Had some nice lamb pizza for four dollars. Was quite sweet. Minced lamb atop half a pizza base. My…read morefriend ordered the veggie pizza which was four slices. So pizza sizes can vary. Make sure you confirm what you're getting. Tried some delicious feta beetroot salad and eggplant Dio. Coffee today was A-OK. Quick service. And self serve cutlery and water.

Lunch for three people that costs less than $30?…read more Unheard of right? Not at Zaatar! If you're looking for quick, fresh and well priced middle eastern food then this is your place. Great for families and friends who want to share a few dishes in a casual (think: fast food) environment. It's certainly not going to win any decor or ambience prizes, but I like the family-friendly atmosphere and it hit the spot when I needed lunch in a short time frame. Order and pay at the counter and then take your wooden spoon table number and set up at one of the many tables. I shared two mixed plates of mezze (felafel, kibbeh and other fried morsels), salads (super fresh fattoush and tabbouli) and dips with Miss 3 and my favourite +1. The mix and match approach to this style of dining is great when you're trying to please varying tastes and appetites. I could have lived with less of the fried pastry-like mezze and more of the felafel so next time will specify which mezze we want rather than leaving the selection to the server. I'll also be trying out the lebanese pizzas. Starting at a mere $1 and constantly being made in full-view of the floor. Pro tip: Grab a bottle of hot sauce from the water/cutlery

I went in here for lunch because they were advertising a $5 special of a falafel roll and a can a…read moredrink. There is stiff competition for the lunchtime crowd amongst the many kebab joints along Sydney Road and Tarabish is new. I think that there was an Italian pizza restaurant there before. Inside there were plenty of seats, tables and booths with a wood floor and tasteful décor, unlike so many of the other kebab joints. There are two tables of people eating lunch but it was far from full. As I wait for my falafel to be made I notice that Tarabish has a full menu of Lebanese food to eat in or take away. And the food is all Halal. I asked for a falafel roll with the lot, yes, the pink pickles and even a bit of chili sauce. The selection of soft drink can was not inspiring - just the regular assortment. But the falafel roll tasted so good; the salad was so springing and fresh, the falafel balls crunched and then were soft and delicious. The whole thing tasted amazing. I'm going to do this again while it is still new and before everyone else discovers this little restaurant.

I didn't used to head this far up Sydney Road. As far as I was concerned, the world of Brunswick…read morefinished at Albion Street. which in a sense I guess it did, further up Sydney Road heads in Coburg, which to some people's ears is another world away. But you can get here by tram. One tram heading straight out of the city could get you up to Coburg in under an hour, and in my later youth I took one such afternoon to do this. Not because I wanted to go, but simply because I had run out things to do. The magic that I did find was tucked behind several shops in the Coburg shopping strip. Near the larger supermarkets stands a shop with signage aging away from it's black painted backing. Beneath the letterforms sit people enjoying the sunshine of the late morning or early afternoon. Inside there is much bustling about. Much bustling about baked Mediterranean goods. The winner here is the safe staple of the Spinach and Cheese Pie. They call it a pie, but really it's a pastry using pizza dough. Magical melted cheese and hot spinach come from it as you bite in, many sitting down to enjoy the wonder of it all. The place also serves as a shop, selling many staples for you to make your own Mediterranean magic at home. Their sweets and coffee selection is also not to be missed. Very affordable and very very wonderful.

Al Alamy sits just off Bell st, parallel to Sydney road. Just where Coles and Woolworths are, and…read morein the precinct of other small shops/ take away joints. This place looks like a grocery store from the outside with seatings that are often filled by locals having thick black Lebanese coffees. Inside its a compact space where you will find pantry strapless, snacks, Middle Eastern ingredients, dried fruit and nuts, bread and a small bakery. Zaatar (oregano ), mince meat pizzas and Lebanese pies ( think mini pides) are a plenty here and a staple cheap lunch for locals. I wish there are Al Alamy type bakeries/store around Melbourne. Because, who doesn't like cheap lunch, thick coffee and finding new grocery items?? ( pomegranate molasses I am lookin at you ;))

Went tonight recommended by the Lebanese bakery. The food was delicious fresh and in abundance…read more Totally recommend, staff very friendly too.

Now, kebab vans are not my usual first choice of chow, but as Musa's falls at the end of my late…read morenight tram trip home from the city, I have to admit I've patronised the place, though mostly when intoxicated, so details are light. More often than not, after munching at Musa's, I've ended up with a large garlic sauce stain down my shirt and fallen asleep on the couch - though the kebab can hardly be blamed for that. The place is a basic kebab hut, with rotating meat stacks and the regular selection of salads and sauces. As it's attached to the fabulous Lebanese pie shop next door, you have to assume the turnover is pretty high and therefore the quality and freshness is pretty good, despite the less than busy proximity. There is also heaps of parking around the van, so it's a (slightly) healthier alternative to the regular drive-thru takeaway chains in the area.

Half Moon is up there with my favourite businesses in Coburg. I first ventured here to try the…read morefelafel and have been a regular ever since. The felafel are made fresh to order and you can have three of these plump, hot, gently spiced babies stuffed in a pita bread with a combination of vegetarian items. There's six options to choose from, but why you'd get anything other than the "Half Moon" with chilli sauce I don't know. Think crispy felafels, salad, olives, pickles, hummus... wrapped in a warm pita and weighing almost the size of a small child. This whole thing will set you back a mere $8. Other than the fact that the food here is delicious and cheap, the owners and staff are really what make this a worthy experience worth crossing town for. Run by a family for the last 12 years, they're super lovely and really care about their customers. The "father" is so kind and will make a point of walking around the tables outside to check that his customers are happy, that they have enough napkins and that they're looked after. I love chatting to him and if I time my lunch break right I might be able to sit with him while he has his lunch break in the late afternoon. Customer service doesn't cost anything, yet there's not many places that get it right or enjoy it as this family does. 5 stars.

I was left a little underwhelmed by the Half Moon Cafe. Maybe it was the glowing reviews, or maybe…read moreI was expecting something more authentic because it's Coburg. We arrived one busy lunchtime, and joined the line of people ordering kebabs. I went for the eponymous Half Moon sandwich, which was with falafels and salad. The woman taking our order at the counter asked us to take a table outside and the other would be brought out to us. I thought she was clever to be able to remember which order went where without any table numbers or tickets. It turned out she didn't have a clue, and our order was bounced around between 4 different tables before it was given to me. At one point, she even gave the order to me, then took it away, and then returned to hand it to me again! The sandwich itself was good value at $8, but no where near as large as others have suggested. I finished it without a problem, and I wouldn't consider myself to have a bigger appetite than most guys. The salad and sauce was nice, but the falafels were ordinary. I'd have preferred them to be crunchier on the outside and soft inside. The other disappointment was that they used packet pita bread rather than baking their own, as any proper restaurant in the middle east would do. Even so, if I were in Coburg again, I would return to Half Moon Cafe for lunch.