One of the best Lebanese restaurants in the world . I haven't been to Lebanon, however this tastes…read moreas authentic as my grandmother's Lebanese recipes. If you love Lebanese food then make sure you don't miss out . I would fly here just to eat here especially if I'm in Australia in another state . I love this place one of my favorite restaurants on the planet

I love this restaurant so much!! My parents came here…read moretogether when they were younger and last month when we came back to Melbourne my parents brought the family here. And even though we originally had a reservation for 4, when we called ahead they had no problem changing our reservation to 6 which we really appreciated. The food was incredible. Looking at the menu, I had no idea what to choose because everything looked so delicious! I ended up deciding on the kibbee (which was honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted) however I also tasted the chicken and rice, lentils and rice, and the dips with pita. I would absolutely recommend ALL of those dishes as they were all incredible!!! The dessert was equally amazing and the portion sizes were perfect! Despite being fairly busy, the waitstaff was very helpful and quick. I really appreciated everything that they did to make our dinner perfect. The atmosphere of the place was very comforting and the candles really added to the vibe. Everything about the decor made it seem like I was in a whole other place for the night. I have never been to Lebanon and I hadn't eaten very much Lebanese food before but after eating there, I really want to fly directly there. My family has their recipe book and when I tasted their rice and lentils I was immediately transported back to my childhood. Their food felt so nostalgic. I have a peanut allergy and the staff was very informative and clear about the nuts used in the kitchen. If you have a treenut allergy I would advise you not to come as Lebanese food does have a lot of treenuts, however Abla's was very safe for me and I think anyone else with another allergy would feel very assured with the way that the staff handled it. Overall our experience was incredible and Abla's is an amazing place! If I lived in Melbourne, I don't think very much could stop me from going every day!! I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone!!!!!!!!!

Perfect tapas place, we found it randomly walking down Melbourne, food is great, service is great…read moreand ambiance is nice

Came here with a colleague for a nice dinner since we were from out of town and heard great things…read moreabout Maha. We opted for the 6 course meal which was $115 pp and since I don't eat lamb, they were kind enough to switch it out and gave us a delicious fish option instead. We also upgraded to the wagyu rump 8+ and it was the highlight of the meal (we also tried the manti and I personally was not a fan). They also gave us two bags of their bread mix on our way out which was definitely interesting - we had to give these away since we were here visiting. Items I really enjoyed: Wagyu rump 8+ Hummus Dessert (beautiful presentation) Items I'd probably pass on if I had a choice: Wagyu beef manti (trust me, I recommend you supplement to the wagyu rump!) Smoke ocean trout - I don't know if it was just me but it kind of smelled like ammonia and I was not a fan.

walked in around 12 on a Sunday and was seated straightaway. With a view of Coles there is not much…read morein terms of ambience. As I waited for my friends I perused their menu of non pronounceable dishes. I got the zucchini haloumi fritter with hazelnut and warercress salad. My skim cappucino was great but the food was not. My fritter was raw mushy and tasteless. And I only got one. No cheese was found. My friends beetroot salad just tasted like bottled beetroot. No flavours. My other friend ordered a burger and didn't like the burger bun Quite disappointing They are no longer affiliated with ygap. There was no feast and their food was not of merit

There is a lot to love about Feast of Merit. A quick scan of the menu instantly shows that this…read moreplace cares about quality ingredients and healthy food offerings without a gouging ticket price. In addition to taking care of your insides, Feast of Merit is also a YGAP initiative, which means all profits are put back into youth and leadership projects locally and in third world communities. It's feel-good food with a feel-good outcome. The space is large and airy, the perfect place to unwind over breakfast, lunch or dinner. I came for breakfast, but it appears they've got a few beers on tap and a bar so I am keen to check out their evening offerings. For breakfast I was torn between their 'Yeusli' (Organic puffed quinoa, chia seeds, activated buckwheat, figs, goji berries, pomegranate seeds, coconut flakes, almonds, currents, raw cinnamon, your choice of milk on the side) and one of their incredible looking smoothies. I opted for the Yeusli and had no regrets. Delicious, super-charged with raw food goodness and a reasonably-sized, filling portion. No overload of oats and yoghurt like most cafe muesli offerings. Normally I don't give 5 stars if the coffee isn't amazing, but I loved the different food offering and concept enough to bump it back up. Coffee is totally fine but the black coffee is not amazing. If you're a latte drinker you probably won't notice at all and there's the bonus of being able to choose different milks if you're not into soy or lactose. The staff were friendly and accommodating, all menu items were well priced and can feed you for $15 or less. Winner.

