Truly a GEM in the foothills! A wonderful hair salon with a fantastic funky vibe to rival the best in Melbourne! Nikki is a very talented hairdresser - her skills are excellent! Treat yourself to a great cut in a warm, welcoming environment. Highly recommended!

Professional and friendly service. Using eco friendly products that give great results. I recommend this company highly.

People, if you are looking to buy fitness equipment, go to Manic Fitness in Chadstone.
They will look after you, assess your needs and provide you with options to suit your budget. Their prices are also competitive and very reasonable.
Most importantly, In my humble opinion, is their EXCELLENT after sales support. Dean has looked after us with an old fashioned professionalism which is extremely rare these days - especially with the plethora of here today, gone tomorrow or "big chain" fitness equipment franchises out there that take your hard earned dollars and won't return your calls if anything goes wrong.
We wouldn't go to anyone else and recommend them highly, you won't be disappointed.
Get fit, get Manic!

For the first time ever, I can trust a hairdresser to create a cut/style which will suit me and will get even more fabulous as it grows out!
I always ask for Uli as I appreciate her honest comments on how my hair will "behave" with a certain cut and whether it will suit me or not. There is no bulls**t, just a genuine, honest opinion founded on years of experience and a love of her craft. And she hasn't been wrong yet (nor is she likely to be).
Both my son and myself go to Uli and are very happy to book long in advance for her expertise. On the odd occasion, I've been fortunate to have her cut my hair almost on the spot due to a well timed cancellation. Bonus!
I'm a vegan and I am very happy that Uli shares a passion for using cruelty free products in her salon. One can go a long way to find a hair salon which has such high ethics without compromising quality.
I feel it is important to trust your hairdresser as it is a personal experience - Rising Angel doesn't disappoint.

Chocoholics rejoice! Heaven resides within these walls.
For a decadent, unashamedly wicked chocolate fix, you must get yourself to Coco Loco (if you haven't already).
Vegans who lament the lack of places that serve quality non-dairy chocolate food and drink are also in for a treat!
Sure, there are plenty of places that one can get the ubiquitous hot chocolate or melted chocolate dipped doughnut from the average shopping centre, but none compare to the pure organic, fair trade, quality "chocolat" in recipes that range from tantalizing truffles and mouthwatering mousse to stimulating iced chocolate beverages, and from crispy, cheeky crepes to chocolate alcoholic cocktails.
The passionate host to your delicious indulgence is Khaled and he will answer any question you have about the menu with a fire and intensity showing his keen knowledge and love for this divine food of the gods. And his perfected liquid concoction, the luscious, silky smooth Kashew Mylk which is the basis for many of his recipes is not only a secret formula, but a secret weapon because it can melt the coldest heart and warm the weariest spirit.
Kashew Mylk is also vegan. Preservative, wheat, gluten, & cholesterol free.
Coco Loco is the planet's first certified organic & fair trade "chocolat bar" and aren't we fortunate that it is here in Melbourne? Ahhhh, Heaven on Earth.

We always have a good dining experience at Soul Mama. The views from the windows are beautiful, the staff are friendly and the food is varied and tasty - a credit to the chefs. You can choose your serving sizes to suit the budget and appetite.
There are plenty of vegan options to choose from and meat eaters don't leave feeling empty despite it all being vegan/vegetarian - and we have taken a few carnivores to eat there!
The desserts are delicious and I dream of the pina colada sorbet that I had last time we visited.
On a busy night, it can get a little noisy, but if you take a few friends and love to have a hearty laugh, you won't be stared at for disturbing the peace!
We usually like to take a stroll along the boardwalk feeling pleasantly sated after our meal.

We ate here once before seeing a movie and regretted it. We ordered a Turkish Pizza with field mushrooms and spinach minus the cheese, as we are vegan and that was all they could recommend to us, like it was an inconvenience.
A long wait later, the pizzas came out and were ridiculously small for the cost of $19.90 per pizza! We were charged the full price even though the cheese was omitted. The spinach and mushrooms were very scant and could hardly be considered "toppings".
Due to the slow service, we nearly missed our movie even when we explained that we were waiting for a long time and due to leave soon.
The indigestion due to wolfing down baked dough with two spartan ingredients and the not inconsiderable price nearly ruined the evening. Thank goodness the movie redeemed the night!

After having eaten at many vegetarian places in Melbourne, I'd have to rate this as the lowest.
We have only been there once, but that was enough to put us off going again. The food was expensive, the small serves definitely not worth the cost and the staff were bordering on rude. Perhaps they were having a bad day, but that doesn't make up for the overpriced food. First impressions count in the food industry.

Honestly, there are much better places for vegans/vegetarians to go to where they will get great food, friendly service and value for money.
Sorry, I call 'em as I see 'em.

Finally! A dine in/takeaway pizza place for vegans/vegetarians!!
The range of pizzas to choose from is wide and they are unique (read delicious) in taste.
The staff are friendly and make you feel welcome. There are a few seats and tables to sit at if you choose to eat in.
For vegans/vegetarians who worry about meat cross contamination when buying veggie pizzas from the big name franchises... you can breathe a sigh of relief! These are quality, 100% veggie pizzas - you'll go back for more. Check out their website for more info.

Before we moved from Perth two years ago, my husband and I visited Melbourne and were very fortunate to eat at the fabulous Bowl of Soul. In fact this was the first vegan/vegetarian place we visited during our stay AND I have to say, it was probably the deciding factor in making the huge move over here.
As vegans, we were very impressed with the cosy premises, the outstanding quality of food on offer and the very friendly, sweet couple who run it.
There is a wide variety of some of the tastiest vegan food we have ever had the pleasure of tasting.
The various mock meat burgers are generous in size. In taste, they are of a very high standard and the sauces are to die for - we usually order a different one each and ask for a knife to cut them in half so that we can swap and sample the others delicious delight.
The lentil stew/casserole is an old family recipe and a trademark here and very highly recommended on a cold winters day/night. Served with crusty bread, it makes the taste buds sing and the soul sigh in contentment. It is truly a Bowl FOR the Soul.
The coffee is quality fair-trade and the soy flat whites are made with as much expertise as a fine barista, and they always taste consistently good. *Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a decent coffee with soy milk, because this little lady produces a superb silky fine froth with a delicious, caramel crema every time.
There is a good selection of desserts to choose from. A special treat for me to have with my coffee are the tiny and moreish wild figs coated in dark chocolate and dusted with vanilla sugar - I defy anyone to stop at one.
We took our friends who were visiting from WA here for a meal. They are not vegan/vegetarian, but were very impressed with the standard of fare - they work in the food industry and could not fault the food, both being very satisfied with their meal. And they are fussy meat eaters!
We love the homely feeling we get when sitting inside on the comfy seats. It's like being in someone's kitchen having a friendly chat with them about anything and everything whilst they "whip up" our meal. They make you feel so welcome and like old friends. Their warmth and charm is a big part of Bowl of Soul.
Whenever we get the chance to drive over to Port Melbourne, we breathe a sigh of contentment knowing we will have a wonderful, casual, wholesome and delicious dining experience that is very much value for money and worth every cent!