Yoga-inspired, canteen-style vegan food cafe near Melbourne University, operating since Jul 2014. Offers a lasagna set and another daily lunch set comprising main, salad, and piece of cake. Gluten-free food also available. Open Mon-Fri 8:00am-8:00pm. Hours may vary, so call to confirm.
Category: Vegan, Indian, Western, Asian, Fusion
Reviews (22)
First Review by bonn93
Contributions +18
kale salad and lasagne combo - Edit
Kale tahini salad was super tasty and was a fair price with the big slab of Lasagne. Great for a quick takeaway meal between my jobs travelling all around.
Keen to head back for the curries.
Contributions +9
Watch out for the cakes they're addictive ! - Edit
I've had lunch at Mantra lounge three times this week. For some reason it keeps drawing me back. One day I had the Kale salad and beetroot salad with roti. The salads were really nice, the roti had a unpleasant greasy mouth feel. On two occasions I tried the two curry and salad deal. All four curries were really nice and packed with flavour. The kofta curry was a stand out. The salad was nice and the dressing really delicious.
Which brings me to the piña colada and snickers slices. Oh my, sensational ! A very dainty serve at an equally dainty price of $3. I would definitely eat at the Mantra lounge again. If you don't want a full meal it's well worth popping in for a treat.
Contributions +14
The best lasagne - Edit
Objectively the best lasagne ever made. Will be back here for more.
Cons: I didn't have enough stomach space for more la
Contributions +20
Disappointing - Edit
The food is OK, but it's a bit overpriced and it's all pre-made and mediocre. A bit depressing
Contributions +77
Good value vegan food - Edit
Went here twice and found the food very pleasant. Contrary to what the name suggests, the food is not just Indian, but very international. I had a bean burrito once and a lasagna (which was the best vegan lasagna I ever had) the second time. The food is relatively cheap and is quickly served - ideal for lunch breaks or a quick dinner! Very close to the university as well, which is a pro.
Pros: Cheap and quick, All vegan, Tasty
Contributions +70
disappointing - Edit
I really love they they serve vegan food, unfortunately the taste was disappointing and the price, for what is essentially pre made canteen food, is way too high. Even their reportedly most popular dessert was something that needed to be left.
Contributions +599
Overpriced mediocrity - Edit
I ate here about a year ago, and although I thought there was too much thyme in the lasagne, I was nevertheless happy with the overall quality and quantity of the food, given the price.
This time, I had a saussage roll with Asian slaw. The pastry on the saussage roll was tough, and I couldn't tell you how the filling tasted since it was so badly oversalted that none of the other flavours had a chance to be noticed. The slay was dry and boring - if there was supposed to be a dressing on it, it didn't reach the part that ended up on my plate. This (a light meal) cost me about same amount as lasagne + salad + cake cost me last time.
The mango lala (lassi) was still tasty and decent value at $3, even though that was a 50% price increase over last time, but if the drink is the only good part of a meal, that indicates a problem.
Updated from previous review on Thursday March 26, 2015
Pros: Cheap delicious drinks
Cons: The food
Contributions +474
It used to be great value - Edit
I really want to like Mantra and encourage them but I ordered the parmigiana which was nice but $9 and it was going to cost an extra $3 with a very basic green salad (lettuce and cucumber)
Updated: disappointed with the price changes. I think as a cheap restaurant it worked. With the price increases, the food needs to be better.
I tried this restaurant for the first time last week and ended up going 2 nights in a row! The first night I upgraded (usually $7.95, I paid $10) to the vegan lasagne which was full of flavour and the second night I upgraded to the vanilla and chocolate pleasecake. Yum! I think this will be a regular place for dinner.
Updated from previous review on Friday November 28, 2014
Updated from previous review on Thursday January 07, 2016
Contributions +20
Disappointing - Edit
I ordered a curry with rice and salad. The curry was spinach and tofu but I found it very bland to the point of being inedible (and I have a very strong aversion to wasting food). I heard another customer say her food was bland too. The brown rice was gluggy and the simple salad added nothing to the meal.
Mantra's food used to be tastier and much better value but, unfortunately, they have increased their prices and the quality of their food has declined considerably.
I am not sure what they are trying to achieve but either they are failing miserably or they are completely on the wrong track. Charging restaurant prices for basic and below par meals is not a recipe for success. Each of Mantra's relaunches leaves me more dissatisfied, which is a shame, as I would love for them to succeed and return to their former winning formula. Otherwise, the quality of the food needs to match the new prices if they are going to pretend to be a real restaurant.
