Review New Jaffa - Collingwood

The best quality food in Melbourne. Authentic Israeli flavors prepared in a spotless kitchen and presented stylishly. In winter the courtyard in fitted with flattering lighting with heat lamps. In the summer you can dine amongst the banana trees & wild rose canopies, a perfect setting for a private party. The staff are very accommodating & charming. New Jaffa is Collingwood’s hidden gem for caliber & cuisine.

Been here at 3 PM Saturday, very friendly and welcoming. We had the mushroom and meat Arayes pitas which both enjoyed. The taste was very different and delicious. We also had Israeli salad which basically was Shirazi salad and very refreshing. The Sonac Paloma cocktail was different and nice. We enjoyed the late lunch very much and would come back again.

Lovely restaurant with vibrant, fresh and delicious food. The feed me menu was generous but didn’t include some things we wanted to try, it worked out great adding things on top but next time I would definitely go a la carte. Highly recommend the beef cheeks!

Disappointing dining experience at New Jaffa - wouldn’t recommend the ‘feed me menu’ which is what we did. Essentially was a bunch of entree style dishes lumped onto a tray, and surprisingly no dessert was included. Was roughly $50 pp for a chicken skewer & pitas w dips & falafel. The dishes tasted pretty good & was good quality, just very underwhelming for what we expected.

Really cosy and nice restaurant. We had kebab, hummus plate and our friends had falafel and cauliflower. All the dish were with testy sauce. Everyone loved their meal and we will definitely go back there. Knafeh also was one the best knafeh I have ever had, not too sweet and very tasty.

Amazing food, very tasteful Arayas. The Cinnamon in the pitta bread made a big difference in the taste and made it memorable. Highly recommended and will go back there.

Chefs kiss! 10/10. My experience here made me feel like I was back in Israel. Every single dish we had was full of flavour and a generous amount of parsley which I loved. A small and cosy restaurant which makes the experience so nice. I highly recommend this restaurant, definitely authentic Israeli food. We will be back regularly

6 STARS! The food here is amazing and with so much flavour, the staff are awesome and the music is spot on! The place was full, but the let us sit at the bar. Highly recommended this place for a delicious middle eastern feed! Thank you :)

3.5. Really friendly staff. Loved the boureka, our fav dish of the night. The lamb pita was very unique, with the meat cooked inside the pita and an accompanying sauce. Cool concept, although I prefer my usual salads in the pita. Chicken pita was very tasty. Portions on the small side considering the price.

In keeping up with my summertime falafel binge, I came in to New Jaffa for lunch. I wish I had have gone to my old haunt Tahina instead. New Jaffa is quite pokey inside with two communal tables (that don’t have hooks for bags), and a few tables out the back in the courtyard. I had the falafel plate for $17 which included 4 falafel, some salad and the tiniest and meanest smear of hummus and tahini. Pita bread is extra and cost $2.50 so all up with card fees, it was a hair under $20 for lunch. Come on guys, you’re charging fairly high prices, serve us up a bit more food. The fact you include tahini and hummus on the menu as part of the dish and then give a small splash is embarrassing. Next falafel joint please!

I booked at New Jaffa and I was a little scared of the seating space. However, they have an expansive space in the backyard filled with lush greenery that made me feel like I was outside Melbourne. It was beautiful. <br/><br/>Ordered:<br/>🍞 Hummus Plate (v) (gf option): hummus, chickpeas, tahini, garlic green chilli vinagrete & olived oil served with one pita ($12.00)<br/> 🍔 Arayes Pita: lamb cooked inside pita, served with tomato, garlic, green chilli, tahini & pickles ($20.00)<br/>🥦 Cauliflower: roasted cauliflower, middle eastern spiced vegan mayo, soft boiled egg, pickled green chilli & fresh parsley ($18.00)<br/><br/>Review:<br/>Sitting outside amongst the greenery, it was almost easy to forget that we were only minutes away from the concrete jungle. Cauliflower was ridiculously soft and full of intricate flavour that we were hungry for more!<br/>The arayes pita reminded me of a big fat burger and dipping into the tahini sauce gave it a real refreshing moment.<br/><br/>Service was friendly and they were efficient. <br/><br/>I don't have Middle Eastern food often, but I'm considering it to be a staple part of my diet!!

