First time venturing into hemp-based meals and glad that we gave it a go.
Hemp kitchen, an Italian restaurant using hemp as its main ingredients in bread, pizza, pasta and even some drinks. It is located in trendy St Kilda (walking distance from the Acland shopping centre) and accredited by Coeliac Australia.
We were splurging ourselves with their extensive hemp-based food and truly enjoying our meals and experience.
We started with the selection of local plant based cheese served with marinated and smoked seasonal vegs and hemp bread as well as the Burrata E Crudo (whole burrata cheese, basil, cherry tomatoes, prosciutto).
For mains, we had the Rigatoni Ragout Napoletana - traditional pork ragout (sausages, ribs, belly), tomato sauce, onions, parmesan, basil, san marzano tomato sauce and Alice pizza (fior di latte bocconcini, capsicum, speck, gorgonzola, mushrooms).
The our pasta cooked to perfection and the pizza was soft, springy with amount of thickness to our liking.
My evening at Hemp Kitchen was overall pretty damn perfect! Pizza, pasta and salad we ordered were all delicious and a great space with a nice atmosphere. Plan on returning again and again. Gluten free and vegan friendly is a real winner too!
Joanne | Melbournecitay
+4
We were greeted with a calm and relaxing ambience, making it ideal for group dinners!
🌿Hemp specialises in delivering dishes using the hemp ingredient - a superfood full of health benefits (google it!)
Some highlights of my meal here:
1. 🍸They have a broad selection of alcohol including hemp vodka! My Vodka Collins mixed hemp vodka and blood orange juice - it was a refreshing drink which worked as a palette cleanser as I worked through my meal. My partner’s Hawaiian beer is fruity and delicious too!
2. 🍖I enjoyed the selection of cured meat and pickles - the last time I had this, I was at Barcelona, so it was a tough unjustified comparison. The cheese also went well with the crispy hemp bread.
3. 🦪They were also very generous with the seafood portions in my pasta, which made it easier to share. It’s all about the little things - I appreciate that the restaurant provided lemon water for you to clean your hands after.
4. 🍕Gluten free pizza is possible! The spicy sausages were yum. My only minor gripe was that I couldn’t understand the concept of potato on pizza - I think the combo doesn’t work as well!
5. The tiramisu with hemp biscuit was very nutty and it was a good finale to our meal!
All in all a fabulous meal and I would recommend this to anyone who’s coeliac or vegan - your stomach will love this place! Thank you for the invite ♥️
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Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Imagine a café with a menu focused on Hemp?
Stop imagining, I found it! Hemp Kitchen is all about higher living without the high.
It’s a first for Victoria, and I’m happy to say its 100% gluten free, with accreditation by Coeliac Australia. I had the pleasure of meeting owners Ousmane Jongue & Emanuel Cerera, and was enthralled by their story. Both knew of the health benefits of hemp, and decided to open a venue where chefs could use traditional Italian methods to create a menu that specialised in Pasta, Pizza, and Burgers; using hemp as the staple ingredient.
Until now, I had no idea hemp was a superfood loaded with protein, is rich in two essential fatty acids, omega-6 ω-3, and a selection of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, and magnesium to name a few.
We ordered the Spaghetti Cozze e Vongole, which came with mussels, clams, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and a white wine & garlic oil base. The spaghetti had a mild nutty flavour, which paired well with the Hemp Caprese Salad served with a cold pressed hemp oil and balsamic glaze.
They also serve a selection of organic wines, beer, and spirits, including a hemp-based gin, and hemp vodka.
It’s the one time I can actually get high, legally!
From the moment we walked in we were welcomed and given options of where we could sit. Water was provided from the moment we sat down and replaced straight away once we filled out glasses.
We decided to try the pizzas and the staff were super friendly with providing information as to what was on the menu.
The pizzas were delicious and defiantly a new experience from the old styles pizzas.
We look forward to trying the burgers and eggplant parmas next time!
