Botanica, various locations: This champion of cruciferous chow almost needs no introduction, but any list of the best salads in Brisbane has to start with Botanica. The brand’s signature navy blue boxes (often filled to the point of bursting) are a common sight in the work fridge and at dinner parties. It’s prominence is not just a side effect of Botanica boasting four locations across town – the salads are truly the star. We dream of Botanica’s kale salad with parmesan, sourdough croutons and confit garlic dressing, Israeli cous cous salad with sweet potato, and the raw shredded broccoli salad with cranberries, almonds and cashew garlic cream. Really, though, there’s no wrong choice when it comes to Botanica’s bounty.

Neighbour, Milton: A good neighbour is there for you in your time of need. If you need a spot-on salad to sate some stomach grumbles, then pint-sized providore Neighbour in Milton is as reliable as they come. The sibling to Bunker Coffee, Neighbour adds another repository for essentials of a different kind. That is, sweet potato salad with Israeli cous cous, red cabbage, roast flaked almonds and romesco dressing, potato salad with cornichons, pickled mustard seeds, shallots and dill, and du puy lentils with spiced boiled beetroot, orange, feta, hazelnuts and mint. Want to bolster your choice a bit more? Add a pea felafel, some honey halloumi or a lamb kofta into the mix!

Sunshine, Fortitude Valley: Simon Gloftis’ all-vegetarian Mediterranean eatery and passion project Sunshine is an ode to the flavours he grew up with as a kid. This ‘point and plate’ concept (you point at what you want and the staff with scoop it up until you tell them to stop) showcases an assortment of drool-worthy choices, including vegan, gluten-free and nut-free options. In addition to spanakopita, orzo pasta and moussaka, Sunshine also serves corn, jalapeno and chickpea salad, broccoli with cauliflower and avocado, slow-cooked chickpeas, and braised green beans.

Greenstreat, Brisbane City: If you’ve spied a line of hungry lunch seekers snaking its way down Adelaide Street, there’s a good chance it is the queue for Greenstreat. This purveyor of feel-good food is a go-to for folks that want to fill up on something sensible and delicious. Here, you can go your own way and construct a custom bowl from a lengthy list of ingredients, or keep it simple with one of Greenstreat’s sure-to-satisfy staples, including The O.G. (chopped cos, rocket, mixed leaf, warm roasted chicken, crispy bacon, cherry tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese and corn), the Farmer’s Harvest (baby spinach, rocket, roasted sweet potato, beets, toasted almonds, semi-dried tomatoes, red onion, crumbled fetta, quinoa and broccoli) or the Santa Fe (warm brown rice, chopped cos, rocket, 12-hour slow cooked pulled pork, black beans, corn salsa, smashed avo and tortilla strips).

Fishbowl, Newstead: Popular health-focused concept FISHBOWL made its way to Brisbane in 2022, with the Sydney-born outfit making a splash with its first Queensland location at Gasworks. FISHBOWL’s range of customisable Japanese-inspired salad bowls spotlight natural ingredients – including farm-grown vegetables and sustainably and ethically sourced seafood and meat. These ingredients are put to great use, with options like the Mr X (cabbage, carrot, shallots, roasted sesame dressing, crispy shallots and wasabi peas with either tofu, chicken or salmon sashimi) and the beef brisket bowl (12-hour braised beef with kale, savoy, carrots, radish, shallots, edamame, lemon olive oil and shoyu dressing, wasabi peas, and wasabi mayo drizzle) just a couple of the absolute belter bowls available.

The Small Crop, Wynnum: This lovely locale is a popular spot for bayside residents to get nutrient-dense salads, hand-made baked goods, coffee, cheeses and preserves. It’s not uncommon to spy the likes of shaved broccoli salad with Spanish onion, cranberries and toasted sunflower seeds, bourghal wheat salad with roasted carrot and beetroot, spinach, mint, parsley, sunflower seeds and turmeric tahini dressing, and spelt grain with sweet potato, pumpkin, spinach and pumpkin seeds.

The Green, Fortitude Valley: We’re particularly fond of long lunches at The Green, where we can feast on grilled zhug-marinated lamb cutlets and hawaij-spiced Bannockburn charcoal chicken to our heart’s content. But when we’re in a hurry, we can still count on The Green to come through with something tasty. The eatery’s salad bar is stuffed to the brim with bowls of freshly made goodness, including roasted kipfler and purple potato salad, and tabouli with Turkish bulgur and pomegranate seeds – all available alongside portions of protein (lamb, pork and chicken) and dips like traditional and beetroot hummus, and muhammara with toasted walnuts and mint.

