Lentil As Anything

This place is more to socialise then eat. The food is of low quality but it’s great to meet people here.
Unfortunately I feel the place is quite dirty and the food is cheap, but there’s a benevolent aspect behind the eatery so that’s what you really go for as well.

Situated in the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent, Lentil As Anything dishes up flavourful vegetarian dishes buffet style. Arriving on a Saturday, I found myself intrigued by the long line and soft tunes of Indian music. The food theme on my visit was Malaysian inspired and the food was on point! The pay as you feel system was intimidating as a 1^st time customer, however they have guidelines so you know how much it costs to cover your meal. All the staff here are volunteers and added to their values of respect, generosity and trust!
Will definitely go back.

Enjoyed my super hearty meal. Came here for breakfast and had the Spanish patatas witch poached eggs. It was delicious. Simple meals but full of flavour. We paid $ 20 for 2 dishes.

Really nice veggie place. You pay that you want depending how you feel the food. First time I saw this concept and it works.
A lot of young people as hipsters. Good ambiance, they have musician band who comes to play.
I recommend this place if you want to try. Even if you’re not so hangry, you can pay according your quantities.

Best place if your low on busget. Food isn’t that bad considering its up to you to donate the amount you choose. walk is about 15 mins from Collingwood station and that also gives you a semi work out too!

I really liked this branch of Lentil As Anything. It is the perfect place to have an outdoors meal in the edge of a park. Food is as good as in St Kilda’s with a different menu. The buffet style speeds up the flow of people.

Lentil as Anything is a fantastic veggie eatery, set in an old convent. Beautiful surrounds and a great atmosphere. The idea behind the restaurant for social inclusion is brilliant and everyone who works there is a volunteer, even the band!
You can pay as much as you want for the meal, which is really tasty and throughout your dining experience, you have access to free tea.
They have different themed nights which is fantastic as it offers variety. I highly recommend it.

The concept of Lentil is a really wonderful one! Melbourne isn’t the easiest place to get a break in hospitality because there is such a flooded pool of wonderfully trained staff from our wealth of bars and eateries. Lentil gives people an opportunity to learn the skills they need and get the experience they need to get the experience — on a volunteer basis!
The restaurant itself is vegetarian and is «pay what you feel/​can». For breakfast they have a menu you can order your items from, and lunch/​dinner is buffet, so help yourself! Coffee/​tea can be ordered from the roving waiters, and you put your money in the boxes at the end to «pay» or your meal! They’re fine with you either sitting on-​site with your meal, or taking it down to the beautiful convent lawns and just bringing your crockery back at the end!
There’s a great notice board just inside the door as well — if you’re looking for a housemate, a masseuse or a music teacher! They also have live music some days/​eves, and they’re also a «pass the hat around for a donation» deal! Definitely worth getting there early for dinners, the line can get really long!
The only reason this lost a star was for food. There is a huge output of food by the wonderful volunteers, so it’s tasty, nutritious and filling, but not super-​fancy! That said, I’m here a lot and I love the ethos, atmosphere a community! Definitely come along and visit and support the beautiful space!

Came here first time tonight. I like the food as it’s not greasy, too creamy and cheesy. It looks healthy, taste fresh and flavoursome. Even my husband who’s not big fan of vege liked it.

The food here is delicious, and I love the atmosphere. A great place to eat a vegetarian meal. 5 stars without a moment’s hesitation!

Lentil As Anything is about as good as it gets. A wholesome, varied, delicious meal, cooked and served to you by volunteer chefs and staff, for the good price of what you can afford (donation basis).
And to top this already perfect scenario, Lentil inhabits a beautiful monastery surrounded by gardens just of the Yarra River trail. I don’t even want to decorate this review with more superfluity, you will LOVE Lentil, so just go!

Great food. Excellent business model bc you get what you pay for! Eating area can be renovated/​upgraded. Will recommend to everyone and will frequent often!

Lentil as Anything is a non-​profit vegetarian eatery, with the Abbotsford branch located on the beautiful Abbotsford Convent grounds. Lunch and dinner are buffet style and breakfast is ordered off a menu.
The concept behind Lentil as Anything is that patrons pay what they feel the meal is worth and can afford. So it’s achieved a cult following among some of my backpacker and starving artist friends. A number of the staff are volunteers and are gaining hospitality experience (and free meals.)
For this financial model, the food they produce is pretty decent especially considering what I’ve seen other Melbourne eateries charge for similar fare. The buffet includes salad, dessert, and variety of dishes like rice and bean based curries & dahl. (A good source of fibre!) There are also coffees and teas available on order from the staff.
As a (mostly) vegetarian, I love that I can sample any and all of the food there without worrying if there is some sneaky meat hiding in the sauce.
There are long communal tables inside and seating can be a commodity. There is frequently a musician or three crammed into the corner. If the weather is nice, head outside for the outdoor seating, or just sit in the grass in the sun. You can watch the roving hippies and jugglers as the ‘floor show’ entertainment to go with your meal!