Just when you thought there was no more room for a new cafe or restaurant in St. Kilda, a new restaurant with a new concept pops up, Hemp Kitchen. Hemp Kitchen has a beautiful indoor and small cosy outdoor area to enjoy a meal. We picked a summer’s evening to go down and opted to sit outside. We ordered a glass of Shiraz and a glass of Pinot Noir to start us off. I spotted a dish that resembled bruschetta and scanned the menu for it. It looked so fresh and appealing.
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A restaurant based around the use of a super food is an ingenious idea, and The Hemp Kitchen is capitalising on this, by incorporating hemp into most of their dishes. I have yet to try hemp in food, so I was excited to try it.
On a great corner location, the restaurant has loads of light as large windows surround the whole space. A wood fired oven sits in one corner, so you can watch the pizzas being made; and the decor is modern and elegant. I found the staff to be really attentive, and they were also nice and friendly.
The hemp as an ingredient even extends to the drinks menu, and we enjoyed some fabulous cocktails made with hemp vodka. I couldn't really taste the difference, but hey, vodka is vodka, and the cocktails were delicious. Our starters included arancini balls coated in hemp bread crumbs, and chickpea chips. The arancini were perfectly crisp with an oozy mushroom risotto filling. The capsicum sauce was tangy and added some fresh taste to the plate, and the pecorino added some sharpness abd saltiness. Now to the totally addictive chickpea chips. I easily could have eaten the whole bowl on my own, and it was a generous sized portion. These moreish snacks were so tasty, and the texture was out of this world. These are my new favourite type of chip, and I'm not sure that I can go back to the regular potato variety.
Hemp Kitchen is known for their killer pizzas which use hemp flour in their bases. This makes them super light, and also adds a nutty flavour. We had to try one to test this theory, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good the pizza was. The crust wasn't heavy or stodgyat all, and still supported the delicious cheesy toppings. We chose a pizza with a pumpkin based sauce, and it really was divine. The combination of nutty crust, sweet sauce, peppery rocket and sausage and salty cheese was unreal, and it's easily one of the best pizzas I've had this year.
Our second main was a homemade gnocchi with a hemp pesto, and this again was an amazing dish. The vibrant green pesto was so full of fresh flavour, and the potato dumplings were fat and soft, just how gnocchi should be. Topped with lots of cheese, this truly was a lovely and decadent plate.
With barely enough room left to fit in dessert, but wanting to try hemp in a sweet incarnation, we soldiered on. Home made canolli made with hemp flour were crispy and filled with a sweet ricotta filling. Dipped in hemp seeds for added crunch,this was a fabulous sweet treat. We also had the tiramisu which uses hemp cookies, and again, was another fabulous dessert. The cookies add a nuttiness to the traditional coffee dessert, and it really was sublime.
I'm always happy to try new things, and am so glad that I have experienced the use of hemp in the fabulous dishes at this restaurant. Despite it's niche, Hemp Kitchen also delivers on great hospitality, service and ambience; but it's the fantastic food that should continue to bring people through their doors.
Friendly staff. Good variety of food options. The chickpea fries were delicious!
Incredible menu option! There was so many options to pick from. The place at a lively ambience and the staff were really friendly. The arancini balls were amazing and the capsicum sauce complimented it perfectly! They were a favourite of the meal! The chickpea chips were delicious. So differently to anything i have had before. They were very filling! The pesto gnocchi was delicious and filling! The pizza had a nice flavour although the base was a bit dense and soggy. The chocolate mousse was delicious and had a very nice chocolate flavour! Overall all the food was really nice but it was on the expensive side.
Best gluten free pizza base I had so far.
Beautiful people running this place. Very authentic food. We tried everything special...tap beer was great. The hemp pizzas are a must try. Highly recommended.
Hemp Kitchen is a nice gluten free cafe with a menu to suit everyone, even dogs. We ordered the Housemade Hemp Pancakes and Spanish Claypot, along with tea and coffee. The food was delicious, leaving us both satisfied and full.
Jessica Sargeant (Unbeleafablefood)
+5
WOW! Blown away by the extensive menu at Hemp Kitchen with PLENTY of vegan options. Service was amazing - very attentive. The décor and layout of the place is beautiful too.