New Jaffa has a sense of belonging and a time out of time - for a period of time one is transported to a metaphorical cross roads of east and west - this is Israel the perfect meld of Moroccan, Lebanese, Greek, Turkish, European cuisines - all brought into Israel by a Diaspora that came from Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East. It’s home for anyone and everyone. Bravo

Food was very fresh and tasty, nice setup and outdoor area. Portion sizes need to be increased or prices reduced and they need to watch what they charge people. I was overcharged by $2.

A new Middle Eastern place in Collingwood - it was so busy the first time we tried to go on a Friday that we had to book for the next night. It’s small and they have a courtyard, but unfortunately the weather was too wet for anyone to sit outside. Inside, they have a high table for 2 by the window (where we sat) and two big share high tables. It's not really child friendly. <br/><br/>I thought the food was excellent - unfortunately their menu only has a small number of meat items and we tried the calamari special which was excellent. The hommus and pita was good (you'd expect so). The falafel were perhaps hard and you can't really go wrong with a fatoush salad. The dessert was interesting - the chocolate mousse was very tasty but I wasn't sure if the ?cheezels went together well. <br/><br/>The whole experience was let down by haphazard service - some waiters were excellent but others seem to struggle with actually understanding what we were trying to order, as well as the feeling of really being rushed. We were in an out in an hour, and the table was packed to the point where we couldn't fit all the plates on comfortably.  <br/><br/>It was good to have tried it out, but I'm not desperate to come back. I think Miznon is a much better representation of the genre, but this is much closer to my usual haunt.

Prior to relocating to Melbourne, I was very religiously in my food choices and often it would take a lot of effort to convince me to try another cuisine. It’s been almost 5 years since my arrival here and I dare say I’m a lot more adventurous and have a newfound love for middle eastern types of cuisines.

We came here booked a table for two 5 days in advance only two community tables and one 2 seat table at the front window. We were seated at a communal table on uncomfortable seats no where to put your jackets jammed in a communal table not what I was expecting. Food looked really good but couldn't eat here being opposite my parenter but felt miles away as the tables are very wide couldn't have a private conversation here. Very limited wine and beer menu. Staff were very nice unfortunately will not be back unless seating arrangement changes.

The best hummus and falafel I’ve had in Melbourne . Hummus was really beautifully seasoned and smooth. Good enough to eat on its own. Really liked the Middle Eastern riffs on classic cocktails as well .

Great menu. Great cocktails. Great fatuoush.

We love discovering places like these that bring the flavours of the world to Melbourne. The Middle Eastern and Israeli cuisines were evident here in the menu selection. Useful advice helped us to choose, after which we settled back with mint teas to wait.<br/><br/>The Moroccan Pastilla is similar to what I had in Morocco. Inside the pastry lies shredded chicken confit, dried fruits and nuts mixed with scrumptious spices. The piece is dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. The savoury and slightly sweet flavours combine harmoniously on the palette.<br/><br/>The Spiced Beef Cheeks were sweet and tender, falling apart with a gentle prod. Mixed with turmeric cous cous, almond, currants, tahini and a generous amount of fresh parsley, the delicious flavours were comforting on this cold, blustery night.<br/><br/>My friends shared beetroot and falafels with dips and the Fish of the Day. The fish wasn't quite de-scaled, so they spent a bit of time picking out scales and bones.<br/><br/>Love the modern, elegant decor. The place is small and seats 20 amongst communal tables. The bar stools are uncomfortable but conducive to the two seatings arrangement. Friendly staff throughout the visit made the overall experience a pleasant one.

Fantastic service, even though we had no booking on a busy Saturday night. Everything from cocktails to curry was delicious. Finishing with a Turkish coffee topped everything off. Great wine list and plenty of delicious vegan options - so many we couldn't decide. Best fatoush in Melbourne.

Went to New Jaffa last night for dinner and what a great meal! We ordered the ribs, grilled fish, kofta, falafel and kanefe. Hommus was amazing with falafel! Not a hommus person otherwise but I might be a fan here! I loved the kanefe with beautiful rose flavour. I think we will be back for that kanefe and hommus for sure! Oh yeah..ribs were super delicious too!

