Really good meals and really great times here. They encourage people to eat more veggies and less meat which is what we should do. Australians as a whole have too much meat and not enough vegetables in a day
Such good quality food and service and for such a low price, of course we donated generously to show our appreciation, but it’s great that the option is there. Really takes the pressure off dining.
Troylee Layton Bancroft
+5
A lovely meal with great service from the volunteer staff. We will be regularly supporting :)
Shontelle Shonnie Byrne
+5
Restaurant where you pay what you think the meal is worth, great concept! Food is made with love here, flash your cash the treasure box with the coin slot near the front counter! Try the mung beans & Lentil Burger. The Chai tea in the day time.
Great Food, you can pay what you like , a nice change and great members of staff !
Excellent food and very friendly staff. We will definitely be back. It was very busy too for a Wednesday afternoon.
Really good place, I loved the tasty food and the vibes ! So cool that I will return there for sure !
Great food amazing people. Always had good service and beautiful food
Why do I go there? They're bossy and mindful, funny and with integrity.
Oh and the food. Almost forgot. Just like home.
Omg one of the best places ever to eat just love it
Christopher Brakk Staven
+5
Volunteered here for a while during my travels in Australia.
Really miss the food, the people and vibe.
Memories for a lifetime. Make sure to check out the Lentil Burger!
Great concept, great food :) Glad I went!
So delicious! And the service and atmosphere is the best!
As a long time lover of the Lentil as Anything at Abbotsford convent, the St Kilda one left a little to be desired but is still a fun and yummy lunch or dinner destination.
While the St Kilda one is also pay-as-you-feel, it's much smaller and like a 'normal' restaurant with a menu and table service.
The food is still great, I'd probably give it a 5 if I hadn't been to the Abbotsford one, this one just doesn't have the same atmosphere. Still live the concept!
Salomon Andres Anais Saavedra
+5
This restaurant is the best ! I really like . The pay as you feel concept is incredible. The burger is my favourite dish . Every time I have time try to go cause it is also a good experience interacting with people who work there.
Dale Zeinheiger Culpin
+4
As an avid meat eater I was skeptical about visiting a vegetarian place but my girlfriend insisted! Very tight seating inside but not really an issue at all. I ordered the Okonomiyaki and it was surprisingly delicious, great sauces on top too! My girlfriend ordered the mixed vegetable curry and I had a few bites and it was nice too. But the pancake was the stand out. Only issue was service was pretty slow and it didn't appear busy, but we weren't in any rush. Overall was pretty nice.
I love lentils so much! I always get the green Thai curry it is sooo delicious and I love the idea of supporting the community and those less fortunate! I wish more people would donate more money while eating there though ! Staff are so lovely, I’ll always be back for a cheap feed ! Yum !
Was here for lunch. Packed with people. The concept of this restaurant is you pay as much as you want. The menu is small consisting mainly of vegetarian options. Had the Thali of the day. Waiters were friendly.
The staff at lentil as anything are always lovely and happy to have a few jokes with my friends and I. I am a huuuuuuuge fan of the okonomiyaki!!
I love this place. Of course the menu is very simple but is very good.
If you are vegetarian or vegan like me you have to try.
They are very good and friendly people.
Beautiful atmosphere.
Service is very warm and friendly!
Ordered:
Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes)
Delicious. Almost like the asian version of pizza.
Highly recommend my Vegetarians/Vegans to go here.
This 'not for profit' is a gem, and its limited menu has something for everyone. The curry's are not spicy and could do with a little more oomph. Service is dandy.
I enjoy this place as it enables me to be cheap even though I make a decent wage. The pancakes are great and the curry is fine but I don't complain about anything with high vegetable content as I'm petrified of cancer and convince myself I can avoid it if stuff my face with cabbage and broccoli. The St Kilda branch is far superior as there are not so many pretentious "artistic" types and the last time I was there I got to share a table with this down and out guy who had injured himself while working in the mines. He didn't shut up for the entire 25 minutes but that's ok I'd pay to hang around homeless people. I'd go to the salvos for breakfast but that's taking it too far. Anyway the staff are always very nice and cute and a bit hippyish but that's a good thing. Highly recommended!
Jamil The Chai Wanderer
+3.5
I'm quite a fan of St Kilda Lentils because the team is very hard-working and kind.
