Levant Eatery Hindley Street

You can’t miss Levant Eatery. Look for the bright green sign above the doorway and listen for laughter trickling out of the bustling open kitchen.

The family-owned cafe came to life through Husam Al-Sweedy, who noticed the vacant shop while studying at UniSA’s City West campus. His daydreams turned to reality when he deferred his degree and his family jumped on board to create Levant Eatery. Sister Zainab Al-Sweedy even moved back from a two-year stint in Dubai to pitch in.

The eatery is named after an old French term for a group of eastern Mediterranean countries. The Al-Sweedy family originates from Iraq and the recipes are long-kept family secrets.

Specialities are pocket breads and grain salads packed with a choice of mum Faten’s falafel or grilled meats, topped with hummus, smoky eggplant puree or muhammara (roast capsicum sauce).

The crew works like a well-oiled machine. The wait time for meals is typically five to six minutes.