If you think fine dining requires white tablecloths and hushed voices, you haven't been to Zareh. This Collingwood eatery just snatched the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year title, and honestly, it’s about time the awards recognized that "best" doesn't have to mean stuffy.
Melbourne has always been a food city, but Zareh feels different. It isn’t trying to be a temple to European technique. Instead, it’s a living, breathing celebration of Armenian, Egyptian, and Lebanese roots. When chef Tom Sarafian and partner Jinane Bou-Assi opened their doors in August 2025, they weren’t looking to chase Michelin stars. They were looking to build a neighborhood joint with soul.
The end of the rockstar chef era
Restaurant culture is shifting. For years, we obsessed over the "rockstar chef"—that singular, often ego-driven figure commanding a kitchen from an ivory tower. Zareh flips that script. It’s a holistic space where the design, the music, and the service carry as much weight as the food on your plate.
Walking into the space on Smith Street, you’re hit with a vibe that’s electric. The walls feature soft greens and pink lime-wash, decorated with family heirlooms and personal touches like a glass sliding door that replicates the one from Sarafian’s grandparents’ home. You aren't just eating dinner. You’re being invited into a story.
The soundtrack is a mix of rare Armenian, Iranian, and Lebanese vinyl—some of which were hauled back in suitcases from Los Angeles and Mexico City. It’s loud, it’s fun, and it’s undeniably cool. You know you’re in the right place before you even sit down.
Why the menu actually works
Many restaurants talk about "sourcing," but few do it with the intensity you’ll find here. Sarafian is a stickler for details. He isn’t just grabbing standard imports from a local grocer. He’s working with Lebanese business Droubna to bring over 80 specific ingredients, including pomegranate molasses and fermented pepper pastes that most Australians have never tasted in their purest form.
Take the aish baladi, an Egyptian flatbread. They use flour milled specifically in the Mornington Peninsula to get the texture right. Then there’s the hummus. Most places treat it as an afterthought; here, it’s crowned with spanner crab and a prawn sauce that makes you want to lick the bowl.
It’s not just the heavy hitters, either. The kafta nayyeh—raw minced lamb sourced from Tasmanian and Victorian farms—is a masterclass in seasoning. It’s bold, fresh, and highlights local produce without stripping away the dish’s cultural identity. If you visit, don’t play it safe. Order a bit of everything and embrace the feast.
A new standard for service
We need to talk about the service, too. Melbourne has a reputation for great hospitality, but Zareh manages something rare: they’re efficient without being robotic. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and they keep a packed, 40-seat room running smoothly.
It’s that "all-cylinders" feeling. When you’re in a place that has been open for a year and still operates with this level of precision, you realize that the hype isn’t just buzz. It’s deserved.
Beyond the hype
Is it hard to get a table? You bet. Zareh has become a destination, and for good reason. It’s proof that there’s a massive appetite for food that tells a migrant story—a "love letter," as Sarafian puts it, to the cultural exchange between Armenia and Lebanon.
If you’re planning to visit Melbourne, stop overthinking the "must-try" lists that feature the same twenty spots. Put this one at the top of your radar. Check the booking schedule early, grab a seat at the bar, and order the arak-spiked martini.
Don't expect a quiet evening. Expect to leave with a full stomach and a newfound appreciation for how the right ingredients and a little bit of history can change the way you see a dining room. Keep an eye on their retail offerings, too—the house-made basturma and harissa are the perfect way to bring a piece of the experience home.