We tried TRIO OF DIPS + ARANCINI for starters, GORGOVEGGIE PIZZA + SALAD + EGGPLANT PARMA for mains. I also tried a Hemp Cocktail - so good.
All the food was not only tasty, but beautiful. If I had to pick a fave, it would be that Eggplant Parma! The pizza was delightful too with a hemp base!
Along with all the vegan options, the menu is 100% gluten free! Amazing. Thanks Hemp Kitchen!
Great spot for plenty of vegetarian and vegan options! Unfortunately the atmosphere was a bit dead for a Friday night and the music playlist (Michael Jackson on repeat) did not match the restaurant’s vibe. Friendly service.
Fresh food, clean and friendly environment that offered a full-flavoured and sustainable menu. I recommend this restaurant. Great experience!
I adore this place. The gnocchi was beautiful, soft and flavoursome. My partner had the rigatoni with pork ragu which was so rich and soft.
Mother in law had the chicken burger which had the best gf bread I've ever had, amazing aioli and was delicious all round.
Whatever you pick here, you will not be disappointed. The service is fantastic, everyone is so friendly and knowledgeable.
I even took home a loaf of fresh bread (yummm)
100% would recommend, even to my fussy non coeliac/ gluten intolerant friends.
I'll be back!
The. Best. Margarita. Pizza I’ve ever had.
The owner (victor) was so attentive and considerate of my needs. His passion is second to none about his traditional Italian heritage and sharing his love.
I’ve been here 3 times now, I keep coming back cos I absolutely love the pizza and have been working my way through the menu. The hemp pizza bases are so yummy, can’t believe it’s gluten-free! Most GF pizza in Melbourne is disappointing, but not Hemp Kitchen - whether you’re a glutard or not, you’ll love this wood-fired pizza for it’s delicious taste and texture and the authentic Italian toppings. I particularly loved the San Daniele. Tonight I tried the pasta, we shared the charcoal fettuccine with seafood, garlic, white wine and parsley, holy wow! It was incredible. The pasta and pizza here is made in-house, from scratch and you can really taste the love that goes in. The staff are friendly and eager to help. If you still have room for dessert I recommend the gluten-free cannoli, cos where in Australia can you ever get GF cannoli and that too, one that’s this bloody good?! Next time I’m coming back for the gluten-free tiramisu. 5 stars 😍
Amazing modern Italian restaurant that is gluten free all the things! The hemp flour focaccia and pizza bases tasted like a wholemeal or rye sourdough, so god damn tasty it was hard to believe it’s entirely gluten free. I got to enjoy bread, pasta, and things I haven’t had for years (as the gluten free versions are usually inferior). Don’t be deceived by the name, folks - it’s a clean, modern layout with super tasty dishes done well
Hands down the best food I have tasted in many years, I could not fault the flavor of any part of the three courses I had, nutritionally this food packs a real nutrient powerhouse punch! Even the desert ;). How do I know? I questioned the ingredients and the very polite staff obliged with details of ingredients. 100% recommended this place to everyone!
Jess Wharton - Registered Nutritionist.
Juhi- Culture And Cuisine
+4
First thing that came to my mind when I saw this restaurant was that it was BEAUTIFUL!
Very inviting and truly gorgeous place for meals. I also enjoyed the service at Hemp, the staff were lovely and warm too. Here is everything we ordered-
Starter- Vegan Arancini- By far one of the best I have had. Very unique and extremely tasty. It was one of my favourite items on the table.
Mains - Pizza - Gourmet Lingur Hemp - A really well made pizza that tasted great. The base tasted rich and fresh. I enjoyed the minimal toppings.
Fusilli - I wasn't the biggest fan of this dish personally but my mate really enjoyed it. I found the pasta a bit heavy and dry. I didn't enjoy the texture of the pasta either.
Lastly, we ordered the ricotta cannoli for dessert and it was absolutely delicious. The cannoli was extremely well cooked and crispy and the ricotta was amazing too. It was truly the highlight of the night!
