lentil as anything

good food but booking is impossible. great concept and great food.

but it is impossible to book. the number on urban spoon (9999 9999) is not a real number. googled a mobile but there was no answer. texted the mobile number, but there was no confirmation.there is nothing in white pages. so we just showed up and struggled to find a table only to be told that we should have booked!

i quite enjoyed the food here but one thing that made me upset was the amount of people putting a few coins in or nothing at all, people that go out to dinner often should put in what they would expect to pay at a restaurant not a couple of cents or dollar coins.
you don't have to pay a fortune but at least be fair. other than that it was a tummy meal.

love this place- it has consistently delicious vegan food, a high energy atmosphere, a diverse mixture of people, and an amazing concept. the sri lankan curry plate is a regular dish on the menu which never disappoints all elements in the plate are always so tasty and filling.

lentil as anything is a vegetarian, not-for-profit restaurant in which there are no set prices, you pay what you feel is right and what you can afford. the underlying principle is those that can afford more will pay more to cover those less fortunate so they can still eat a wholesome meal. with four restaurants in melbourne, they just recently opened a sydney store in newtown. we arrived at lentil as anything at around 6pm on a wednesday night (walked straight passed the first time because it is located inside the cafe, cookies & milk, who kindly lend out the cafe to lentil as anything at night) and it was already packed (opening hours are from 6pm to 9pm). we could already observe the chaotic nature of the business (which we did expect, having watched the sbs series "the naked lentil" which follows lentil as anything's struggles to keep afloat), when we arrived one waiter only remembered some of the dishes on offer (the menu is always changing but that night the selection was a vegeta

great concept, and the food isn't half bad. the donation based payment is great for struggling students. if i'm paying for the value i wouldn't be paying over $7 though, as the portion is quite small and generally not enough as a full meal. then how can i complain.

lentil as anything opened their first nsw location in newtown earlier this month. they are a melbourne institution that are famous for their pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth policy (openly abused by at lease one of my dining partners) and all vegan menu.

i liked the concept of this place, it's aim of providing an affordable meal for those doing it rough financially, not for profit and how you could pay anything you feel like, within moral restraints.

i came here here with not too high expectations as ofcourse a place run by volunteers and serving food at any cost shouldn't exactly hype the taste of the food that much.

there were four mains available, me and my friend tried three of them.

pasta: had a nice but sometimes overly strong sour taste to it, interesting to try purely vegan pasta, but it's not really my thing. pasta quite overcooked but bearable

curry: pretty nice! creamy texture curry with an accompanying spicy/sour sauce. was pretty enjoyable

wrap: a bit dry and didn't have any sauce

lentil soup: nice flavour but shame let it cool for too long. somehow it didn't taste too bad when cooled either. knew it was healthy but it didn't taste bland so that was a plus!

caramel slice: greasy, soft, peanut butter with a toffee butterscotch taste to it- ending the three courses pretty nicely

if it was a normal paying vegan restaurant i'd give it only 2.8ish/5 but have given an extra point for the concept and considering how my expectations were not that high for this restaurant type

the menu changes at lentil every day, so you can check their daily menu on their instagram account! they serve pretty tasty vegan food and my personal favourite is their curry. the hot chai is also amazing, as you can really taste the spices in it. and especially in the cold weather, it really warms you up. love the vibe of this place. you would mostly be sharing tables with other customers and it’s hard not to strike up a conversation if you’re sitting facing someone else! 😂 you pay as you feel for your meal into a contribution box at the entrance of the store.

since the year 2000, lentil as anything has been serving tasty vegan meals for people from all walks of life. from the first community in st kilda, melbourne, the restaurant chain expands to the suburbs of abbotsford and thornbury. in 2014, the restaurant opened its door in newtown, sydney; and it became an instant hit. i’m overjoyed to see how the community grows here. from a few tables and chairs, there are now enough seats for all diners. admiring vibrant decor, the white tables, the smile on everyone’s faces, i feel inclusive, equal, and happy. hats off to all the selfless human beings from the team of lentil as anything. you guys are the true heroes.

really great concept for a restaurant. dishes are hit and miss; sometimes amazing and sometimes not. i understand this restaurant is run by volunteers but the customer service could be a little better. overall i really love this place!

great people comfortable food warm brilliant concept overall

everything was satisfactory, but the service repeatedly coming up to us asking for a chai which we said no to multiple times. i ordered the hommos plaste which was delicious but absolutely too big! the whole point of this joint is to not waste food but they definitely served to much. on the opposite side the cake i ordered after was cut too small but i understand they need to serve many people. the idea that you pay what you feel is a great idea and overall was a good experience.

always used to enjoy visiting lentils as anything and loved the different meals available on the menu. today i tried their bean wrap while a friend went with the curry plate. service is still prompt and friendly, with the food tasty. portion is also generous. it’s great that such place with this “donate what you can” concept exists, hopefully people don’t take advantage it!

really impressed with the veg food - lots of flavour in the curry but the crunchy quinoa balls were what really impressed me.  no silly fake meat, no wimping out with bland stew.  creative dishes that are easily worth the full $15 recommended.

ate here yesterday. was around 2pm and still very packed and busy. there were barely any seats left so we were lucky to get a spot.

ordered soy chai drink which was very aromatic and flavourful. would definitely get it again it's really nice. had pancakes and a stew of some sort (i can't remember the names).
the pancakes were unexpectedlyfluffy which was a very nice surprise. the apricot on top were nicely grilled with cinnamon and desiccated coconut which was a great flavour combo. the pancakes were quite amazing.
the chickpea stew was well-spiced and very warming. the rice, tomatoes, and coleslaw all paired very well together. the coleslaw was bland though - just vinegared.

had a really great meal overall. i would definitely come back again. i've heard the food can be a hit or a miss sometimes though, so i would suggest checking their menus at menulentilnewtown on instagram where they update their menu everyday, to check :d.