Visited Sezar based upon excellent Yelp and TripAdvisor ratings and it did not disappoint. Food is…read moreexcellent and service is average, hence the 4-Star rating. Overall a great dining experience...be sure to order a variety of plates and share. Restaurant is quite funky and is found at the end of a little alley in the city. Be sure to make a reservation and don't be surprised if they insist (which they tell you ahead of time) within two hours. We ordered cocktails, and they were good, though the server spilled both of them (as well as our water). The waiter provided good suggestions and helped us (as a party of 5 with kids) to order a variety of dishes...we sampled about six dishes in total and were very pleased with all of them. Each dish was bursting with flavor, and in particular we enjoyed: smoked ocean trout with a fennel salad, fresh oysters, Pomegranate chicken wings, lamb meatballs, and lamb shoulder (amazing). Waiter did not return after we ordered our dishes and seemed to rush us out quite a bit (in advance of our 2 hour allowable window). So, food quality great, service average. But worth a try!

As you enter this place, this place doesn't look like what I imagined it to be. But the staff was…read morefriendly and greeted us appropriately. We had: - Bastourma & egg (armenian air dried beef, quail egg, toasted brioche & garlic jam). This dish taste so much better than it looked - Seared hervey bay scallops (spiced pumpkin,pomegranate molasses & sujuk) - Armenian BBQ Chicken (pickles, tabouleh, flat bread & tahini) - Grain salad (toasted pumpkin seeds, almonds, sour cherries & labne) - Lule kebab (spiced lamb kofte, sumac pickled onions & hommus) - Slow cooked lamb shoulder The food was much nicer and tastier than I expected. I really enjoyed the food here. I have to say the entrée was nicer than the mains. So go as many entrées as you can.

My boyfriend wanted me to try koshari, a dish he told me was hugely popular in Egypt. Plus our…read moreEgyptian friend recommended this place so we decided to go on Saturday night. We ordered the koshari and the foul to share. Both dishes were vegan. In fact, I was super happy to see that vegan dishes were clearly marked on their menu, and they had several options to choose from (both entrees and mains). Their babaganoush is also vegan, which I appreciate because a lot of places unnecessarily add dairy to their babaganoush. We were keen to try the falafels as well, but a bit disappointed that these falafels are made out of chickpeas and not out of fava beans, which is how Egyptians traditionally make falafel (unlike the rest of the Middle East, where they use chickpeas). So we opted not to get the falafels after all cuz we wanted uniquely Egyptian food. I enjoyed the koshari but the foul was totally bland. I've had plenty of foul by now and Leyalina has the most tasteless foul I've ever tried. Not that it was BAD-tasting -- it was just totally and completely blah. I wouldn't order it again. Although the dollop of tahini they put on the top was nice enough. The koshari was good. Not amazing but good. It basically consists of a layer of lentils on the bottom, a layer of little rigatoni pasta tubes on the top, some chickpeas, fried crispy onion shreds, and a smattering of pasta sauce. Everything was nicely seasoned with cummin and probably some other spices too. I liked it, but thought it was interesting, not phenomenal. The vibe of this place is nice. They played pleasant Middle Eastern music (instrumental) and there are some really cool lighting fixtures hanging above you. You can smoke shisha here (we didn't) and there's a cozy upstairs dining area too. Staff was friendly. Prices were OK, neither cheap nor too expensive (at least for the vegetarian dishes). I'd go back for sure to try their other vegan options.

Leyalina offers a place for stories, family and good food. Our hosts are Egyptian and bring…read morebeautiful manners, excellent service and glorious clever food to the table. Very handsome young men serve and they are willing to engage in any conversation. Beautiful women, who look like the Kardashians without the artifice glide past the tables and disappear upstairs. There is something wonderful and mysterious about this little alcove on Lygon Street, as if we may be magically transported to Gheza to some secret souk. The food is full of magic also, sweet spices, sumac and lemon over fish, with fresh simple salads full of green leaves and herbs. Fine lavash, both crisp and soft served with our meals. The menu has lots of vegan and gf options and a good reasonably priced wine and drinks list. The music is Egyptian - very seductive and there's a screen showing Bollywood style dancing in the background which I kinda liked. It was like meeting new, lovely people and sharing language and food, just as the promise on the menu. I left knowing that when I return it will be as an honoured guest, like family.

While The Commoner may sound like the name of a traditional English pub, this fancy wine bar and…read morerestaurant is anything but. Sure they serve up English cuisine inspired by modern cooking trends of adding Mediterranean and middle eastern spices that have apparently crept into British kitchens over the years. This coupled with the fact that they are keen on serving up local and seasonal produce, makes The Commoner very un-British in my view. Still The Commoner serves up a refined set of ever changing dishes. It may not be cheap but you have to realise this place takes its food seriously, and if anything it is quite reasonably priced. Although the servings are quite small so don't go here expecting to eat a horse. The wine list is absolutely brilliant and also actually quite reasonably priced considering the wines. My favourite is the Pennyweight Shiraz or Pinot Noir (not always available), if you are looking for a bit of a treat.

