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.

Allahhu Akbar This…read moremeans "God is Great." I'm compelled to evoke this exaltation because the kebabs are so good here, God's hand must be acknowledged in their making. Alhumdullilah This means "Thanks be to God" and it is appropriate to say this after you've eaten their dips. Mashallah This means "by God's Grace" and you can say this about the expertise of Tiba's chefs for their method of grilling over charcoal. Now you have learned a little Arabic, a little about Islamic phrases, and exactly the right amount of knowledge to find great Lebanese food in Melbourne.

So authentic!!! Delicious and full of flavor. If you are…read morelooking for Lebanese food while in Melbourne AU, I highly recommend this 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 ;))

A group of friends from work decided to have a banquet here on a Friday night. There was plenty of…read morebread, dips, grilled meat and eggplant. The Turkish bread is great and baked fresh. It is BYO wine and we had several bottles of red open, so I'm not sure of all the details. The restaurant is a bit of a barn, a huge space filled with tables and no decor to speak of but when it is full of people this doesn't matter. It has such a lively, friendly family atmosphere. On another table that night there was a large Turkish family celebrating the birthday of the family matriarch. The children are playing around the dance floor waiting for the arrival of the belly dancer. When the belly-dancer does start the Turkish grandmother from the other table was eager to be invited to dance with the belly-dancer. Belly-dancing is a traditional part of Middle Eastern celebration, although one of the guys from work was embarrassed by it; but that's his problem and not the belly dancer's. After the belly dancer, there was more entertainment: a Turkish singer in an amazing red gown and a man playing Turkish dance music on a keyboard as people got up to dance. It was an amazing evening, a banquet and a complete floor-show at a very good price. I never expected so much.

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I haven't sampled many of Melbourne's Turkish restaurants…read more But I don't think I need to when I have a regular as delicious and reliable as Pinarbasi. Before Pinarbasi, I never knew that Turkish food basically revolved around breads and dips. How I lasted 24 years before discovering this I will never know. Every time I go to Pinarbasi we have a banquet, which includes bread, dips, meats, baklava for desert and coffee. It's awesome every time. A review of Pinarbasi would not be complete without mention of its resident bellydancer, who does her thang on Friday and Saturday nights. It's... interesting, to say the least. Not to mention entertaining, as there is always some middle-aged, overweight man aching to get up there are gyrate against her, which, lo and behold, she is more than accommodating of. Great for groups and super cheap- one of my fave "off the beaten track" cheap eats.

The Chicken, ahhhh the chicken. I really can not remember eating better Charcoal Chicken, we are…read morethinking its marinated in Lemon and maybe oregano. The whole time I was eating I was thinking Kenny Rogers Chicken and Kramers addiction, living so close could be big trouble.

Craving Lebanese chicken, I can only express my disappointment. The chicken was dry, burnt and…read morepeppery. The marinade just didn't work at all, anyone who has experienced authentic Lebanese charcoal chicken knows how juicy and succulent the flavours are.. All said, the quality wasn't anything that represents Lebanese charcoal style chicken, more a failed attempt! If you want a cheap feed in Coburg and quality isn't on your agenda , this place will suffice. As servings are generous.

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

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 pass this place some Saturday nights and find people spewing out of it and milling around, loudly…read morediscussing something that I don't understand. I think to myself that this could no possibly be a place to have a meal in. The interiors seems dated and old and grimy, and I assume the same attention is paid to the food. Thankfully I was proven wrong. On one of those nights where you feel a need to challenge yourself in a dining experience my friend and I gave this place a go. Two words - grilled eggplant. two words - lamb kofta So many two word combinations of menu items made this place worth coming back to. Avoid the busy Saturday nights and the loud mouthed ones you find out the front. Better a midweek meal or even a midweek banquet!!!

We usualy have take away hir ,warm friendly service and good food..read more