Vegan
International
Western
Buffet
Fast food
Australian
Non-profit community organization operating several cafes on a "pay as you feel" concept. Seats 100. Fully vegan since Mar 2018. Reported closed March 2022.
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3 St Heliers St, Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia
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Last update on 04 Mar 2022 by Guest
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Added by eric on 01 Aug 2007
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51 Reviews
First Review by KelseyApple
Peanuts
Points +452
Wonderful place😄 - Edit
This is such a lovely hidden restaurant! I love their concept where you pay by donation and everybody working there is just so nice😄foodwise I had two different experiences, one day 60% of the dishes I tried were a bit on the bland side whereas the next time I went everything was spot on and supertasty! I also tried the juice which was delicious *-*
Read morePros: everything is vegan, you can try all the different dishes, sometimes live music
Guest
Charlie.
Points +812
Awesome!! - Edit
So glad to find out the place is now 100% vegan! I love this place, delicious food and you actually pay as you feel! It's worth taking bus all the way from CBD to Lentils As Anything.
Read moreGuest
LilyPandeles
Points +133
A wonderful community space, great food. - Edit
This place is on another level. The whole concept is fantastic! The food is equally as good as if you were paying in a top trendy restaurant in Fitzroy.
Read moreInteresting people, live music, good spot! Every city should have this
Pros: Community spirit , Home cooked international food , Very fair prices/volunteer options
Guest
meislnicoline
Points +939
nice place - Edit
I really like this place and what they’re doing. The coconut cake was very delicious.
Read moreGuest
citizenInsane
Points +1453
My perfect place suddenly exists! - Edit
Fabulous setting, atmosphere, food AND ethics, yes, all in one. A mindful way of sharing and eating, a good reminder of these questions, and bloody awesome meals, at the end of the day!
Read moreI really loved this place, everything from the peaceful convent and the lively dining room to the lovely team, through the delicious vegan food and the wonderful ethics. Everything. My #1 place to go to, next time I'm in Melbourne.
Guest
V-for-Vegan
Points +876
Love this place!!! - Edit
Oh how much I love this place! The ambiance is great, good service, good service & pay as you feel (there's a guidelines though if u wish to follow).
Read moreGuest
Aloo
Points +7253
Ambient as anything - Edit
*edit - the rating is going up! I visited today after a year or so and am pleased to report the quality of the food is much better. More variety of ethnic cuisines and a printed menu. The presentation of the dishes is also much better. It is definitely more vegan focussed than before which is a big PLUS! *
Read moreTo sit at Lentil as Anything in Abbottsford is a pleasant experience, located at the convent with beautiful surrounds. The food is limited, and alright but not fantastic. Service seems a little distracted. I enjoy meeting friends there because it is a nice place to sit not neccesarily because of the food. They also have live music and entertainment some nights, which really is a hoot.
Updated from previous review on 2008-02-07
Pros: Ambience, live entertainment
Guest
czarnajulka
Points +485
great - Edit
i am a big fan of lentil as anything. their food and the taste is always on point. i like their idea. it is a great concept in general. nice atmosphere and nice staff. i always come back.
Read moreGuest
Wuji_Luiji
Points +2640
Lovely spot, lovely concept lovely food! - Edit
This is a great place to eat! The food is delicious and there are lots of vegan options. Pancakes were great as was hot chocolate/chai mix! The location at Abbottsford convent is gorgeous.
Read moreLentil as Anything aims to be inclusive and has a pay as you feel policy so people with little money can still eat there and people who can afford to make a bigger contribution can do so.
It's staffed largely by volunteers.
It's a shame it's not all vegan, other than that it is ideal!
Guest
Gef
Points +24
A ray of sun - Edit
How can you say anything negative about this place, surely the jewel in the crown of all the "Lentils..." venues. Its relaxed atmosphere, pleasant clientele, breezy aspect, yummy food and friendly staff are the ingredients to a café of love.
Read moreI have spent afternoons here with friends, with my daughter and alone; every time is special.
Pros: Food, People , Atmosphere
Cons: They aren't on every street.
Guest
Chelseachernobyl
Points +817
foods decent, good concept - Edit
I love the concept of this place. Pay what you can. Food is nothing to write home about but really hits the spot. Atmosphere is great. If you are broke you pay less but remember to pay more later when you can to make up for it people! The food isn't free to make or supply.
Read moreTalked to a few people who said they go here and eat for free all the time which is going to kill places like this and I'm pretty sure has killed one location all ready. Then they spend their money on beer and cigarettes. How bohemian :(
This place is to help those who actually can't afford healthy food. Don't be a disappointing dick wad and please pay what you can. I don't want this place to ever die.
Guest
sophc24
Points +129
My Favorite Place - Edit
This place is my jam. If I had to choose the last place I would ever eat, this would be it. Not only for the wholesome delicious vegan food but also the atmosphere and ethics!! Love u lentil!!
Read moreGuest
Jinjantrepid
Points +24
Great community, peaceful atmosphere, visual aesthetics, great food. - Edit
Personally, my favourite Lentil As Anything restaurant, amazing food, in particular the drinks and desserts, wonderful staff as always, also right beside an art showing, the convent gardens, and Collingwood children's farm, buffet style food, one of my favourite restaurants!
Read moreGuest
Celinesama
Points +169
Big surprise - Edit
At first I was a bit worried, because the place looked a bit dirty, but the food came very quick, was so delicious and well presented.
Read moreI think you have to like you should like the hippy culture, if you visit lentil as anything.