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My friends and I attended this lovely cafe today! I had smashed avocado and my girlfriends had the fusilli pasta. We also shared a serve of polenta chips, and a couple of us had a coconut milk matcha latte. Overall, the food was very good and our waiter was very pleasant and hospitable. It is a great pick particularly for coeliacs, but also for those who appreciate a healthy, wholesome feed made from good quality ingredients. Would like to return in the near future :)
Great #stkilda place. Nice arrangement seating, lovely staff. Good menu choices pizza, pasta, brunch. Daytime quiet to meet too. Definitely recommend.
Service is always warm and they really care about improving wherever possible in this young restaurant. All products are gluten-free and most are hemp based. Quality produce and creative meals.
Amazing food, with authenticity and tastes of love. Will continue to go back. Highly recommend the hemp versions of all pizza and pasta! Service is attentive and humble.
I’ve been diagnosed as coeliac for 3 months now and been desperately hunting for good pizza and pasta. Gluten free Pizza dough can be chewy and weird, but this pizza is not! It’s the best pizza my husband (who is not coeliac) and I have had since being diagnosed.
The restaurant had plenty of Italians working there and you know that means the flavors are going to be great! The pasta is a little thin but still taste good and the sauces are great!
Seafood is fresh also! And there is a hefty wine list and beers both on tap and in bottles.
Overall, highly recommend to anyone but it’s an exceptional paradise for people with food intolerances!
100% gluten free goodness! Amazing atmosphere, great food & polite, friendly service! Will definitely be back to try breakfast & lunch. We had the warm salad, the rigatoni & the bruschetta pizza and all were delicious. A must try if you’re gluten free or vegan!
Large, bright, cheery space offering a range of hemp-infused, Italian-inspired fare. Started with a soy coffee, which wasn't so great. The coffee must have been acidic, because it was pretty bitter and made the soy go lumpy. But on the positive, food and service was great! I tried the hemp pancakes, which had a great texture. The simplicity of toppings was nice- just raw fruit and some slightly sweet coconut yoghurt. Serve wasn't huge, but was more filling than it looked like it would be. Must be all that fibre and protein in the hemp! Also tried my partner's veggie burger. It was just veggies, avo and egg without a veg patty. Seems a bit boring, but throw a few housemade chips in there and you've got a great meal! Keen to go back and try the hempizza and hempasta on offer for dinner 😊
With the new legislation allowing low-THC Hemp seed foods to be legally sold in Australia coming into play, a new market opened up. Taking full advantage of this food, we saw the opening of Hemp Kitchen in St Kilda. This 100% Gluten Free Restaurant incorporates Hemp into the majority of their dishes. If you’re looking for a high though, you’ll be disappointed as Hemp Seeds do not contain the hallucinogenic component. Furthermore, while the food is 100% gluten free, the beverages are not but we will touch on that later in the article.
Just had an amazing breakfast here! The food is fresh and flavoursome and very reasonably priced. Beautiful, roomy layout. My partner had a gourmet pizza, it was incredible!!! Fantastic range of both Australian and Italian wines. Highly recommend this place, can't wait to go back and try their pasta!
This is a 100% Gluten Free restaurant that serves an inspirational selection of delicious food- I cannot stress enough how wonderful the food is! Not only is everything we ordered unique and amazing, the fact that I as a coeliac can comfortably dine there has made it a rare and valuable experience.
A huge thank you to Victorio and Emmanuel for allowing us to have a wonderful time celebrating my sister’s birthday at this restaurant! We’re thrilled to have chosen Hemp Kitchen and cannot wait to visit again!
Edit: Hemp Kitchen is now Coeliac Association Accredited! We can now dine with 100% confidence! If it wasn’t my regular spot before, it sure is now! Their pizza is to die for!
Visited this place place today for the first time with my wife for lunch. I must say it was more than I expected. The pancakes and the pull lamb burger was delish. GF lovers you need to get down to Hemp.