Contributions +14
Mantra Lounge - Edit
Mantra lounge offers cheap, healthy and great tasting food. Great location for university students, and those that need a quick meal. I ordered the lasagna, asian salad, tiramisu, and a berry ice tea. Although there has been a slight increase in prices, they still offer great value for money. Only con was the food needs to be slightly hotter. It's a fine balance with bain-marie food, too high the food will dry out not high enough the food is not hot enough. If they find that happy medium it will make the experience just that much better.
Pros: Cheap, Tasty , Effecient
Cons: Temperature of hot food
Contributions +36
:( - Edit
This place use to be my absolute jam but since world vegan day their prices have boosted :( for the standard meal, they took away the daily cake and boosted the price a few dollars :( the cakes are absolutely incredible though, and the curries are mostly really nice (except for when they saturate it in Rosemary)!
1 Response
Ajuna661 01 Nov 2016 - I 100% agree with everything you said.
Contributions +19
nuggets - Edit
bit salty. But really like the nuggets!
Contributions +2014
Cheap, decent-sized meals with OK not amazing food - Edit
The drawcard of this place is that it's cheap (although they've gone up a bit in the last year). Now you pay around $12 for vegan lasagna, salad and cake or around $8 for a pasta dish, lentil stew and cake. Everything's vegan and the portion sizes are decent for the price. In my (substantial, including recent) experience the lasagna is not that good but it's cheap and edible. I've been here several times and recently tried the nachos, as I saw they were now an option. They were OK, maybe better than the lasagna, but what you'd expect for the price. The tofu curry, on the other hand, was bordering on inedible. There is also a self-service dispenser for drinks, including (vegan) mango lassi and spirulina smoothie, which are $3 for a substantial glass but a bit on the sweet/heavy side. This is a handy option for cheap vegan food if you're in the city area.
Pros: Cheap and all vegan, Pleasant staff, Good location
Cons: Food sometimes not good, Limited seating
Contributions +2126
Best value in town - Edit
Mantra lounge provides good food at an excellent price. While there are other cheap options in the city, few (if any) provide food that is of the same quality. Definitely worth a visit.
Pros: Quality, Value, Atmosphere/location
Contributions +3187
Wholesome Vegan food and great value - Edit
With an option of two meal deals at $7.95/$12.95, you can fill up on a tasty selection to suit your budget. Separate items are also available such as pasties, salads, soups, cakes etc for a fair price.
Contributions +263
Krishna, Krishna - Edit
Mantra Lounge is directly opposite my workplace and they do some super cheap meals but I've still only ever eaten there a handful of times. Not much of a fan.
Yeah, you can get a main, salad, and cake for $8 which is a steal but it's pretty average quality. The daily sabji is standard Hari Krishna fare - the veggies are cooked really soft, almost mushy and often indistinguishable, and there's an overpowering flavour of asafoetida in everything. The salad is basic mixed leaves but it's always been fresh and is served with a tasty, bitey dressing which I'd guess is nut-based. I've never actually finished a piece of the cake. The small, dry squares are served on the same plate as our mains so soak up your salad dressing. The one piece I did try was banana and had quite a nice spicy flavour but was iced with carob, which I personally hate so threw it out.
I can recommend some of the other deserts. I've been back a few times for the mango slice which has an unbelievably smooth texture, balanced by tangy, fruity mango on a crumbly biscuit base. The pleasecake is similar but I find it's chocolate flavour too sweet, bland, and creamy. If the chocolate was rich and bitter, I'd eat it again.
Last time I popped in there in a pinch at lunch time, they had introduced handmade sausage rolls. For $5, it wasn't dirt cheap like their other meals but it was a winner. Buttery, flaky pastry filled with substantial savoury filling - maybe tofu based?
The interior is pretty colourful and stylish compared to the other Hari Krishna joints in town and they play more contemporary versions of the Krishna tunes but the tone is still clearly evangelical. Wouldn't bring a lunch date here.
Pros: mango slice , sausage roll
Cons: overwhelming asafoetida , mushy veg
Contributions +143
Excellent value for money - Edit
Mantra Lounge is more than a restaurant - it is a community of like minded people celebrating a cruelty free & spiritual life. The food here is excellent value, with a small selection of delicious food & drinks. Mantra Lounge also organises a range of events such as a boat cruise, meditation sessions and a range of talks and has therefore built a small community of like-minded people. Mantra Lounge is a very welcoming space, and highly recommended.
Pros: Delicious food, Excellent value for money, Welcoming, community feel
Cons: More healthy options would be great
Contributions +14
Great communal atmosphere - Edit
What a great surprise to find such great value. I wish they were here when I was a uni student. The chick pea Dahl has amazing flavour. You could not get any better food for such a great price. Keep it up guys
Pros: inexpensive , fresh, great service
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