Food and wine lovers have a lot to gain from the digital smartphone era, with a plethora of apps designed to make eating easier. But with thousands of options on the app store, how do you know which ones to download?
We’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up six of the best free foodie applications you need on your phone today. Get excited – there’s freebies, discounts, and genuine recommendations to look forward to.
Happy Cow
Happy Cow is a vegan dream, providing over 5700 listings of vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants and cafes Australia-wide. They also offer an abundance of content, from blog posts to guides to veganism. If you’ve ever wanted a near-complete list of vegetarian and vegan outlets, this is the app for you. Make yourself a bowl of vegetarian baked pumpkin risotto and explore the app’s myriad of content for yourself.
End Cruelty Australia is another great app for animal-lovers, providing a comprehensive guide to the most ethical products in supermarkets, cosmetics and alcoholic beverages.
Bring Me Home
Bring Me Home is helping to fight food waste by providing customers with heavily discounted, high quality surplus food from local participating retailers that would otherwise be thrown out. Grab a Thai dinner, fresh groceries or a blueberry muffin at up to 70% off the usual price using their app.
EatClub
Since its successful launch in Melbourne, EatClub has expanded into Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. The premise? Affordable, discounted tables at top restaurants. This is a great app for the cash-strapped, offering bargain hunters the opportunity to dine in just before the dinner rush and grab a thrifty (and delicious!) meal.
Australian Good Food & Travel Guide
Whether it’s a seafood platter or just some hearty tofu stew you’re after, the Australian Good Food & Travel Guide has your back on the best food outlets in the country. It’s been running since 1977, making it a highly esteemed brand with reviews by real food connoisseurs. They now have an app, which allows you to view photos, compare prices, vote for your favourite restaurant, and read and write reviews.
Mixology
Got a few leftover ingredients that need using up? Put them to good use with Mixology, an app which provides a large list of alcoholic drink recipes, from Astor Martinis to White Russians. It’s been the new bartender’s bible for the past 10 years and is still going strong (and is still free!).
Share the Meal
Once you’ve had your meal, help end world hunger using this simple app, which lets you donate a meal to a child in need with just a few taps of your screen. Did you know it costs just 50c to feed a child for a whole day? The app, which was founded in conjunction with the United Nations, received a Google Play Award for Best Social Impact in 2017.
Zomato
Zomato is the ultimate, all-in-one solution for Aussie foodies. With a high-quality review system (which also reviews contributors), easy-to-use search function and restaurant discounts, there’s no reason not to have Zomato on your phone. Search by location or food type, or check out their list of top-rated restaurants across the nation for inspiration. You can even book a table via the app!
Menulog
While UberEats covers a slightly wider range of food outlets, Menulog is our top pick in food delivery apps as it is Australian owned and was founded in Sydney – and we love supporting Aussie businesses! Menulog offers an easy-to-use app, great delivery tracking system and wide range of food options for every type of diet.
Conclusion
What are you waiting for? Head over to the app store and get downloading – your wallet and your belly will thank you. If this article has made you hungry (we suspect it has), then try this quick yummy pork noodles recipe.