The food is always great, I love the Thali of the Day and the Japanese Pancakes.
It's always easier to get a table if you ask for one in fifteen minutes or half an hour when they are packed.
Thanks Lentils x
I love the Lentil As Anything in Abbotsford so thought I would try this one. Its a lot smaller and there is a fixed menu rather than a "help yourself buffet" but the food is still great although probably not as wide a variety. Healthy and vegetarian (vegan and gluten free options too). The pay as you feel option is still a good idea and its a great place for a casual lunch.
Food is so yummy here! Great little place. It feels very cramped and a bit uncomfortable inside, as it's so tiny and as some of the other reviews have said you can sort of be sitting in the store room/next to the dishwasher, so I think it's nicer to sit outside if there's space available. It's also quite slow as not a lot of staff. But delicious food + lovely community feel + pay as you go initiative makes for a sweet place.
කෑම ලෑස්තියි (Food Is Ready)
+4
Good concept of pay as you feel, so it supports the homeless, unemployed and those who cannot afford to dine out. The food is awesome and the staff is lovely. They are all volunteering at this place
Had an amazing thali with an Indian bean curry and Sri Lankan Beetroot curry cooked perfectly. Loved the food and the story behind this place makes it a really nice place to hang out. Very busy place but the hustle and bustle and simplicity and the volunteers and the donation box let's you leave, feeling like the world is a slightly better place than you did when you entered.
One of my favourite places to visit! I love the ethics behind the food and I am happy to generously pay for my meal. I love the vibe of the cafe. Very kind staff and food. The curry and burger are my favourite. I hope to come again soon!
Lentil is my favourite vegetarian restaurant, they have a good menu, Curry, Pan cake (Okpnomoyaki) etc. of course they have hot beverages such as hot-chocolate, chai late, coffee, tea etc.
One of my favourite vegetarian and vegan restaurants. I've tried every single thing o. The menu and it's ridiculously good! Such great staff and all the profits go to helping the homeless. Yay!
Amazing veggo/vegan options! Great pay-as-you-feel initiative, supporting an awesome business with a community spirit. Always have the friendliest staff. Seating can be limited as it's a very popular place. Constantly changing menu introduces heaps of variety. Love the Japanese pancake menu item. Wish there could be one in the CBD or south east suburbs!
Great! So delicious food!!!! I heard about this place many times, we finally tried and it was a fabulous experience!!!!! We tried pancakes & hamburger (amazing!!!!!!!) and set of different stuff - was great! But main part of this place are very lovely & very friendly people who work in this restaurant! Thank you for amazing job! :) we really enjoyed our dinner! :)
Absolutely lovely.
My meal was delicious, the volunteers were polite, the vibe was calm and amazing.
Definitely going again and sharing with my foodie friends!
Despite balking at the prospect of a vegan burger, this was surprisingly delicious. The warm, crisp Turkish roll was what made it stand out, but the julienned veggies and lentil patty weren’t too bad either. And although the vegan aioli didn’t have much taste to it, it did a good job of preventing the burger from getting dry.
Can't recommend this place enough! Tasty, generous sized dishes for what you're paying! Absolutely love the atmosphere and the idea behind the restaurant.
Great vegetarian food and lovely set up.
Amazing place! Love the idea behind this cute restaurant. The staff are very friendly and the food we ordered was great and the portions were large. It was hard to decide what to get from the menu.
Food was good, even though I am a carnivore, I enjoyed the Japanese pancake and lentil burger. Service was very slow, though.
Very special.. Lentils is a very special place. The unique concept attracts all kinds of people and the food is always filling and nourishing. I just wish people would stop helicoptering and shaming if/when people don't pay. The one thing this place ISN'T is judgmental. You never know that person's circumstance, or if they paid for their meal in another way, such as volunteering. So don't feel special if you "catch" someone not contributing, because chances are there is another reason.
Buzzy happy place. I had the selection of Curries and rice and my hubby are the lentil burger. Tasty if not earth shattering. Will happily return. Disappointed to see some people leaving without paying. Go, pay and be happy
Great concept... We went here because we loved the concept, what a great idea... We ordered the lasagne and the curry platter, both were pretty average in terms of flavour.. it seems it can be a bit hit and miss on the food front, but a great concept overall and it makes you feel good about eating there.. We were generous with our payment, so we hope it will feed someone that really needs it.
