Finding vegan food in the heart of the Australian Outback might not be the first thing you expect, but Uluru surprised me.
While options are limited and come with a higher price tag – understandable given that everything is transported in by road or air – there are still some solid plant based meals to be found.
So if you’re dining at one of the resort restaurants or picking up snacks from the local IGA supermarket, you won’t go hungry.
Here’s what I discovered about eating vegan at Ayers Rock Resort near Uluru in March 2025 and all the vegan and vegetarian food options available. Check out the Resort Map HERE to find out where these places are.
NOTE: Ayers Rock Resort uses credit cards only. So please make sure you have money on your MasterCard, Visa Card or American Express. The only place that accepts cash is the IGA supermarket.
IMPORTANT: A must read is my How to Visit Uluru on a Budget article.
If you’re travelling around Australia, check out the Vegan Food Options in Fitzroy, Melbourne too!
CHEAP VEGAN FOOD OPTIONS
I packed some protein and muesli bars in my carry on to eat for breakfast each morning. They were fantastic and saved me a heap of money.
I also bought some bananas at the IGA each afternoon to have the next morning (sometimes they were green).
For dinners, you can go to the Shell Service Station and buy a large Maggi noodle bowl for $3.50. They have free boiling water.
You can also get a small chips from the Outback Kiosk for $7 or a large chips for $12. These carbs will fill your stomach up.
The very last night I went to Ayers Wok and bought a vegan friendly fried rice. That was my most expensive meal.
The cheapest main meal would be a sandwich at Kulata Academy Cafe, or the noodles/rice from Ayers Wok.
I personally just snacked to get through the handful of days I was there. I also brought a water bottle and filled that up every day at the free water refill stations.
If you’re having every meal at a restaurant, the cost will be very expensive.
If you’re staying at the Outback Hotel & Lodge, they have a guest kitchen you can use. That might help with food costs too.
RESTAURANTS AND CAFES
(All information below is correct as of March 2025. Menus do change over time. All prices listed are in AUD (Australian Dollars)
AYERS WOK (Town Square)
(5pm to 8pm. Take away only. Request “vegan”)
Vegetable fried rice. $22.50
Vegetable noodles. $22.50
KULATA ACADEMY CAFE (Town Square)
(7am to 2pm)
Vegan Rice paper rolls. $14.50
Roast pumpkin and hummus sandwich. $12
Fruit salad. $8.50
GECKOS CAFE (Town Square)
(11am to 9pm)
Italian Tomato Arancini. $18
Garden Salad. $25
Beetroot and Fennel Salad. $26
Primavera Pasta. $34
Duo Gelato. $18
OUTBACK KIOSK (Outback Hotel)
(12pm to 9pm)
Mixed herb chips. Small $7. Large $12
Vegan raspberry chocolate cake.$12
Chocolate vegan Bundt cake. $12
OUTBACK BBQ (Outback Hotel)
(5pm to 9pm)
Self serve salad bar. $30
V2 Plant Based Schnitzel. $34
(You would have to cook the vegan schnitzel on the BBQ that everyone else cooks meat on, unless you put foil down on the grill first)
BOUGH RESTAURANT (Outback Hotel)
(6am to 10am)
Buffet breakfast. $42
WALPA LOBBY BAR (Sails in the Desert)
(10:30am to 9pm. Food stops at 5:30pm)
Vegan rosella mousse. $19.50
Ancient Grain Salad. $28
Aussie Vegan Burger. $30
PIRA POOL BAR (Sails in the Desert)
(12pm to 5pm)
Same menu as Walpa Lobby Bar.
ILKARI RESTAURANT (Sails in the Desert)
(6:30am to 10:30am – 5:30pm to 9:30pm)
Dinner buffet. $99
Breakfast buffet. $49
MANGATA BISTRO AND BAR (Desert Gardens Hotel)
(11am to 9pm)
Vegetable tempura. $22
Bang-Bang Cauliflower florets. $23
Pumpkin and Walnut Salad. $25
Poke Bowl. $24
Fries. $11
Green Salad. $13
Vegan sorbet. $21
ARNGULI GRILL & RESTAURANT (Desert Gardens Hotel)
(Reopens in April 2025)
ININTI CAFE (Inside the National Park)
Located at the Cultural Centre inside the National Park near Uluru.
Vegan cinnamon scroll. $12
They also have vegan banana bread and peanut butter cookies but I couldn’t see a price on them.
OTHER FOOD OPTIONS
IGA SUPERMARKET (Town Square)
(Open 8am to 8pm)
This is the only supermarket in the resort. Food does sell out. Especially towards the late afternoon. If you’re cooking yourself, the cheapest packet of 500g pasta is $2.10 AUD. There is a fridge with vegan food items. It contained vegan sausages, vegan burgers, tofu, vegan cheese, vegan yoghurt and vegan butter. The rest of the supermarket has all the basic food also. And soy milk! Cheapest soy milk is the home brand at $2 a litre. So Good soy milk is $3.80 a litre.
SHELL SERVICE STATION (next to the Campgrounds)
The petrol station is located next to the campgrounds and also only a 5 minute walk from Outback Hotel. It has cheap souvenirs actually. But also has food items you can grab too.
