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It's nice and simple

3 Posted on 01 / 30 / 2013

I like the food here. Simple Indian with other alternatives like pies and burgers. Good value.

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a shadow of its former self

2 Posted on 09 / 10 / 2012

The Forest used to be an icon in west end. Amazing all vegan gourmet delights at a very reasonable price. The was character and culture abundant, the music was hip, the art was loved, and best of all the food was sensational. It was never huge on size or the biggest serves, but oh my it was worth the visit for something special on your vegan diet - often to the sounds and flavours of the local bohemian fusion.

With gentrification came the loss of oh so much soul. Sure the place looks tidy. But it's slowly devolving into a pretty typical indian veg restaurant. Nothing really wrong with that, but there's thousands of them and they all seem pretty much the same. No longer a centrepiece of locale love, it feels a little cold and deserted.

The food now is nothing special, chefs have been replaced by cooks, salads replaced by grated vegetables, and the hotbox filled with soggy ol' slop. The food now is totally unimaginative. I might be sledging the place out, but you would too if you knew what brisbane has lost.. WHHHYYYYYY????????????

Still, go there if you stuck for options. it's edible. just dont get yer hopes up..

Pros: veg, free water, friendly enough
Cons: slop, slop, slop

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great experience overall

4 Posted on 08 / 07 / 2012

Yummy food, variety, friendly service, fair prices and very filling. Pretty happy with overall experience. Would visit again if in the area.

Pros: tasty, fair prices, friendly and relaxed atmosphere
Cons: parking difficult, minimal outdoor eating

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Forest Food Lounge

2 Posted on 04 / 13 / 2012

Another veg place which has gone downhill a bit since we first visited (2008).

Last time we were there the guy on the counter didn't seem to understand how to use the till, and spoke far too quietly, we had to ask several times for him to repeat himself.

The food is OK, nothing flash, the salads on display looked a bit tired, as did some of the food in the bain-marie.

We were of the impression that ownership had changed since we first went there, we have decided not to go back for the time being. Maybe we'll give it another go in the future, but for now there are better, more vibrant, veg places to go to (Vegerama in the Myer centre is one).

Pros: vego
Cons: tired looking food, staff, vibe

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I love this place!

4 Posted on 04 / 01 / 2012

Delicious, cheap food in an easy going environment, what more can you ask for! I have also found that my none vegan/vegetarian friends love it too.

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Very uninspiring - please try harder!

2 Posted on 02 / 19 / 2012

I've been to The Forest several times, each time hoping that last time I'd mistakenly ordered one of their less inspiring options, and that this time I'd really enjoy my meal.

Sadly that didn't happen.

It's a shame, because I really wanted to like this place.
I've tasted about 8 meals (sharing with friends), and each one left something to be desired.
The flavour just wasn't there, the portion sizes were often too small and I felt they did a very poor job of showcasing just how diverse and tasty a vegan diet can be.
I was actually embarrassed because I'd brought some omni friends for lunch and they were less than impressed.

I find it frustrating and incredibly disappointing that one of the only restaurants in Brisbane that I can bring friends curious about veganism to has such mediocre food.

It's perplexing they don't try harder.
Perhaps it's a lack of competition?
Whatever the reason, I hope more inspiring and creative vegan restaurants open in Brisbane soon - the more down right tasty and well made vegan options people are exposed to, the better for the cause - this half hearted approach is counterproductive.

Pros: Vegan Cakes, Vegan Pies
Cons: Uninspiring taste, Chalky chemical tasting vegan cheese , Small sizes

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nice vegan food

3 Posted on 02 / 19 / 2012

I hadn't been here in a few years and on my visit a few weeks ago I got a tofu burger and my friend had a toasted sandwich. Both were nice but I would have liked them to have been more interesting and different to something one could easily make at home. The curries I had here a few years ago were very nice and served with brown rice. If you want to eat out or aren't in the mood for cooking then this is a good option. They have a nice healthy selection of burgers, wraps, salads, curries and cakes, as well as shakes, smoothies, juices and coffee. My friend and I shared a slice of vegan cheesecake which was dense, rich and delicious. Sometimes they have a chocolate beetroot cake which I'm told is amazing too. Their shakes and smoothies are also really nice but the small glasses left us wanting more. The mains are about $10, cakes $7 and drinks $5, roughly. I found the food to be very nice but a little expensive for the small servings we received. Although HappyCow lists this cafe as vegetarian I was told it's all vegan. I remember seeing aioli on their menu though, maybe they have a vegan version but double check when ordering.

