Zaishu Review

Just 5/10 minutes out of the city very very relaxing and beautiful place to spend time especially with children

Love this place for a relaxing Sunday afternoon - especially during the summer. Always such great stuff to do and delicious food.

Want a rustic wedding? This is the best in town. Otherwise, enjoy lazing around in this little getaway inside a busy city!

Such a beautiful place to visit. Lentil as anything is something everyone should experience & help those in need. Everyone deserves a place at the table regardless of money :)

Love this place ..the food the atmosphere ..things to see and do ..

Beautiful, relaxed, diverse, cultural. So much going on here. A true community asset.

There was ample parking bays and it's relatively cheap to park. Funds from parking goes to the convent. It's a big place to enjoy the quiet weekend. There are good cafes inside the convent.

A place with so much history in the air, in the gardens, in the stones, and in the buildings.

I used to live in the city, and coming out to the Convent was how I recharged after a hectic week. Take an outdoor yoga class, eat healthy vegetarian food at Lentils, walk barefoot through the grounds, or grab a coffee from one of three on-site restaurants and walk through the galleries. History and horticulture tours of the Convent are also available.

Something a bit different !
A fantastic place to explore for a few hours , a labyrinth of interesting buildings , some restored, some not; all kinds of talented artists and craftspeople tucked away , and some tasty cafes.
Definitely worth a visit

Nothing beats the convent! Lentil is the best and you can explore the grounds forever!

Beutiful place, great area for a peaceful weekend visit

I absolutely loved the Abbotsford Convent. It's full of plants and life, History and story! It is a literal meeting place. Young and old, friends and strangers. Lively atmosphere. Definitely worth the visit.

A lovely little escape from the city, but somehow within it. Abbotsford Convent has lots to do on a weekend, from art galleries and exhibitions to cafes, and plenty of greenery. It's also surrounded by a few farms, so if farm animals are you thing, you can easily go for a wander from there and get your fix.

It also has one of my favourite eateries in Melbourne, Lentil As Anything.

If you have a bike and feel like a ride alongside the Yarra, Abbotsford Convent could just be the right place to start it.

Very serene area consisting of grand historical buildings including well maintained garden areas and a cafe and bakery on grounds for those requiring refreshments. Loved reading the information boards to gain knowledge of how the area was utilised in years gone by. Well worth a visit..

Beautiful buildings and gardens. Try lentil as anything for lunch

Nice for a stroll, but not a lot to see. Areas were often confusing to navigate.

It was a brutally hot day. The footpath leading 2 the convent was composed of black asphalt. It radiated heat. The Lentils restaurant offered buffet vegetarian. There was no air conditioning just a large fan. The food was pleasant & you could take as much as you wanted. You make a donation at the end of your meal.

Lovely selection of food, and beautiful old buildings. Was a nice lunch and walk.

Rare gem almost in the heart of Melbourne. As greedy developers eat away the suburban like an irreversable osteoporosis, this particular space offers ambience, culture, the auspice of alternative cuisines and plenty of sightseeing of arty fringe of humanity. Enjoy the grass and flowers and the ever present righteous feminist coming down with know it all life etiquette on her male companion. Appreciate the savour of life this offers now rare and hard to find elsewhere but in a book.

Nice, relaxing, peaceful atmosphere with beautiful green and trees.

Beautiful buildings from as far back as 1800's, history, creative people doing creating, great quality food & coffee done with love. A community garden & petting farm next door. Pure heaven & one of my favourite city places on earth.

Honest community hub. The farm is just next door. Amazing staff just hanging out to give you directions

A beautiful and historic site that's been reinvented as a community space - don't leave without eating at Lentil as Anything!

Really nice surrounding. Met my stepson and his girlfriend with my daughter there. Both being vegans they took us for lunch at a vegetarian cafe/restaurant which you pay for what you think it was worth. I paid 40 for 2 mains ish. I'm 100% not a vegetarian but really enjoyed it. I'm sure in the summer it would be fabulous and would recommend it anybody.