Love this place~

This is the kind of places you go with some friends, during a sunny and warm evening.
The Abbotsford Convent is just… some kind of magical place, a park, a small market, an open air cinema, a bakery, and Lentil as anything.
First of all: YOU PAY WHAT YOU WANNA PAY
You spent too much money on food this month, trying to get more and more reviews out of Melbourne? Well come down here, and pay what you can afford for the meal.
This is vegetarian, and this is usually not a good thing for me, as a meat lover. BUT I have to admit that I was impressed. Ok it’s a «canteen» kind of place, but it was really not bad. Been there twice, and yeah, both times were pretty tasty.
Get in the line, which can be long during the weekends (wait with all kind of people, from homeless to hipsters, which strangely can look the same) get a plate, put some money in the jar (anything you want) and get what you wanna eat.
You usually have a lot of choice, and I always end with a weird mix of everything since I want to try all of the dishes.
Sit inside if you want to, but the best way is just to leave with your plate and go in the park just behind the restaurant, and eat on the grass, hippie style? Whatever, it’s pretty neat.
You can have breakfast too, and I heard they make pancakes, never tried yet, but I definitely will
Hooray for the Abbotsford Convent
Bonus: On one of the building I could admire some pretty ladies doing some interpretive dance. So you can eat and being a stalker at the same time. Amazing

This is my number one eatery in Melbourne to take friends.
Lentil as Anything always has an incredible selection. I’ve never been disappointed by what’s on offer. My all time favourite dishes from LaA include their coconut dhal, spicy beans and their Chinese buns with chilli dipping sauce.
The pay what you can afford system is also an incredible policy. When I was recently out of work I could give $ 5, other times I give $ 10. It also allows you pay for what you eat. Sometimes, if I’m not feeling so hungry, I just grab a small plate and pay a little less than $ 10.

Lentil’s aka the soup kitchen saved my life. I actually went broke when I arrived in Melbourne. But I still had this annoying need to eat. That’s when my equally poor housemates introduced me to lentil as anything.
It exists because sometimes you can’t afford a hot meal.
It exists because you know that’s only temporary and you can pay them back once you can afford it.
It exists because you still have dignity. It’s a nice place. You could take a date here and have it go well.
It’s good veg food. Rice and curries, always a dessert. It’s… Perfect.

I love going to Lentil and sitting down for a meal.
I don’t really care about the fact that the price is up to you; I just like the food and appreciate how hard it is for a lot of people to get a foot in the hospitality industry door.
Lentil offers practical experience for lots of people, and it also offers the customers a unique dining experience.
I like coming here for lunch and came here the other day with my partner for the buffet. There were curries, soups, pastas, puddings and salads all laid out in heated dishes and you simply walk past and help yourself. T
he seating inside can get a little cramped and noisy so we generally take a seat out under the trees and with a view of the convent entrance and garden. It is actually quite peaceful there (unless it is market day), and the wait staff will come around and ask if you are after a hot drink.
I have a real problem with people that don’t pay for their meals here. I’ve noticed that on a couple of occasions people simply eat and sneak off — not cool guys.
The food is really good and all the wait staff are friendly and welcoming. Even if you don’t have that much cash on you at least put something in. It really can make a difference.

The philosophy behind this incredibly laid back vegetarian eatery embraces the values of trust, generosity and respect. In short, you decide how much you want to pay at the end of your meal. Sounds perfect! And it’s such a nice change from the string of over priced restaurants out there.
Because Lentil as anything is a not for profit organisation, having a meal there is not only cheap (please be honest when donating) but you can do your bit for the cause. Expect delicious pasta, dhal curries and fresh vegetable salads. The menu changes all the time so every visit is a brand new experience in itself.
Live entertainment keeps the crowd bubbly while a wide variety of people from multicultural backgrounds dine harmoniously. It sounds cliché but it’s true! Keep in mind though, this place fills up really fast and is highly popular on weekends so get there early. Dogs are welcome too so bring your four-​legged friend along for the experience. If you sit outside, look for the wise owl in the big tree…

A friend and I have an agreement that we will both marry the French singer/​songwriter we saw performing last time we ate at Lentil. He doesn’t know this yet, but we’re hoping he won’t mind. This is just the kind of thing that happens when you spend some time at the Convent, eating at Lentil. Despite the crowded tables, buffet style food and very low budget seating (the art that adorns the walls, however, is often superb, and regularly changed), this is possibly one of the most romantic places in Melbourne, especially now, since Ponyfish opened and one can no longer sit alone under a bridge on the Yarra.
The principle behind Lentil as Anything is that you pay what you feel the meal is worth or if you’re strapped for cash, you pay what you can afford. I suppose it’s a testament to the loving feeling created by this place that it can stay afloat. It is staffed by friendly volunteers, and has a constantly changing menu featuring dishes from all over the world. Now there’s no reason to complain, because even if the food isn’t to your taste once, it’s worth coming back and trying again.