Stop wondering why no one does hummus as good as Israel. Moshe Ittah has just solved the conundrum. Having moved to Melbourne in 2004, and doing the rounds at some of Melbourne&amp;rsquo;s top eateries, Moshe recently opened New Jaffa. This little Middle Eastern hide-away on the quite end of Stanley Street serves up the best hummus I&amp;rsquo;ve tried in Melbourne, alongside other favourite Middle Eastern faves.

Had this recommended by a friend, hands down the best recommendation this decade! From start to finish an absolute treat, the staff the highlight closely followed by the food. I can’t wait for summer to experience the garden in all its glory. But truly a perfect small restaurant offering everything you want, and more. I already know what I want to order next time and the time after. Just book, just go, you won’t regret.

Over the Queens Birthday long weekend I finally had the chance to give New Jaffa a try for lunch. It’s been on my list since it opened, so when my family asked me to pick somewhere for us to go it was an easy choice. I love Middle Eastern food so knew this would be right up my alley, and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed!

New Jaffa is easily my favourite Middle Eastern restaurant in Melbourne. The variety on the menu caters to every desire and the falafel is out of this world - soft and moist inside and crunchy on the outside. The chocolate mousse and kanafe for dessert is a must! For drinks we had the Jaffa Cointreau cocktail which seemed unusual with the addition of star anise but was delicious and fresh. Followed by the espresso martini as our digestif, was the perfect way to end the meal. Service was very attentive and helpful in a genuine way. Thank you New Jaffa we will be back!

Middle eastern, to be more precise Israeli cuisine is something almost every single friend of ours have vouched about, and almost everyone had suggest New Jaffa, which btw, is as famous as the famous port in Israel.<br/><br/>It's a tiny space for a restaurant that's so famous with mostly community tables, inside, and an equally tiny space outside, in the open. Nevertheless, tastefully done, and open-air space is quite romantic.<br/><br/>Ordered a Lamb Stuffed Pita aka Arayes Pita, Hummus Plate, Eggplant Tahini and a Moroccon Chicken Pastilla.<br/><br/>Lightly flavoured Lamb mince cooked / fried inside Pita was delicious, and we loved the tahini that came with it... Clearly winning the Dish of the Day. Hummus plate served with fresh Pita was delectable and also the Dish of the Day.<br/><br/>Chargrilled Eggplant served with Tahini was beautiful but not something we hadn't had earlier.<br/><br/>What we really liked about the food here is almost all the minimalist ingredients lend a nice distinctive flavors to the overall dishes, individually.<br/><br/>A deep fried, single and tiny pastry filled with mildly spiced chicken with cinnamon and icing sugar dust was a lacklustre, probably because the sugar bit was too overpowering.<br/><br/>First look at the dinner menu and we were a bit disappointed. Not too many options for meat lovers, and from the little (tiny-viny) elaborate vegetarian & vegan fare (as compared to the meat based option), nothing seemed unusual.<br/>Lunch menu too, isn't too exciting as most of the dishes main hero being egg.<br/><br/>Pricing is decent for the quality, and hospitality is top-notch.<br/><br/>Our hearts wanted to rate this one a 4 but the insipid looking menu and options, we feel they have a lot of space to improvise.

Simply one of my favourite restaurants in the city.<br/><br/>As a Moroccan, I rarely try "Modern Middle Eastern" or any Middle Eastern or North African food when eating out because I usually get disappointed. If it's not a recipe I've never heard of that starts with "authentic", it's the "modern/fusion" one where all the spice and main flavors are completely erased. New Jaffa was a good break from all these bad experiences.<br/><br/>I first came to try the Hummus and Sabich, both were delicious and authentic (really), I later came back for another Hummus Plate and tried the Spiced Moroccan Curry, very different from what I expected but absolutely delicious The infamous Tunisian Fricassee Sandwich I always wanted to try and the Falafel Pita pocket did not disappoint one bit. I was also glad I didn’t miss out on the house mocktails, especially the Blossom Orange Lemonade, they perfectly complimented all the dishes.<br/><br/>I enjoyed hearing the Chef’s perspective on the work he’s doing and the community he’s building. The venue and staff are also lovely and add to the whole atmosphere.

