourne. <br/><br/>

Heck yes to this sort of hippie green value. If there's anything I like more than good food, it's a whole lot of good food for a low, low price.

Had lunch there and the food was fantastic. Really clean healthy plant based food, highly recommended. for those looking for vegan/vegetarian options.

The daily plates are good value for a healthy and balanced meal. The pizza slices are normally super delicious too! Plus baked vegan treats are spot on.

Food here is consistently lovely however staff are frequently short and unfriendly. Smiles are free, wouldn't kill to exchange one every now and then to make someones day. Ironically named, given we are all friends of the earth then you act so far from friendly... Disappointing experience but I will continue to believe in you and hope for change upon feedback.<br/>Namaste

Not a great place. For those sweet tooth's out there this is no no no. The service isn't great and the employees were cold. The food was just a bit tasteless and too greeny. Good for the health junkies but flavour wise it was just bland.

The doughnuts and coffee are delicious. We frequent FoE for their fabulous range of fresh produce and their wide range of very well priced, top quality bulk goods. As a family of four, we strive to consciously consume ethically, local where possible and with minimal waste. FoE is our Savior in that regard! Love!!!!

Stumbled across Friends of the Earth when wandering down Smith st for some donuts, and I’m really glad I did. Didn’t realise at the time they are a not for profit, which probably says even more about the great experience. I went with the Pizza of the day and Salad, which was a Potato, pumpkin and Almond Feta number. With the salad having a mix of leaves with Broccoli. I wasn’t expecting the salad to be much, but it was actually surprisingly delish. The pizza itself was great, one slice was enough and it was made with a great dough and crust. I saw the lunch special they did as well, which was a mix of a number of dishes for around $10, almost disappointed I didn’t try it. I’ll have to come back! All in all the experience was great and the set up inside is quite nice. Couldn’t recommend it enough, make sure to stop by when you’re in Collingwood!

Friends of the Earth (FoE) Melbourne is a non for profit organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future.  What's there not to love with that? The co-op is situated on Smith St with plenty of tables to dine in and an eco store and book store within for you to poke around afterwards.  The food is seasonal and vegetarian / vegan. I ordered a tofu burger for myself. Tofu burgers do not as a rule inspire me as the ones I have had before were rather bland. But this one was different. It came with fermented kraut, a dill mayo and rocket leaves on a sourdough roll. Very substantial and full of flavour.

Ordered the matcha latte but it was very average which is disappointing. Service was lacking as well - it took quite a long time and the staff were rather cold. Hopefully if I come here again my next experience will be better.

Lovely energy here. Just dropped in for dandelion tea with almond milk. Very good. Oh and a gingerbread dog! ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

A cute little joint with a changing menu everyday- some meals are definitely a bit better than others! Completely vegetarian, with most things also being vegan. I definitely recommend getting the plates, they offer a variety of beans, some form of nutritious carbs and vegetables. Good value for money, they tend to sustain me throughout lunch time. Upon trying a few of the burgers, however,  I found them to be unnecessarily oily, containing very fatty pestos inside which didn't really add to the taste. The wait staff were a bit lack lustre though, one waiter became very snarky when I asked where the bathroom was! With that being said, however, would definitely recommend trying the cafe for a quick vegan meal!

I've gotten recommendations from friends and never came until Friday. Whilst driving I saw your restaurant, coincidentally I was looking for food place that accomodate vegans. I can't stop thinking about the pizza and chocolate donut I got that day. The organic cola was amazing so was the chai. Yes I pigged out and enjoyed every single bit of the sandwich and everything I got. <br/><br/>I can't wait to visit again soon :)

Bought some veggies and thought I'd have some lunch straight away. Small lunch plate was enough for me and reasonably prices. Lovely fresh tasting food. Smoothie I had was nice too. Service was lacking. One lady was doing all the work and just coping, suddenly there seemed to be two other staff members as well... no idea where they hung out before.