Yoke Kitchen, West End: This charming plant-based cafe and deli is a great choice if you’re seeking nourishing nosh. With a focus on whole foods, Yoke’s dine-in and takeaway offering is superb for getting some goodness into your belly. The offering changes regularly depending on the availability of produce grown by local farmers, but options have included the likes of Lebanese zucchini quinoa tabbouleh, jalapeno and herb cucumber quinoa salad, apple slaw with shiso, and plum, pear, pumpkin brown rice salads. You can also add dahl, dips and decadent treats to your order, if you’re feeling famished.

Greens & Grains, Clayfield: Wholesome, fresh and innovative salads are what Greens & Grains promises and the Sandgate Road pit stop delivers in spades. Looking to add some sides to a home feast? Nab a box of grilled corn slaw or some panzanella. Want something sustaining for your work lunch? How about some vegan-friendly roasted pumpkin with pearl barley. The team isn’t afraid to get a bit innovative with its salads – a Caesar salad with Brussel sprouts and butter beans is an out-of-the-box option we can get around.

The Green Edge, Windsor: A long-time favourite in the plant-based scene, The Green Edge is a one-stop shop for vegan-friendly pantry items and eats. Menu staples such as the grilled satay tofu salad with salad greens, tomato and capsicum, slow-roasted mushroom salad with mango chutney, salad greens, carrot and cherry tomatoes, and the Buddha Bowl with seasoned brown rice and quinoa, roasted sweet potato, kraut, seasoned black beans, fried tempeh, cherry tomatoes, avocado and peanut dressing are stand-out selections.

Verde and Sweet, Hamilton: The sibling to Hamilton’s Latin American-inspired cafe Petrichor & Co., Verde and Sweet is an artisan kitchen and pantry concept that looks to make lives easier with a range of ready-to-eat items, from sandwiches and sweets to its selection of salads. Browse an ever-changing selection that features the likes of soba noodle salads, heirloom tomato bruschetta salad, black rice salad, and sweet potato with bean sprouts, cashews, coconut, mint and kaffir lime. Mix and match for your own lunch or grab a container to go with one of Verde and Sweet’s ready-made meals – there’s no wrong choice!

Happy Days Food Co., The Gap: Every day is a happy day when you’ve got a salad from Happy Days Food Co. This suburban salad bar and snack spot is a dependable dispensary of health-giving helpings of broccoli, sorghum and sweet chilli, creamy herbed potato salad, and carrot and cabbage slaw. These salads are so good for you, it’s okay to add one of Happy Days’ covetable cakes (perhaps a slice of its coffee and hazelnut bundt cake?) to your order.

Wilburs General Store, Holland Park: Known for its killer selection of sandwiches, Holland Park cafe Wilburs General Store is also an underrated place to nab a salad. Don’t believe us? You’ll be singing a different tune after you try Wilburs’ lemony potato and fennel salad with crispy capers and dill, and its wild rice salad with Dutch honey carrots, roasted cauliflower, fennel and fresh herbs.

Ground Alchemy, New Farm: Promoting health and happiness for mind, body and planet – that’s the prime directive behind Ground Alchemy’s operational model. The New Farm cafe is doing this, in part, by serving some restorative eats and drinks, ranging from functional juices and smoothies to raw treats and goodness-filled salads. Of the latter, we’re loving Ground Alchemy’s thin rice noodles salad boasting a rainbow of veggies, coconut aminos, tamari and toasted sesame seeds, the Mexican protein bowl with quinoa, kidney beans and vegetables, and the Roots and Rice salad with sweet potato, potato, beetroot, rocket, carrot, onion, and brown rice.

Honourable Mentions: We like to also shout out Grazegrind at Post Office Square and Coco’s Salad Bar at Courtside in Brisbane City, Monocle Coffee in Morningside, Soul Green in South Brisbane, Sula Juice Bar in Wellington Point and Carina and Franc. in New Farm. Want to find a cafe that has some heavenly salads on its dine-in menu? We suggest checking out the menus at Florence in Camp Hill, Felix For Goodness in The City, Gramps Cafe in Red Hill, Goodfolk Cafe in Bardon, Dicki’s in New Farm and Ascot, Plant Vibes in Bowen Hills, Corner Store Cafe in Toowong and the Farmhouse in Kedron.