Attended a convention last year held over a couple of days. The toilets were poorly maintained and overcrowded, one was blocked and was near overflowing onto the floor with sewage. It was disgusting. The grounds and buildings are maintained well enough but especially the restaurants need to be cleaner. Signage could be simpler. The atmosphere of "give what you can/donate" gives an unpolished distasteful edge to the environment. I received a bad attitude from someone begging for an entrance fee to the farmer's market one day when I declined (even though they say it's a donation and I was not there for the market nor did I attend any of the stalls.)

best lunch place in Melbourne...
exquisite surroundings and light lunches.

An excellent community facility and performance space. The restaurant looks pretty good too.

Great place for lunches and conferences. Good and friendly atmosphere. The farm is near by and great for children.

So close to the city and yet it feels like country. Excellent place to just relax and admire the nature and river. Quiet environment, good to sit and read a book, meet people. There is a farm near by that can be visited and food cafe's for a snack.

The service was great & the food excellent !!the music well maybe could have been more adventurous

Very big and natural place to go and relax. The restaurants there are pretty good.

Great place to relax, bring a towel and book or headphones really relaxing and has a few nice cafes and brunch places

since my very first visit nearly ten years ago, i have visited lentil as anything on a regular basis..
it has changed lately, some things for the better, for example covered outdoor area in which to eat and relax, but some not so good too, like having to pay for coffee upfront, and have also found the attitudes of sm of the workers a little elitist, for want of a better word lol
overall though, i would ALWAYS highly recommend it...being able to pay as you feel is just fantastic, and so inclusive, and welcoming!

Beautiful place, with cafes and farmers market on fortnightly.
Also Collingwood children's farm is at the back

I loved this place. Many popup stores for artists like handmade ceramics, illustrators, etc. It has a nice garden where you can relax and appreciate.

Seriously, my daughter asked if Miss Crunchbowl taught there.

Great place to unwind in a farm vibe with family and a convent bakery to fill your appetite.

Very pleasant and peaceful. Our choir hired a facility here for one off rehearsal - very bright. Nice room.

Gorgeous architecture and landscaping. Beautiful spot to relax. The history is interesting, used to be a Magdalene Laundry. Good variety of businesses and gardens to keep most interested strolling around for hours. Great place for kids too.

Amazing place to check out in Melbourne - be sure to follow the signage to learn about the incredible history of the convent

This place is absolutely beautiful! It is rich in history, and has many stories. You can wander around and just explore! There are many renovations currently happening, so it'll be exciting to see the place develop more. It's a beautiful place to have a picnic and hang out with friends and family. There are little workshops and stores, as well as a gallery, restaurants, and much more!

Place for artists, writing and for community. I love it very much. You can have lovely wedding here.

I love this almost medieval oasis in the middle of a mighty metropolis. From Lentil as Anything to Japanese inspired Kapaya. Cam's bar a worthy retreat. Always something going on here from exhibitions to foodies markets and even a wonderful book market twice a month in the Salon Room. Shakespeare must have had this convent in mind when he wrote "get thee to a nunnery" !

It's just the place if you need to relax or have a stroll/run/ride or hang out in a cool gallery or if you just love a green place or if you are an art enthusiast or pet a sheep or eats organic food or... well i could go on with more. But you have to be there to really feel the place.

I love this little cafe hidden away. You can visit the farm next door. Very lovely location and place.

Amazing place. Could do with some major funding though. Could become the major arts precinct if it had proper support.

Lovely ikebana event this weekend, fantastic demonstrations and speakers. Will come again when the next one's on.

This is a very much exclusive secret# it's open to all but just the right amount people get there. Did I say Amazing , craft beer, amazing food. An exploration plus it's a farm. But to explore the Architecture and what they might of been thinking while putting this place together. The place joins the Yarra bicycle and walking paths. Thumbs up if you agree. Thank you.

What a lovely place for a function. The food was good and the staff friendly. It was a nice historic building as well.

Very attractive and food in lentils is just mind blowing

Such a nice place for chilling in summer. Beautiful gardens and good walk around the farm and the river and eating at lentils. Love this place.

Gorgeous grounds, incredibly beautiful diverse surrounds for a wedding, and it's basically like something impossibly dropped from another time just a stones throw from the city. Georgia and Daniel married here and it made for a beautiful space for them to celebrate with their community. Thanks team!

Great space to wander, walk the dog, visit a cafe or restaurant for a drink or bite to eat, catch a concert or just chill on the grass.

