Mezza Train

As you sit on a high stool facing the bar, in front of you there’s a crawl of clear domes covering dishes like an ant line of snow globes. It’s a familiar way to eat for Sydneysiders, but under the domes is not raw fish and sushi rolls. It’s hummus, baba ganoush and all the edible hallmarks of the Levant. It’s a mezze train, and it’s the only one of its kind in Australia and maybe even the world.

It’s not an outrageous idea; most mezzes are pre-prepared and served cold, so there’s no detrimental effect on freshness or quality. The items that would dry out or mist up the domes (anything hot or meat heavy) are served to the table. “There’s a rotisserie for the skewered meats and Lebanese sausages and shawarma.

In contrast to the unique approach to serving it, there’s nothing new or inventive on the menu. The back wall is decorated with oddly placed bricks like a Levant ruin. On Friday nights, families clap, laugh and dance to the sashaying of a belly dancer and her drumming companion.