Pros: vegan, nice healthy food
Cons: small portions, more creativity needed

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Another disappointment

2 Posted on 04 / 09 / 2011

I too read the menu off the website thinking I would be able to order dosa - one of their so called "specialty dishes". However the man at the register obviously had no clue about the website and was adamant they don't sell dosa's.

Customer service is also quite poor, staff members seem to stand around and chat amongst themselves while serving customers. And the curries are quite bland. Overall not a pleasant experience.

Cons: Lack of customer service, Website needs to be upgraded, Needs tastier food to suit prices

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Disappointment

2 Posted on 02 / 14 / 2011

We excitedly read the website for The Forest. It stated that they cater for onion and garlic free vegan meals. When we called to ask about availability tonight which is a big night for restaurants, we were told that they had space. However we then discovered that they do not cater for no onion no garlic diets despite what the website says. I spoke to a staff member but they were adamant that I had it all wrong. Interested to hear about anyone else's experience. Also any suggestions for future nights out.

Pros: Vegan, Gluten Free
Cons: Does not conform to what website adverti, Staff not that friendly

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really friendly place!

5 Posted on 12 / 07 / 2009

I wasn't sure what to expect at the Forest Food Lounge, the standard indian hot food bar didn't make a good first impression, but I had the fortitude to ask what they could do healthy w/o added oil. The super nice owner pointed out all the salads that didn't have oil and gave us a GENEROUS taster of them, but to top it off he made us the Tempeh wrap w/o oil and it was FANTASTIC. We went on a Sunday and went to go back the next day, but realized it was closed on Mondays! We really want to try their soy shake. I highly recommend this place!

Pros: lemon potato salad, tempeh wrap, friendly

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New owners

4 Posted on 06 / 27 / 2009

The hotbox has improved a lot, but the salads are a bit oily sometimes now, and some of the cakes aren't as brilliant as they once were. The atmosphere has changed, Indian pop music now! which I love, but others don't. Friendly family staff. The customer base has shifted a bit. Still a great place, but a bit different. Not as noisy and busy as it used to be lately.

Pros: Healthy, Friendly staff, Good value
Cons: Decor/padded seating needs updating

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Vegan haven in Brisbane

4 Posted on 12 / 04 / 2008

The Forest is a real haven for vegans who want basic and tasty food. There is a caferteria style selection (including salads) each day and also a limited menu. Try an LSD (Latte soy dandelion) 'coffee' with one of the many desserts.

Pros: tasty food

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A yard or two off the pace

3 Posted on 01 / 12 / 2008

The food is good, but the prices have crept up inexorably enough that it can no longer be called cheap, exactly. The service is sometimes mystifyingly slow - especially when the food that you've ordered is sitting there, right behind the counter. Everything is vegan though, so its one of the very few places that you can relax and just eat whatever.

Pros: Good food, vegan wine, etc
Cons: Okay value, Middling service

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don't miss it !!!

5 Posted on 09 / 30 / 2007

this is one of my favourite places to eat in brisbane. on my top list of things to eat and drink are the pesto panini, iced coffee soyshakes, vegan cheesecake and the tempeh wraps. so delicious and healthy and affordable. nice laid back atmosphere where you can relax and chat with friends for hours!

Pros: all vegan, cheap, central

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Great place in a great area!!!

4 Posted on 05 / 10 / 2007

I live in the Gold Coast and finally found a place in Brisie that i luv!!!!! The Gold Coast only has 1 vegan place and its only open for dinner!!! The atmoshere on the street is great and there are Indian,Krishna,Chinese,Mexician,Thai etc all along the street with veggie and vegan options as well.This restaurant is really laid back,guitar playing and huge portions!!! The cheese cake and wine is a great snack and the hot plates are piled high at $11 for the big one.I'm going back a few more times to try the vegan pizza and tempeh burger!! Worth the trip to Brisie from the surrounding cities that don't have much to offer!!

Pros: huge portions, resonable price, nice atmosphere
Cons: slow staff,like volenteer, needs more decor

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Fantastic!

5 Posted on 12 / 30 / 2006

One of the best veggie restos I've ever been to. Nothing special in terms of atmosphere, but the food is delish. Great vegan burger too, and the hot mains looked awesome...