Bless you Lentil!!!!. Amazing food, incredible ethics and the chance to meet fabulous, unusual people, and share tables and chat. Just love this place, and come as often as possible.
We arrived at 6pm on a Tuesday evening and were able to get a table straight away. We were pleasantly surprised by the many choices on the menu and decided on vegetarian lasagne and a curry platter (you choose one curry, chef chooses one, served with rice). Both meals were fresh, full of flavour, spices delicious, high quality. It was a dining pleasure. The cafe had a warm welcoming atmosphere and the other diners friendly. We felt happy that we could support this great concept and sincerely hope others will too.
I like it- I like that it's affordable to people who are a bit broke. I always feel awkward about how much I'm paying and end up like Larry David trying to pay for that Turkey Dinner- I just keep putting money on the fable. It does however infuriate me to see people who clearly can afford to pay with notes putting 20c in the pot . People really do take the piss.
Love it!. There's something about the feeling of Lentil As Anything. It's the direct opposite of corporate dining; spartan and grungy and at the same time homely and unpretencious. The kitchen and its staff are not hidden away on the other side of the building, they cook in front of you! It's one of the rare cases when you eat out and get to see the effort that goes into your healthy and tasty meal. And when you just think that it couldent get any better, Lentil As Anything appeal to your decency, common sense and appreciation and instead of bringing you an impersonal cheque, allow you to 'donate' whatever you think is appropriate. So unique, so true! As I said, love it!
Good Curry. Great beetroot curry. Service quite slow.
Lovely :). Although in a cramped space, this place does a killer beetroot curry! The staff were super friendly and attentive when called for, not to mention as soon as we ordered the waiter was making our drinks straight away :)
I also greatly approve of the concept of leaving customers to determine the price of the food, enabling catering to the impoverished people.
great food and service. lovely concept. definitely returning to try more. :D
Alright?!. It was a busy night when we rolled up so knew it would take a while for the food to come out, which it did. Staff were polite but forgetful. Food was of decent portions but bland. Nothing exciting. Wouldn't turn me into a veggie any time soon unfortunately.
What a great concept! Great portion size, food was fine, thank you and I'll be back!
Lentils yumm. Love the concept, love the food... Coming back as often as I can.
Staff are friendly, food is tasty and filling. Love the concept
Different.... Interesting concept and not normally my style but tried it the other night. Food was nice and reasonable sized servings. Only complaint was the food took a while to come out, however I noticed there was only one lady cooking and the place was quite busy. Liked the fact that you choose how much to pay and I suppose an incentive to them to ensure that the food and service is up to scratch!
Love it!. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is something unlike anything else. It really is a special place. I go there frequently with my vegetarian friend (I myself am omnivorous) and we both adore the food. I urge anyone who goes to please donate as much at they can to keep this place alive! The concept, the staff, the food, the atmosphere is all amazing so it's important to keep the money coming so this place can stay a long time favorite.
Nice place. What a lovely place! I like the pay as you feel concept, it so refreshing in this day and age!
I have been there a couple of times now. the staff is always friendly and the food is always nice.
Perfect for a poor backpacker as you only pay what you want. As it goes the food is fantastic, even if a little limited. The place is quite small so be prepared to wait for a table on occasions.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
News Flash: Both Locals and Tourists Love "Lentil As Anything"!. Attention future dinners:
This community-based, environmentally friendly and socially conscious restaurant was a refreshing surprise. Upon entering the restaurant, we were intrigued by the "pay as you feel" philosophy. We quickly realized that this concept forced the restaurant to be accountable for its quality and service (implying that patrons will pay less if food/service is below average). After scanning the protein rich, organic meals, we ordered the mixed curry platter, chai tea and peppermint tea. This portion was enough for two people and the food was delivered promptly. While eating, we enjoyed the graceful service, pleasant atmosphere and comfortable layout.
Overall, we would rate the restaurant 4.5 out of 5. Hopefully fellow patrons respect the 'community-driven' payment concept and don't under pay 'because they can'. The restaurant certainly desires to stick around for a while.
