In just a few short years the mere utterance of the word ‘vegan’ has gone from ‘leave a bad taste in your mouth’ to ‘must-eat’ thanks to restaurants like Peppe’s. And the queues of punters that meanders down Bondi Road is testament to the culinary nous of chef Joel Bennetts, who has spent time on the pans at Three Blue Ducks, Pier and Gastro Park. This tiny Italian pasta bar is shoe-horned into a boisterous room with exposed brick, white and green walls, a bar to eat at and communal tables where you can share the feast. Owned by the clever cats Joe Pagliaro and Grace Watson, behind Waterloo’s vegan finer diner Paperbark, Peppe’s is the kind of place you’d drop into with mates for a pasta and a tipple or two without breaking the bank. The service is fun, energetic and friendly and the vibe is as loud as a backyard barbie. The menu is short and sharp. Choose from a daily-changing blackboard of interesting wines and around 12 Italian dishes where gnocchi is well and truly the main event. Start with warm olives, Iggy’s bread with Alto olive oil, or lovely, light bite-sized mushroom arancini. Crumbed and fried eggplant partners chargrilled capsicum, basil leaves and a rich tomato sauce. House-made gnocchi is offered three ways – al pomodoro (tomato), al pesto (basil) and bianchi (cauliflower and mushroom). You can’t really go wrong with any of them, but the umami-laden pomodoro is not to be missed. The pasta here is pretty good, too. Delightfully light spaghetti is tossed in parsley, chilli, garlic and olive oil. Peppe’s is not only a great vegan restaurant; it’s one of the best newcomers for 2019.