Almazett

Ph: (03) 9509 8959; 210 Balaclava Rd, Caulfield North 3161

Lebanese, $$
Open 7 days Dinner: 6pm-midnight, Closed Good Friday & Christmas Day; Licensed, BYO; AE, BC, DC, MC, V, Seats inside 100

Mietta's Review
Bachar and Leila Haikal first opened the doors of Almazett Lebanese restaurant in 1978 and have provided excellent restaurant fare and fast takeaway service to the south eastern suburbs ever since. Set in a Middle Eastern styled room, traditional Arabic music wafts through open archways to chandeliers, wood panelling and rendered walls decorated with luxurious rugs, metal serving plates and knick-knacks. The only drawback is the slightly dense packing of the tables and chairs. Be careful in ordering the mezza: a serving each of the exemplary baba ghannooj (roasted aubergine), fatayer (filo pastry filled with cheese or spinach and pine nuts), foulia moudamas (broad beans in olive oil, lemon and garlic), hummus, tabouleh and bread and there might not be any room left for the main course. The whole grilled fish, served with tahina, walnuts, coriander, chillies, garlic and pine nuts, is unusual and filling. Almazett allows BYO with a good value bottle shop across the road and near the offices of the Australian Jewish News. It is popular with the immediate community and does continuous takeaway trade.Service can be slow and we finished our bubbly sometime before the main course was served.

Other published opinions

The Foodies' Guide 2004,Allan Campion & Michele Curtis,'The choice of entrees includes dips,tabbouleh,dolmades,felefel,makaneek or barbecued chicken wings,and mains range from lamb shish kebab and kibbe to grilled fish with taratour sauce.If deciding is too hard,just go for the mezze platter-exceptional value and choice of dishes.And perhaps some baklava or Turkish delight for dessert.'

The Sunday Age (Eat Streets), 13.12.98, author unknown. "By 8pm the place was buzzing with the chatter of faithful regulars. Lebanese food may have had its day, but this quiet corner of Caulfield will be forever Beirut."