Pros: non-profit, yummy food, live music
Cons: not so clean
Guest
chocoholicPhilosophe
Points +865
Great concept, beautiful location - Edit
Recently revisited this place with a friend. The food was good (that day, everything but the dessert was vegan), and the atmosphere was excellent. Great concept. The convent grounds are also lovely to wander around in.
Read moreGuest
ecoeats
Points +20
love this place - Edit
I love what these guys are doing. Great atmosphere. Plenty of good food. Friendly faces everywhere.
Read morePros: Ethical, Good food, Friendly enviroment
Guest
Jolienvg1
Points +95
word the visit! - Edit
The food was amazing, there was a lot to choose from, they chance there dishes during the day so have always something else, the flavours were perfect. I really have nothing to complain about here, food is perfect, people are nice, really an amazing vibe and love the 'pay as you like' concept! Definitly recommend this place and i will be back for sure!
Read morePros: everything really!
Guest
mountainfolks
Points +406
favorite place on earth - Edit
It's hard to explain how much I adore this restaurant. You can not even just all it a restaurant. It's a cafe, community, hideout and oh so many things as well.
Read moreThe concept is truly kind and lovely.
The food is barely ever the same but my favourite things are the soy chai, Friday's dinner doughnuts, the breakfast, oh well everything!!
If you ever visit Melbourne, this place is an absolute must. Take your plate outside and sit down on the meadow behind the building.
Pros: delicious , friendly staff, fits every budget
Guest
blinki
Points +955
A Favourite - Edit
Great location, when it's summer it's lovely to sit outside. The food is always good and sometimes great. At dinner time there can be a fairly long queue but when you get in you get food right away so it's not much worse than waiting to be served in a regular restaurant. Food is always well labelled and desert is vegan more often than not. The concept of Lentil is great and means you always get a fair price. Overall it's one of my favourite places in Melbourne.
Read moreGuest
Tiggy
Points +13980
Improving with age - Edit
Lentil has really improved since I was first going here over six years ago. It seems like it has gathered organisational wisdom over time and now seems to operate quite smoothly, thanks to hard-working volunteers. The Abbotsford Convent and its surrounding grounds are such a fantastic location for this community-oriented, pay-as-you-feel, self-service buffet eatery. I do still wonder how good an idea it is to have people serving themselves (hygiene, wastage, greed - I've watched people put the whole serving dish of dessert into a container to take away - etc) but this may be a necessary evil given the limited resources. These days the queue is usually very long and I have often waited over 45 minutes, so be prepared for this. I've never been unable to find a seat inside, but on a nice day I like to sit on the lawn where diners engage in all manner of leisure activities in addition to eating. The crowd is largely hippies, hipsters, travellers (all of these in the broadest sense) and members of alternative and marginalised communities. The food ranges from great to poor, but this is not a business demanding high prices or making a profit and it allows people to eat regardless of their means. These days the majority of dishes are vegan, which in past years was not always the case, and most are gluten-free too with everything clearly labelled as such. The set menu is different each night but tends to have themes according to the day of the week. Live music may or may not be your taste on any particular night. You can order (fair trade organic) coffee until 8:30pm but there's usually a wait and you may have to chase one of the staff. If you havent been before, Lentil is worth the experience, particularly in summer. It's an affordable feed in a friendly atmosphere.
Read morePros: Pay-as-you-feel, Vibrant atmosphere in beautiful surroundings
Cons: Long queue/waiting time, Food inconsistent
Guest
AlyssaVegan
Points +50
Fun, happening, delicious! - Edit
I come here very often with my siblings-we all meet in the city and go to lentils to enjoy the delicious vegan and vegetarian food and fun lively atmosphere. You can eat as much as you want and pay as you think you should.
Read moreThe food is great, the staff are friendly and everyone goes to have a good time!
Quite busy and noisy but adds to the atmosphere
Pros: All you can eat, Delicious
Guest
w00dpecker
Points +53
Lovely place with a great concept behind it - Edit
I used to live in Melbourne for a few years, and this has been one of my regular places to go to. The buffet is great with changing dishes. Sometimes even live music is played plus the convent is such a cool green spot to hang out so close to the city!
Read morePros: nice vibe, green surrounds
Guest
tessha_m
Points +60
Weekend buffet is great. - Edit
How awesome is a buffet that you can eat what you want, then pay what you want. Great.
Read moreI belive the buffet is only on weekends. They still have the normal menu on on weekends and during the week. The Buffet had bread, curry dishes, pasta, salad... not fancy but all vegetarian. You pay after you eat and just stick it into a box so its not too intimidating.
I think its great to pay as you feel buffet style, if you don't eat much you can just pay less!
I understand that its intimidating for people to descide what to pay, so i offer this advice. When i dine out the price i have to pay forms a part of weather or not its a good experience. If a meal is a good price i'm happy. therefore, if i want to be happy with Lentil as Anything, i need to pay a good price for it. So for me, i pay what i would be happy to pay for the food at another cafe.
If the service is not great, which has only happened once at Lentil when i waited 45mins even though i was the only one in the st kilda store, i only paid enough to cover the cost of the ingredients.
Pros: Price, concept, location is nice
Cons: could be intimidating to pay as you feel
Guest
KelseyApple
Points +89
Very good - Edit
The pay what you feel concept was a little daunting. The food was so good that I'm sure left more than I would have been willing to pay if that price was written on the menu. Six of us ate there and each got a different dish and every one of us was very impressed.
Read moreGuest
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