I’m quite enjoying the rise of Middle Eastern and Israeli fare in Melbourne, and New Jaffa has become one of my new favourites. Their famed Falafel don’t disappoint, exhibiting a crunchy crust, and moist rather than dry and crumbly interior.

Loved everything about our dinner at New Jaffa! <br/><br/>The decor is awesome! Service was amazing :) <br/><br/>We tried the hummus and eggplant tahini which were both AMAZING with the bread. The falafel was so delicious too.<br/><br/>For mains we tried the Moroccan curry and the special Sweet potato steak! Both so tasty. Curry was my favourite. <br/><br/>Also had the vegan dessert! Was so happy to find many vegan options on the menu. <br/><br/>Will definitely be back!

New Jaffa was fantastic, we sat in their outdoor courtyard to enjoy our meal. Everything was fresh and the hummus tasted out of this world. Safe to say we all licked the plates clean haha.

Intimate and lovely, once you step in you immediately feel relaxed and warm.<br/><br/>Engaging & friendly staff, the food is just delicious and this makes the experience just wonderful!<br/><br/>We had the stuffed pita, charcoal grilled cod lettuce, eggplant tahini & a few desserts (Mousse and a Kanafe) - a wholesome meal and perfect for a dinner catchup with friends or a date! <br/><br/>6 stars!

This is my favorite Israeli restaurant in all Melbourne!<br/>The variety and quality of the food is unparalleled. Dishes are authentic with a modern twist and always come fresh!<br/><br/>Try their roasted cauliflower, ribs and hummus!<br/>Melbourne. Food approves!

The best Middle Eastern in town, easily. If you like hummus then you will absolutely love this place, as good as I've ever tasted. I'll be back again to try the rest of the menu!

I've had a delicious Middle-Eastern experience at New Jaffa.<br/>Came her for dinner and immediately had an eye on the pita pockets! The pita bread was amazing and especially the falafel inside. Also the Morrocan Curry was a dream, so flavorful and refreshing. Love this modern middle eastern cuisine. The staff is very kind and attentive as well.<br/><br/>All in all a unique culinary experience in a bright and modern environment.

Awesome place, the food, decor and service were all amazing. Stand out was the hummus, the Arayas pita and all the salads. The cocktails and mocktails were interesting, give them a go.

Loved every bit! I came here for lunch last week and dinner this week because I couldn't get enough of the New Jaffa falafels!!! So good they are definitely a weekly treat. Another thing New Jaffa do really well are mocktails (and cocktails). The flavours that come out of those drinks makes you not want to stop at one. Friendly staff, good atmosphere and most of all, amazing food.

Cannot fault. Traditional Israeli food with a modern twist. Voted best middle eastern in Melbourne and there is a reason why! Amazing food and atmosphere, very friendly staff too. Highly recommend and will be back.

I can't get enough of this place, authentic Israeli food with authentic Israeli beverages!<br/><br/>I can recommend all of the food, as everything here is great. Specifically their Falafel, any dish that utilises it is perfection. It's the best Falafel that you'll find in Melbourne! Also the Spiced Angus Ribs were delicious, cannot wait to come back to try more of the menu.

4.5 It was a thoroughly delicious Middle-Eastern feast from start to finish.<br/>Wither you are here for a quick and simple lunch option such as pita their pockets, or for a three-course dinner carefully plated up, rest assured you are bound to be satisfied in every way possible.<br/>Their hummus? Well that’s simply a must!

The best hummus I have ever tried! I love the traditional Israeli food at New Jaffa - absolutely mouth watering and extremely high quality. The falafel was another stand out dish and I can’t forget about the desert.. the Kenafeh is a must! I will be coming back here again and again!

Love this place, if you really love your Hummus this is as good as it gets in Melbourne. Staff were really friendly. I'll be back soon. Thanks guys!

Think the flavours of a little Egyptian, some Lebanese, flavours from Turkey, Israel, Syria and northwest Africa and that's what you will get at New JAFFA. On my visit to the New JAFFA I sampled the Spiced Angus Ribs, Lamb Kebabs, Falafel (Named in the best of Melbourne on Broadsheet) and finished with The Chocolate Mousse served with Bamba, Housemade PEANUT BUTTER HALVA and Kadaif Noodles!<br/><br/>The food here was fantastic, really nothing else to say besides add them to your list. I know it isn't a burger, but the ribs were slide off the bone perfect, the falafel was crunchy on the outside while soft on the inside, the lamb kebabs were nothing like I have ever seen or tasted before and the dessert was mind-blowing!

