Zaatar

Little has changed since brothers Charlie and Jeff Elrahi bought Zaatar in 2015. That’s a good thing – the Lebanese bakery was founded by the sons of Chafic Choueiri, the man who started Brunswick’s renowned A1. Both spots have a strong community vibe that doesn’t need messing with.

There are a handful of pies to choose from. The classic Zaatar shows off the spice mix the bakery is named after – thyme, sesame seed, oregano, sumac, salt and olive oil. The more adventurous Shanklish features aged cows cheese, onion and tomato; and there’s a surprising east-meets-west pie of Vegemite and haloumi.

A range of pizzas, mezze, dips and salads are also available and the menu encourages you to mix and match. You might like to pair kibbeh and sambousek with hummus and fattoush salad, or perhaps falafel with eggplant dip and tabouli.

Zaatar’s signature snack, the “Zoccacia”, is a huge folded, toasted sandwich filled with ingredients such as soujok (Turkish spiced sausage), haloumi, kofte or bastourma (sweet and smoky cured beef).

The big, bright space seats about 85, including a communal table resplendent with Moroccan tiles. Once you’ve eaten in, be sure to check out the take home options.