I got my vegetarian fix last week at the socially conscious Friends of the Earth Cafe on Smith Street of Collingwood. It has a zippy, happy hippy ambiance that makes for a great spot to chill away from the crowds. Food quality of the fully vegetarian, vegan and gluten free fare is top notch though you may need a large plate if you’ve got a gluttonous appetite like myself. It’s a healthy lucky dip here at Friends of the Earth if you go for their mix plate, with a constantly rotating and seasonal set of goodness on your plate. It’s an easy $10 for a small plate and $12.50 for the large plate.

good food nice just a bit too hippie for me not that there is anything wrong with that but they were making junk food healthy and it wasn't right.

Fresh vegetarian food, great options that change daily.  We ordered the weekend lunch plate which was huge. The variety of diff rent flavors worked really well and made for a delicious lunch

The next best thing to Lentils As Anything, with the same mystery dish surprise.<br/>So aside from the cafe component, the menu basically consists of either the Small or Large Plate, which varies everyday.<br/>On this lunch visit, I was treat to a Green Lentil Dahl on Brown Rice, Sesame Spinach Salad, Roast Pumpkin and another salad made up of julienned Carrot, Capsicum, Beetroot, Pine Nuts & Pepitas. Pretty simple, clean eating, that even I could whip up, but if you're out and about, a nice option to fall back on. <br/>Everyone there seemed down to earth, friendly and resonated festival vibes.

Loved the coffee <br/>Loved the setup <br/>Loved the yellow cups<br/>Loved my food <br/>No eftpos is the only downside, we literally had to leave the cafe, go to the local petrol station to get cash out because none of our friends had any cash.

Beth and I popped into the 'Friends of the Earth Cafe' in Collingwood for a late Sunday lunch today.<br/>I got myself a carrot, ginger, and mint juice which was very refreshing. Beth ordered an organic passionfruit, orange, and apple juice, which she finished very quickly.<br/>We both ordered a small Sunday Lunch Plate. It was more than enough for me, and I was very thankful for the generous portion size.<br/>The roasted potato with lime, mild sweet potato curry, rice mixed with quinoa, and salad was very nice and made for healthy eating.<br/>Beth even had a raspberry donut. <br/>'The Friends of the Earth Cafe' has a wonderful atmosphere which we both really enjoyed.

I like the concept of a co-op and vegan, organic, however most of these cafes just don't get the quality! Service was erratic. Coffee didn't turn up. 1/4 mung beans does not make a salad, warm stuff that was supposed to be a curry mixed in with salad!<br/><br/>How not to do vego!

Fantastic little vegetarian / vegan cafe in this busy district. The menu is limited but the choices are tasty. Grab a coffee and a cake to watch the world go by.<br/><br/>The addition of a little shop is a treat for some special finds. Nice pleasant staff to compliment it.

I had lunch there today and I had a bad time.<br/><br/>Firstly I'd never been there, it was recommended to me by my naturopath as being super healthy so I thought I'd give it ago.<br/><br/>There is poor signing as what you're supposed to do - which shouldn't be an issue if the staff were more helpful and frustratingly they weren't.<br/><br/>I went to the counter and it was clear that I didn't know what I was to do... The girl at the counter need some serious customer service training, she looked at me and basically ignored me and served someone else. I stood there patiently until I just had to cut in and ask what the deal was...<br/><br/>So, I made my order and sat down, the food took about 20 minutes to come out, to which I think I should have been made aware of as its a place where they have one plate available for the day... <br/><br/>The tables were dirty, they hadn't been wiped, the staff were real dismissive and non approachable and hardly helpful and there were no serviettes. The place was not busy, so there wasn't really a reason as to why the quality of service was so low.<br/><br/>Food was average, but I guess it was good for the price.

I love this place!! The food is always different and amazing. A big plate of mixed currys and salads - nothing better. Amazing simple cafe with counter service, good vibes and delicious healthy vegetarian food.

After reading some of the previous reviews I was a little wary, but I'm glad I came - the mixed plate was yummy, very obviously fresh and offered a wide range of legumes, wholegrains and veggies, so healthy too! Well worth the $12.50. The service was friendly and pretty quick considering how busy it was when I came. Next time I come I'll try the baked goods, which looked pretty nice too.