Tried new Jaffa with a few friends last night and ended up with mixed reviews. I do want to start off saying the taste of the food was amazing! Everything we had was delicious, however the serving sizes were extremely small for the price. One side (falafel and beetroot) was $9 and thinking that we’d share a bunch of dishes, it came out with only ONE falafel. <br/>The ribs were to die for (the winner dish) but again for the price and serving size, I probably won’t be coming back in a hurry.

A non-Brunch review:I've been living next door to this place, and I can't believe how long it's taken me to go in, but I am VERY glad I did.The ambience is clean and inviting to walk into. Two long tables with a bunch of stools, but plenty of space to make yourself comfortable. The service was really warm, too.I had the Lamb Kanafeh, and it was through-the-roof delicious! The lamb is perfectly spiced, and encrusted with thin and crispy kadaif noodles. Served with green tahini, the flavours really work well together. The tahini is fresh and vibrant while the lamb is smoky. Plated with a generous helping of fresh and tasty fattoush salad, the whole dinner was doing a number on my tastebuds.The ONLY drawback is that I wish the portion I received was just a bit bigger for the price I paid. But the taste and the experience is why I will definitely be going back.

In Short: New Jaffa in Collingwood brings all the best of Israeli and Middle Eastern casual dining right to the back streets of Melbourne. With all the aromas and delights of a spice market, any selection on this menu is a delight. But our tip, don’t leave without trying the roasted cauliflower, and let the team delight you with the house mocktail!

The Fish was amazing! So tender an fresh, perfect on a hot Melbourneday. Great courtyard and vibe. The hummus and pita is delicious. i will be back very soon!

Ordered via ubereats and the food was great! Will be my go to middle eastern food now. We got the fricassee sandwich, hummus dip, pita and cauliflower. Cauliflower was cooked to perfection!

Unfortunately did not live up to expectations. Hummus was nice and smooth with great flavour but a very small serving for the price. Flat bread that was served with it had a strong yeast / ferment smell to it and was served colder than room temperature. Falaffal was great, very tasty. Fish came out undercooked. Had a few other dishes too with no stand outs.<br/><br/>At the moment doesn't compare to other Isreali restaurants in Melbourne, but has potential. Will be back in a few months to see if they improve.

I had high hopes for this place but unfortunately I was disappointed. We had that eggplant bruschetta and a share plate. The cauliflower and falafels were delicious but not worth the price. $60 for a very modest share plate (see photo) and the price was not advertised. I won’t be returning.

Food was quite nice. We had the Eggplant Bruschetta and Hummas. The Hummas was amazing. They advised us of the special they had which was slow cooked beef sandwich. We ordered this too. It was good but all I can say that the 'special' did not justify the price of $25 for a sandwich. Wish they would have told us earlier as we probably wouldn't have ordered this. Our bill was $50 for two people without any drinks.

The hummus here is incredible. Felafels are delicious. Will definitely be back here very soon to try more things! Already dreaming about it. A solid 11/10.<br/>

Food and atmosphere was amazing, great for getting plates to share. highly recommend the hummus plates and the falafel, will definitely be back.

I laughed and enjoy through my entire visit to New Jaffa! Me and my friends kicked it off with the most amazing hummus plate with mushrooms that I've tried, we made sure nothing was left on the plate to then move to something bigger, which in mi case was the most beautiful and carefully made Lamb Kanafeh. We wrapped our meal with some delicious falafel and my entire self can't wait to have some more! Thanks a lot to the entire team of New Jaffa for delivering such unique and tasteful experience!

Love the vibes so much, communal table and shared plates, fell like family ❤️ the most important the food OMG, so much amazing flavours, the mushroom hummus is a must try, and the cauliflower dish was so tasty, falafel was perfection, crispy outside, moist inside, paradise and everything beautifully plated, can not wait to be back to try more dishes!!!lot of Vegan options too!! Thank you!

Absolutely loved everything at New Jaffa! The hummus is to die for!! Everything is packed with flavour! The venue feels so warm and comforting. Will definitely be back soon