Start your evening at Govindas where you can dine to your full satisfaction from our opulent buffet. The menu changes nightly but always includes a delicious Indian dahl soup, vegetable curry, penne pasta, lentil pie or potato au gratin, cauliflower pakoras, potato wedges, rice,poppadums & salads. You can order drinks and desserts from our friendly staff. We recommend you allow at least half an hour to dine before going upstairs to the cinema i.e. dinner booking betweeen 5:45-6:30pm for a 7:00 movie or 7:30-8:30 for a 9:00 - 9:30 movie.

 
Dinner is $19.80 and a further $8:80 for the movie if you are doing the dinner/movie package. Tickets to the movie only are available on the night for $12.80. As the restaurant gets quite busy (especially on fri/sat nights) we recommend you book a table by phoning 9380-5155 or book online by clicking here.

For late afternoon or early evening screenings you have the option of dining after the movie. The restaurant opens at 5:45pm each night and seats 120 people.  A long table for 30 people is available in our party room. For private cinema hire & screenings please phone Tony on 0425-333-086.

The movie room is a boutique cinema which offers seating on mainly upholstered floor cushioning carefully designed to give both support and fabulous comfort.  Guests are encouraged to kick off their shoes, stretch out and really make themselves at home. More upright seating is also available in the form of couches and tub chairs.  We ask customers to refrain from eating during the movie. Due to the intimate nature of our cinema we regret we cannot allow children under the age of five.

Restaurant Reviews:

Govindas has recently been voted the best vegetarian restaurant in NSW and the fourth best in all of Australia by the prestigious Lifestyle Food Guide

                                   
TNT Magazine   "Like they say - if you're in LA. go to Disneyland. If you're in Sydney, go to Govindas."  TNT Magazine

Sydney Morning Herald (Spectrum) August 31-September 6  2007: The story of Elly and Ian's first date at Govindas. "Govindas is a Sydney dating institution. For the past 28 years couples have been canoodling on the couches in the boutique cinema after gorging on vegetarian food filled with good karma in the restaurant below." " Ian and Elly begin their evening by attacking the vegetarian buffet in the cosy restaurant. Both happily call themselves carnivores and are hesitant to try the meat free dishes. "I'm quite surprised, " Ian admits later. "Usually vegetarian food has no flavour but Govinda's did really well."... "After desert it's time to head upstairs. Forget uncomfortable cinema seating; at Govinda's, shoes come off and patrons lie back on rows of long cushions that bear more resemblance to beds than seats. "You might want to have a coffee before you see a film at Govinda's," Elly sais".......Both agree that Govinda's is the perfect setting for a bit of romance...."

Sydney Morning Herald 1/1/2007:  "The daily planner lists Govindas as Sydney's  BEST CINEMA - Recover from your New Year celebrations with a low-key movie and dinner at Govindas restaurant & movie theatre. After filling up at the vegetarian buffet, head upstairs, kick off your shoes & settle back on the floor cushions to watch a flick...."

The Sun-Herald - Time Out: "Pillows galore set the scene at Govindas...one of Sydney's best- kept cinema secrets. But the price alone is not what makes Govindas special. The cinema is a couch potato's dream. Prime position is the deluxe seat at the back, which resembles a shortened double bed. The next rows are a combination of shorter & longer cushions(with extra pillows)to encourage moviegoers to stretch out & get comfortable for the upcoming flick. The vegetarian menu, ranging from Indian to Italian, includes the best baked potatoes imaginable."

The Sun-Herald  26/8/2001  "Big night out for little bucks"  "Sharing a cushion in front of a big screen might not appeal to traditional movie-goers but Govindas..is far from average. For starters, instead of charging astronomical prices for popcorn & junk food, Govindas boasts an economical(and hearty) vegetarian buffet. Eat as much as you like, before watching a new release or art house film in the intimate cinema upstairs..with big pillows & mattresses provided for seating..."

TNT Magazine-issue 131  " Sydney rule no:4 eat at Govindas. You have to try this city institution at least once. For a paltry $15:90, you can tuck into the all-you-can-eat vegetarian curry, then chill out in the worlds most comfortable cinema upstairs. It is one of the best restaurants you will visit in Oz. Those who run a mile at the mention of vegetarian should be ready for a surprise, as the food at Govindas is fantastic, & the great staff & relaxed atmosphere make for a perfect dining experience. You're all set up to lie back on the plush cushions in the cinema & take in the latest releases.

Yahoo Travel: "This is the ultimate vegetarian meal deal. For a very reasonable amount you can dine and then watch the latest in cinema releases in a comfortable cushioned theatre. For years, this casual, well-fed establishment has been packing them in—locals and tourists in the know, for the endless, freshly prepared, vegetarian buffet and following movie. It is not licensed, has a small eating terrace and is a great place to unwind." 

10 best- trusted advice for travellers lists Govindas as one of the top 10 restaurants in Sydney. "The buffet at this restaurant is full of vegetarian options, like curries, pastas, soups, and lentil-based dishes. One of the most unique features of the restaurant is the cinema upstairs, where you can sit or lie on cushions while watching a flick. You can also enjoy the buffet in the balcony dining area and then head to a movie afterwards."

Your Restaurants: "Govinda's is a bohemian Sydney institution. The vegetarian buffet is piled high with dishes from around the world, so you can enjoy delicious curries, bakes and salads, and go back for more if you're still not full (or just want more!) Then head upstairs, kick off your shoes - house rule - and sit back and enjoy a film in the comfiest cinema in Sydney."

Sydney Morning Herald:  Best Karma "If  you like your food killed in a caring manner, Govindas restaurant & cinema in Darlinghurst will ease your conscience. There you will find cauliflowers non-violently subdued before deep frying, & wedges made from potatoes killed in their sleep. After gorging on a vegetarian meal you go upstairs, sprawl on cushions & watch movies." 

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