Had a lunch with the wife today. It's got a few thing going right and few things going wrong. The general feel inside is light and airy with big windows and high ceilings. Looking around its full of 'green' organic woven alpaca style peoples that could do with a shower but would still be happy to have chat with. Service is friendly but with no table service and poor signage you really don't know where or what to order. From what I can gather you choose between a small plate ($10) or a big (really it's only slightly larger) plate for $12.50. I went with a large plate, a large coffee and a slice of citrus cake.<br/><br/>Considering the food that came was prepared (salad, lentil with potato pie, plain rice, hummus) it could have been delivered quicker. Overall the food is tasty considering it was devoid of seasoning. It won't fill you up the like a good laksa but you know it's healthy. Coffee was fine - I guess I got lucky by what other reviews have mentioned. Cake was too crumbly but that's what you get when you add too much coconut. So the food mark is fair - not inspiring but certainly clean and healthy. What really made me think mmmm about the place was the lack of any music. Not even the faintest hum of anything. Got to have music no matter what!!! Anyway this place will suit a certain crowd but for me I just need to search for somewhere that has salt and music.

I feel bad about giving such a low rating to FoE because of their intention to do good, but I also feel the need to give an honest review and compare them to the same standard as every other cafe they compete with.<br/><br/>Your experience may be different if you're here to shop, but I was here for food and coffee, and have nothing good to say about the coffee. Their cake was better, but the coffee drags their rating to an almost subterranean level of suck. They serve, quite literally, the worst coffee I've had in Melbourne in several years. It doesn't meet the middling standards of a 7-11, let alone a proper eating establishment.<br/><br/>Again, if you shop here, they may deserve a higher rating, but this is Urban Spoon/Zomato, and I'm going to rate based on dining experience alone.

Sat down here on a sunny Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a massive slice of chocolate cake. The cake was super tasty, and very fresh. I didn't eat any of their food, but it looked reasonable at $10 for a small plate, and $12.50 for a large. I sat out the front with my dog for about 10 minutes before I realised there was no table service. An obvious sign to indicate same would be helpful.

The cafe is friendly and down to earth<br/><br/>The food and the drink was really nice. I had spent just a little over $10 for a donut, cookie, phoenix organic drink and apple.<br/>

I’ve previously blogged about the fantastic range of dried goods and produce available at Friends of the Earth, but last week was the first time I sampled some of the vegan/vegetarian food served in the laidback cafe.

Foe food co-op is super fab!. Foe food co-op ticks all the right boxes, the food is always super healthy and makes you feel super amazing afterwards, the vegan, organic and gluten free mixplates are really cheap too, I always go for a small plate, which is the perfect size - you really don't need to eat much for the rest of the day! Everyone who works there, staff and vollies are always so helpful and attentive. They have a great range of wholefoods, grains and everyday ingredients in the bulk section and are doing amazing things for the environment and the world! Plus lots of the money raised from the food co-op goes towards the campaign upstairs, which also does amazing things for the world. Foe is becoming my second home as i have been going so often for me healthy fix !

Variable but healthy and ethical. I eat here regularly. They have different staff at different times and the food is always healthy but varies on the taste depending on who's cooking. I like to support them because of their ethical practices but you need to come in with the understanding that the place is pretty hippy.

One of my quickest visits to a cafe. Definitely not what I was expecting. Extremely rude waitress who scoffed at a question I had asked and didn't even make eye contact. I walked out.

Tasty wholesome goodness. Had the large mixed plate for $12 in this friendly laid back establishment. Nice wholesome combos, the carrots where amazing.

This is a great place for cooks as well as diners. I loooooove FOE not so much for eating as for cooking. This is the only place I know in Melbourne that sells herbs and spices that you can scoop out from bulk bottles. It's like the hippie food co-ops I used to patronise in the U.S. Spices are fresher that way because of the quicker turnover than sachets of spice that sit exposed to light on grocery store aisles for who knows how long. Take a sniff of something like the paprika here if you want to sense the difference. There are some things you can't get here, because they mainly sell organic and non-GMO products, but you know you're getting righteous spices. Plus you're not paying for the price of a glass bottle like you do at the grocer's. Just scoop what you need into a plastic baggie and refill your container at home! Saves cash, no waste. When I immigrated back Down Under, I brought at least 30 empty spice bottles with me. Quarantine won't let us foreigners bring in food products. I've been making regular runs to FOE as I rebuild my seasoning collection. One of these trips I'll have to try the food, eh?

