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.

Zurouna is a stylish Lebanese restaurant located on the equally stylish South Yarra stretch of…read moreToorak Road. It has a balcony out front with seating for a dozen or so people, and as it was pleasantly warm I ate out there. In a cocktail sort of mood so started with a Tides of Beirut - Arak, Cointreau, Ginger ale and lemon juice. Very refreshing and the Arak gave it a real licorice kick. Good value at $14. I'm definitely a grazer when it comes to food so rather than ordering a main I opted for two entrees. First up was kibbeh which is one of my favourite Lebanese dishes - delicious little footballs made from minced lamb, cracked wheat and pine nuts served on a bed of rocket with a side of yoghurt. Wrapped up in a piece of pita bread, this makes for great finger food and with three pieces for $12 good value to boot. Next was Zaa'ter calamari, grilled and served on more rocket with fresh pomegranate. This was quite good but nothing out of the ordinary. I was hoping for something a little spicier. Generous serve for an entree and I wasn't able to finish it all. Overall, good value for money, good location and the lady who served me was attentive and friendly. Worth a five minute detour from Chapel Street if you're in the mood for Middle Eastern cuisine.

For several years now, I've been hoping a proper Arabic restaurant would open up in my area - one…read morewhere I can get not just snacks like kubbeh and falafel, but actual lunches and dinners like the ones I'd prepare with my family. As of this month, my prayers were answered in the form of Zurouna, the newest Middle Eastern addition to South Yarra. In a word, Zurouna is sensational. It is authentic, diverse (representing Levantine but also North African cuisine as well), elegantly but accessibly fitted out with Middle Eastern lamps and mosaic patterns, and accented with really lovely staff. A rundown of what we ate: Moutabbal - smooth, smoky eggplant dip perfect for scooping up with the fresh and fried Arabic bread that is constantly replenished. Za'atar calamari - coils of tender, za'atar-sprinkled grilled squid, with rocket, simple lemon and olive oil dressing, and fresh pomegranate seeds. Perfectly cooked, not a hint of chewiness. Ma'anek - lean Lebanese-style lamb sausages with olive oil and parsley. Not greasy, gristly or gamey at all, just how they should be. Lamb shank with freekeh and yogurt - there was no shank that day, so we had shoulder instead which was sensational. Exceptionally tender lamb with nutty toasted freekeh (green wheat) and garlic yogurt. Middle Eastern home cooking at its best. Chermoula prawns - four chargrilled king prawns, marinated in North African chermoula (a beautiful garlic, coriander, parsley and cumin sauce) topping an equally aromatic cous cous salad. Chicken tagine - tender chicken breast simmered in a spicy harissa tomato sauce with plump olives, chick peas and peppers. Served with almond rice on the side, this was my husband's and sister-in-law's favorite of the night. Baklava, turkish delight and fairy floss, plus mint teas for dessert. They have very authentically added a cinnamon stick to each glass of mint tea, a classic flavor combination of North Africa. Let the mint steep in the pot, then swirl your cinnamon stick around gently for a minute to infuse. Remove and drink. I was NOT expecting this when I saw the "coming soon" sign a few weeks ago. Traditionally this particular property has been filled and abandoned by lackluster restaurants. Zurouna is beautiful and here to stay, the kind of place that makes me so proud of my culinary heritage.

Sometimes I'm tempted to walk into as many restaurants as possible and just order a beer and see if…read moreanybody will tell me to get out. Actually, I should also count the number of places that try to upsell me a meal, but I can't fault them for that. Yeah, I think this is actually a restaurant, but hey, not only did he sell me a beer, he didn't try to upsell be food either. Oh, and they have a balcony, and that balcony's pretty cool as well. I get to look out over the ocean, or at least Port Phillip Bay.

When the London hotel in Port Melb was demolished, most people thought that Mr Lawrence disappeared…read morewith it. But they're wrong! Mr Lawrence and the great team moved one block further down Beach Street to the location of the old R-bar. The same great menu and the same good service, along with the $10 Turkish pizzas on Monday, make it a local favourite. They don't do the Lamah Joon anymore but the Persian lamb meatballs are still fantastic. But I'm biased cuz I'm a regular. :-)

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.

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.

We had delicious food and great service. This restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. It's along…read morethe river. They have a bar. They do charge for sparkling water. We started with the kibbeh. It could have been more flavorful. The dumplings were delicious. The grilled barramundi was delicious and served with a brown sauce and rice. Prices were okay.

Amazing staff and wonderful food!…read more My coworker recommended this spot so we all came for dinner one night. The workers were so friendly and welcoming. I guess one of my coworkers is a regular here since we stay close by. We got a bunch of different food and everything was so delicious. I did prefer the regular hummus over the other one they offered but both were very good. A few of us decided to come by again for dinner the next day because we liked it so much. Lots of seating and it's right off the water.

Very small serving size as delivery. Lahmacun I ordered 2 that would usually provide me with 4…read moremeals (I usually freeze and oven reheat as it is usually a generous size from other providers.) The meal was so small that I needed to consume both (2 Meals) to feel that I had a meal. At almost $20.00 each this represents appalling value for money, in a word, "ripoff" I have not eaten there in person and going on the experience of the delivery I am unlikely to. Seriously disappointed and pissed off. PS: I am 70+ and weigh 75ish kg my appetite is small. this order was a massive disappointment.

Dips, dolma, meat skewers, lamb, kofte!! What more in terms of Turkish delights could you want?…read more Well, the Turkish Delight martini is what. Sweet, subtle hints of rose water and adorned with a beautiful portion of Turkish Delight!! A perfect Turkish feast.

Kanzaman comes from the same geniuses behind Dunyazad. If you want great Lebanese food at…read morereasonable prices -this is the place to be. Whereas Dunyazad is a little lighter in its decoration, Kanzaman is like stepping into a palace under an Arabian sky - lots of midnight blues and golds with cushions and lanterns. Kanzaman is perfect for groups and I recommend getting a few dishes and sharing them between one another. You can't miss the hummus, baba ghannouj and falafel - they are my favourite things on the menu without a doubt. The mains are great too but very large so either order on an empty stomach or share between two. The service is great, and really efficient - even when the restaurant is packed. Kanzaman may be a large restaurant but it fills up fast so book ahead to be safe. You can get takeaway as well and I have to say that the quality is as good as if you are dining in.

The main size was small. It was expensive and didn't taste fresh. Pretty disappointed, won't be…read morecoming back. Lebanese bread didn't taste fresh and came poorly presented in an old broken wicker basket. Great murals on the wall.

I used to love it but my last 3 visits have been way below par. The potato cakes I ordered were…read morevery thin, very pricey, just not good enough. The fish was, on several occasions, 3 small pieces soaking in fat and overcooked. Not normal, so don't know if it's staff changeover or what. Not happy, will try one more time because I still remember my first visit was a 10.

While it may badge itself as a fish and chip shop, Hunky Dory is certainly not your typical shop…read more In fact it is more of a high class fish and chip shop, and while they offer takeaway, they also have an eat in experience, which actually is really helpful, especially if you don't actually have anywhere to take the meal. The other thing that I have noticed is that they don't to the standard battered fish, but rather have a number of options, as well as topping, which are actually quite delicious. The problem is that you can't really eat it with your hands - well, you can, it is just you will land up with really greasy hands. Oh, and the chips aren't bad either.