I'm really not sure why The Commoner isn't better-known than it is. It's in a prime position on…read moreJohnston Street just near the corner of Brunswick Street, it's been there for years, and it's great. Perhaps it's because British food isn't considered very good. But the way it's done here is miles away from the sludge served up in average pubs across the UK. The Commoner integrates different cuisines into the traditional British dishes, like Mediterranean and north African. Yum. On my last visit I had pork, sage and cider sausages with cabbage and it was to die for! But the main reasons I adore The Commoner is their cheese and wine. Although the dessert menu (or selection of 'Pudds') looks pretty good, I can't go past a cheese plate that has Stilton and Cheshire. The wine list features a balanced mix of local, European and a few American bottles and half bottles. I really appreciate a half bottle - when you can't quite go another full bottle, the half bottle is far more economical than ordering 2-3 single glasses. And it doesn't stop at wine - The Commoner has some mean spirits including my personal favourite, Fifty Pounds gin. In my opinion, gin is the UK's greatest export. Although hard to find in Australia, once you've had such a beautiful, smooth floral gin you'll never touch a drop of skuzzy Gordon's again...

Tahini is like the Ketchup of the Middle East and I found a bounty of my spirit confinement at the…read moredelicious Tahini Lebanese Diner! First the seducing aroma of freshly made felafel and zesty hummus hits your senses. The menu covers wraps, salads, taste boards, Lebanese breakfasts and grilled meats - most things come accented with fresh herbs, lemon, garlic, spices and pomegranate. If you've never tried tahini, you must! It's a zesty savoury sesame seed sauce that tastes like a muted down peanut butter with a lemon kick (I use it on everything from avocado and eggs on toast to ice cream) The service was sensational - our waitress enthusiastically talked us through the menu and excitedly dropped off dishes as they were ready. The chefs were chatting to people at the food pass, and I appreciated the thoughtful touches like coconut sugar, salt and olive oil on tables. Standout dishes were the fig and walnut hummus, smoky baba ganoush, felafel with homemade tahini and crispy potato bravas with garlic oil and chilli. Basically - over order to avoid food regrets! I was impressed that gluten free bread offered as an alternative to the pita wrap, and most of the menu is allergy friendly. The drinks menu is extensive and I'll save you a sonnet about the refreshing Lebanese iced tea with pomegranate, mint and ...pine nuts! Try it to believe it. Then tell your friends. And the best part? I left (okay, I may have squealed) grinning with a jar of impossible-to-find authentic Lebanese tahini from the providore pantry shop to recreate tahini dreams at home.

Sometimes I get stupidly excited about food. It would be an understatement if I said that I was…read moreexcited about Tahini. My friend and I basically ran into the restaurant. We found a table, almost clapping with joy when the menu arrived, although that was nothing compared to when the food arrived. We ordered hummus with fig and walnuts, baba ganoush, flat bread, gluten free bread, falafel, a salad plate, potatoes and chilli, seared prawns and house made sodas. A and I were, no joke, squealing (We're pathetic, I know). I didn't know where to begin. Dips. Dips is where you begin. Hot damn. Figs and walnuts are the best things to put in hummus. Apart from bread, anyway. Baba ganoush is one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. The bread was warm and light. YUM. (also, kudos for having a GF bread option, guys) The potatoes were the perfect mix of crunchy and fluffy and the added chilli was balanced like a dream. The prawns blew my mind. They came with this chilli mayo that was to die for. The salad was fresh and crisp and I was basically in food heaven. The falafel was covered in the most amazing tahini. I was getting the biggest food envy watching the food come out of the kitchen. I wanted to order everything. And the staff were so lovely. I'm sure they were laughing at how excited A and I were, but I did not care. I was happy. I was full. Everythig was perfect. I'm pretty sure that I'm not explaining how actually incredible this meal was. In fact, I know I'm not. My advice? Go to this restaurant. Don't live in Melbourne? Go to Melbourne and go to this restaurant.

So. Momo. This…read morereview could get emotional, so I'll try and stick to the facts: 1. The fitout is completely spectacular. You feel like you're royalty enjoying a banquet in a hidden minimalist modern day palace. 2. The food is scrumptious... out of this world and surreal - you know, when later you have a hard time remembering exactly what you ate but can remember how it made you feel like it was yesterday? 3. The sommelier is incredible. My husband and I actually followed him from a previous restaurant here because our first experience with him was so immaculate and memorable. And here's the BUT. My husband and I visited Momo not long after it opened when we were looking for a restaurant to have an intimate post-wedding dinner (just shy of 40 people). We loved this place. We came home raving about it and talking about how wonderful it was going to be. And then I got very, very, VERY Exorcist-level sick. As it turned out, me being sick had little to do with Momo. You see, this is when I first discovered I can't eat gluten. I wrote to Momo asking for the detail of some ingredients we'd had in dishes that night to pass on to my doctors. Their response was "at your age, you should know what you're allergic to". We wrote to the owner, saying how much we'd enjoyed our experience and that we were disappointed by this person's attitude, to which he sent a reply suggesting that we were known for being difficult customers across Melbourne (?!). So in summary, Momo is gorgeous... but for the appalling experience we didn't book the place out for our dinner, we haven't visited again and I'm now giving them two stars. IN YOUR FACE! :-|