Location:
41 Blessington st. Saint Kilda
Be generous!. For veggo food, Lentil is anything but bad. (For baaaaaad vegetarian, go across St. Kilda a bit to Soulmama. Or better yet, don't.) As others have said, the Japanese pancake is best, curries are underseasoned compared to most other Indian places (and most Indian restos in Australia have the spiciness ratcheted down for Anglo punters to begin with.) Overall, this is a place you can eat in without feeling like you've gone to a feral camp in Nimbin.
The thing that hacks me is how many people bludge at this place and the Lentil stands at various festivals. Last time I went, I was with a mate who's doing well enough to own a house outside Byron Bay, but he deliberately shorted on his voluntary contribution, just because he could. I made up for it by leaving a $20 for $10 worth of food, but c'mon people -- don't get bad karma for stiffing these honest souls who go out of their way to feed folks who are on hard times!
I've been to Lentil quite a few times over the years, but haven't been there for about 2 years now. I was looking forward to going back for lunch today with friends from overseas. Unfortunately it seems to have lost its way since my last visit. The food last so disappointing. Thin, watery curries with unappetizing presentation and not much substance. The Japanese pancake was tasty though. I'd seen the BYO tag on this site so took a bottle of wine. I was told they were not licensed, but because we were sitting out the back, they were kind enough to give us some plastic cups. I will try Lentil at Abbotsford next time but sadly will be giving St Kilda Lentil a wide berth from now.
I Love Lentil. I actually get cravings for Lentil As Anything. Their okonomiyaki, variety of curries and the laissez-faire attitude of all who go there is sometimes just what I feel like. Paying whatever I can afford at the time (sometimes more, sometimes less than what other restaurants might charge for the same food), eating at Lentil, I always feel like I'm having dinner at an old friend's house.
Atmosphere. Loved the beetroot curry staff so friendly and the chef came over to check if we were enjoying our food ....the dish washer was easy on the eye..which was good cos our table was right next to him.....really liked that everyone was sharing the same space....unique
Great concept!. Have been going to lentils for years and find the food to be really good depending on the cook. love their concept but feel sorry for them as some people wouldn't even pay... let's hope they keep going and people recognise them for what they are doing!
No prices on the menu. Unusual concept of paying what you feel! Our overseas guests likes the bohemian decor and warm service. The food was of varied quality. Japanese pancake was good. The curry sharing plate had some good parts (dahl curry was good) while other elements were less successful (e.g. Pumpkin curry could have done with a bit longer on the stove). Bit all in all an enjoyable place to have a meal.
Tasty food, reasonable portions. Pay what you can for your meal. Always had veg / vegan options. Meals change but one option almost always centres around South Asian ("Indian") cuisine like a curry or dhal.
What a lovely concept. Such lovely food, and lovely volunteers. Well done guys!! Pumpkin salad, japenese pancakes and the curry were my favourite!!! But the tofu burger looked incredible!! 😍
If you are in Melbourne you MUST try "Lentils"😍😍 it's such a unique experience with a rotating seasonal menu and you pay why you feel you can contribute. I had the "Oko" and it was one of the most delicious things I've ever tried. Cute setting in a great location, highly recommend!
Loved the concept and food delicacies. Appreciate the efforts of food makers who dwell into making so much food and serve everyone with same compassion yet do not expect any monetary benefits in return but what we can contribute in our wish! Kudos to the everyone from the staff to the owner. Hope we all can contribute more and get to eat amazing delicious food.
The okminyaki (Japanese pancakes) at Lentil As Anything triggered what has now become a deep and passionate obsession of mine!
When I lived in St Kilda I used to visit frequently and the food was spot on. It can get very busy - expect a wait, to be seated, and to be served - don't visit if you're in a rush. But totally worth it.
And pay it forward! :)
My favourite food place in St Kilda. Run by volunteers, Lentil As Anything is a non for profit vegetarian restaurant where you choose the amount you want to pay. Inside, around 40 people can sit with a couple more tables outside. Can highly recommend the lentil burger, the Japanese pancake dish and the curry dish. Do note thay it's get very busy and you might have to wait a bit before a table comes free.
I love pancake 🥞 and vegan hamburger 🍔 with sweet chili sauce taste really yummy 😋 definitely will go back again soon.And hop I could find some day to be volunteer there
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