Great place to eat. Great food, great staff, great atmosphere .Highly reccomended :)

Foes of Fitzroy! bewarned!!. I entered this place with expectations of there being good food and service and an overall sense of friendship...<br/> however<br/> I WAS WRONG!<br/> dun dun dunnnnnn<br/><br/>Friends of the earth gave me extremely rude service, cold leftovers of food for an overpriced amount and believe it or not....(now this is the funny part) tried to scam me of two dollars! Do not eat here!!!! go up further and eat at the Veggie bar, Lentil as anything or Madame K's vegetarian (all located around that area).

Staff can be a bit iffy at times, but I think that they may be all volunteers. Ordering the meal of the day is easy - you say vegan or veggo and come back with a plate full of stew, curry and rice. Sometimes the flavours can be a bit bland, but a spoonful of chilli always helps.<br/>Great for those times when you feel the need for extra fibre in the diet!

On a hot summer day of 35'c in melb. All i want is cold coffee. I walked in and asked a waitress or barista behind the counter who didnt approach me even though she knew i was obviously wanting to order something. She kindly said no they dont make ice coffee and passed by me then back towards me and made a sarcastic look and repeated ice coffee in a sarky tone towards the other staff. Unfortunately my mate came in later and saw her doing it. This isnt an attitude for a cafe that claims to be friends of earth. Ice coffee may not be in your liking, but embrace diversity. Seems like your earth is just your own.

Friends of the Earth Cafe. Great value - a huge plate of food which is different each time! Lovely sweet treats, as well as excellent coffee and chai. A seat by the window is great for people-watching out on Smith St. One of my fave places to eat :)

Love it. It is definitely one of the best coffe shops in Melbourne. Coffee is amazing and staff is friendly and polite. It is a real pleasure spending time in friends of the earth

Japanese infusion. I stumbled past this cafe today and it looked quite earthy, hearty and I was needing a healthy bite to eat. It was Japanese flavours on the plate and every single dish (about 5 items) on my plate were to die for. It was the best meal I'd had in a long time. Tempura style tofu - I don't normally like tofu but it was delicious. Seaweed salad, some other things I couldn't work out what they were but were just delicious. Will most definitely be back!

Staff is no good!. Food is wholesome and cheap, sometimes a bit tasteless due to its vegan nature. Decor is very nice BUT some of the staff is pretty bad. They don't greet customers or smile and frankly people in charge of food handling and serving should not reek of body odour or have dirty wild hair...

Awkward. A few years ago i went here and ordered a take away coffee. To say it was awkward would be an understatement. But overall a decent cup. Nothing special.

TASTY GOODNESS!. The meals here are AMAZING! Never had anything I didn't enjoy. And the variety! Not sure I've ever eaten the same combination! It's pretty much always gluten free and vegan, they'll tell you if they're not.<br/>I love that I can eat well and be putting money towards something meaningful. You're tummy, mind and heart leave full of goodness! I work around the corner, so often have a plate for lunch - I usually take away, which you need to provide a container for.<br/>Can't recommend it enough. YUM. Shiz, now I'm hungry.

Love this so much!. Love the friendly happy vibes from volunteer staff - the food is consistently fresh, delicious and healthy (not something many restaurants can claim!)<br/>The chefs change each day, I go on Mondays for awesome croquettes, Wednesdays for Japanese macrobiotic and Fridays for Sri Lankan. Chai latte is great, good selection of vegan friendly cakes. Sundays are also special - they serve vegan pies! nom nom!<br/>I go here a lot.. can you tell? :)

Very inviting place. Have a great selection of organic produce and plenty of other products. They do a great chai with some amazing organic honey!!

Wholesome goodness. Love having lunch here -- food constantly changes, but consistently flavoursome and hearty. Good energy, friendly people, great selection of sweets and wonderful chai. Browse around the shop while there:)

A good place to eat vegetarian and vegan meals. Most meals are prepared on the day making the use of a day to day menu moot more relying on what the chef decides to cook on that day. Atmosphere is relaxed the establishment doubling as a shop.