Beautiful place with a nice quiet garden and "Lentil as anything" as great vegan restauration place. I love going there

A great location for a stroll in the gardens, a coffee at the cafe's or a bite of lunch or dinner at the restaurants and bar. Free guided tours at 2pm most days and always relaxing anytime of the day.

Beautiful place to wander around. The lentil as anything there is amazing if you're looking for affordable vegan food.

Cafe food is very good... Nice quiet corners to while your time.

Quiet Convent with contemporary pop-up museums, bars, bistros, bakeries and a lovely farm. There are also some beehives you can visit from 9am to 4pm. Lovely lunch stop on the yarra cycling trail

Worth a visit as a local or a tourist, some very interesting history. The bakery is a good option for a coffee and something to eat.

Awesome place.
There are restaurants, beautiful garden space, and beautiful church.

It s great to visit there and relax.

Very possibly the best steak sandwich I can remember eating, anywhere.

Went there for lentils as anything is was delicious , nice garden views and super quick, you go there get food and donate at the end. Quick and easy

Beautiful surroundings, quiet, pleasant open spaces to sit in the shade or the sun, access to coffee and food. Part of a larger wholesome community ideal.

Meal was ok,nothing special but not a place you take people in wheelchairs no access.over crowded.and as much as I like animals having them right next to you while your eating no not for me.

Leafy green heritage gardens, buildings and super interesting art galleries, eateries and funky experiences and performances. Also a awesome Wellbeing wing includes mind and body therapies such as remedial massage. Love hanging out here, peaceful and coffee is darn good.

We were here for the beer festival - what's not to love? Great venue, good facilities for a picnic in the gardens

Great place for an afternoon with friends or family.

The Abbotsford Convent is a beautiful example of a historic church. Great for weddings and photos. The living quarters are massive and there are parts that are open for business, so you can get inside and see the grand scale of the structure. The kitchen has been turned into a restaurant, Lentil As Anything. In and outdoor dining. Vegetarian menu with six choices of mains, and a dessert. All you can eat lunch is my choice, and you pay what you think the meal was worth through a donation box. The grounds and gardens are expansive many acres. And a children's farm is accessible at the end of the street.
Totally worth the visit.

You have to go here. This is history! Get there and make sure that you have at least a couple of hours to spare. This is an historic place that as a visitor you should feel obliged to contribute to and preserve. Just go and see it and you ll under what I mean. Go and spend a few dollars and if not just go and understand. It s a special place.

Lots of great flowers and plants go explore, with plenty of cool insects along the way. The architecture is nice too and houses lots of artist spaces. Lentils is also here which is a solid place to eat!

Unique historical former Convent built in late 1800's. Now operating as a unique art and cultural centre

This is a very beautiful monastery in the past, it has very good historical monuments. It has a lot of different restaurants, one of which is free, but you can donate and have a nice simple restaurant. There are also beautiful gardens worth seeing. There is a gift shop, but the price is not cheap. There are still a lot of vacancies waiting to be rented.

Stunning place to visit. The gardens are fantastic and the rooms are wonderful. So many activities to take part in.

One of my favourite places in Melbourne!
Such an amazing site, huge array of fantastic events and beautiful spaces.
I ve organised concerts and events here - great place for weddings, events, parties etc.
Lots of excellent food and drink options. Close to the Collingwood children s farm, c3 gallery and 3MBS studios.
The grounds are beautiful to walk around.
Accessible from buses along Johnston st and 15 min walk from Victoria Park station.

Beautiful spot to stroll through or sit and relax in the sun

Great place for a vegan market. Great people and lots of things to see & eat. Well done.

Beautiful grounds, always love going for a stroll after a meal at Lentil. Kookaburras laughing their heads off down by the water, lovely gardens, people relaxing on the grass. Gorgeous.

Always a lovely spot if you re just down for a nice walk, a good meal in one of the local cafes or there for a festival. Nice little respite in the heart of the inner suburbs - especially great if you can t get too far out of the city otherwise!

Lovely peaceful place to unwind relax or take a quiet walk..

Great architecture and perfect place for a dog walk. Big thanks to the gardener Mr Jackson for keeping the place neat and evergreen! Thanks heaps mate!