Incredible menu option! There was so many options to pick from. The place at a lively ambience and the staff were really friendly. The arancini balls were amazing and the capsicum sauce complimented it perfectly! They were a favourite of the meal! The chickpea chips were delicious. So differently to anything i have had before. They were very filling! The pesto gnocchi was delicious and filling! The pizza had a nice flavour although the base was a bit dense and soggy. The chocolate mousse was delicious and had a very nice chocolate flavour! Overall all the food was really nice but it was on the expensive side.
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This fully gluten free restaurant is on #zomatogold which means the buy 1 free 1 dish option is available here! We were greeted with a calm and relaxing ambience, making it ideal for group dinners!
🌿Hemp specialises in delivering dishes using the hemp ingredient - a superfood full of health benefits (google it!)
Some highlights of my meal here:
1. 🍸They have a broad selection of alcohol including hemp vodka! My Vodka Collins mixed hemp vodka and blood orange juice - it was a refreshing drink which worked as a palette cleanser as I worked through my meal. My partner’s Hawaiian beer is fruity and delicious too!
2. 🍖I enjoyed the selection of cured meat and pickles - part of the fun is sampling the different types of ham and pairing it with the crispy hemp bread.
3. 🦪They were also very generous with the seafood portions in my pasta, which made it easier to share. It’s all about the little things - I appreciate that the restaurant provided lemon water for you to clean your hands after.
4. 🍕Gluten free pizza is equally yummy! The spicy sausages were delicious. My only gripe was that I couldn’t understand the concept of potato on pizza - I think the combo doesn’t work as well.
5. We ended the meal with a nutty tiramisu - it’s best shared among 2!
All in all a fabulous meal and I would recommend this to anyone who’s coeliac or vegan - your stomach will love this place! Thank you for the invite ♥️
•
Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Visiting St Kilda decided to try out this restaurant. What a great experience! Did not dissapoint. Started with the hemp beer and hemp garlic bread.unusual but tasty. Mains was followed by the rigatoni and my partner had the gnocchi. Both were full of flavour and a satisfying serve. Our waiters couldn't be nicer and the restaurant itself had a nice atmosphere.
Hemp Kitchen is a nice gluten free cafe with a menu to suit everyone, even dogs. We ordered the Housemade Hemp Pancakes and Spanish Claypot, along with tea and coffee. The food was delicious, leaving us both satisfied and full.
Quick review: AMAZING gf pasta, good flavour, great drinks, cheap prices but hemp bread wasn’t good at all.
I had the Crab Spaghetti and my friend had the Fettuccine.
Absolutely delicious pasta, chewy and the taste of the sauce was amazing!!!!!!! Delicious drinks and cocktails too. The cheese cake was amazing but the cannoli had the same filling so it was a little bit too much of the same flavour.
Only 4 stars because I bought some hemp bread to bring home, that I couldn’t even get my knife through. After cutting it for 10 minutes it ended up being yummy with lots of butter and cooking it in the oven with the butter on it!
Which was a bit too much work for me as I have wrist injuries.
Thank you so much Hemp Kitchen! Your gluten free restaurant makes me so happy and I will definitely be back!
Amazing, amazing food, and totally safe for coeliacs, so I'm in heaven. Pizza, pasta, a whole brunch menu, and we had chocolate cake and coconut cheesecake. Drooling like anything thinking about our next visit.
Absolutely wonderful experience at this 100% GF restaurant. We went for Tuesday pasta night and each ordered a different pasta to share. The rich rigatoni with pork ragu was delicious and the gnocchi with four cheeses was divine. We also shared a starter of freshly baked hemp bread with a trio of dips and were so impressed with every aspect of it. For dessert we had cannoli and tiramisu - both were wonderful. The service is excellent and we noticed that many others ordered pizzas which looked scrumptious! Everything’s gluten free!!! If you’re celiac, you must try this place. You will not regret it.
Amazing restaurant with friendly staff and fabulous delicious food. The entire menu is gluten free. We had salmon gnocchi, smoked arancini, olives with lovely hemp bread, chickpea chips (yummy!) and chicken parmigiana which will satisfy any Coeliac who can't find a GF version elsewhere. Light open plan space with a little outdoors area surrounded by plants (not hemp hehe 😋)
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