Review Tahini Lebanese Diner

Two Hungry Diners

Amazing authentic Lebanese restaurant. The food is super good, so many different flavours and textures combination. Everything on the plate works really harmoniously. All dishes are just so vibrant on the plates! Just wow! This place is extremely busy during lunch, make sure you guys make a booking or arrive just before lunch time rush.

Jack McCardel

Brilliantly flavoursome authentic Lebanese food. On a busy Friday lunch we only waited 15 Minutes and received prompt service for our order. We had prawn skewers, hummus with fig, bravas and kifteh. All were absolutely delicious! Highly recommend it!

Medo_ Van

It is a good restaurant however The chairs was not comfortable at all I didn’t not enjoy eating in there . the service was great and the food was delicious but the hummus dish was very small. the falafel were so crunchy. the Shawarma mix was very delicious I highly recommend. 2 stars just because I don’t enjoy the atmosphere . I give the food 3 stars. If I will go there again I will take the meal Takeaway.

JINGWEN HU

Had breakfast. Can u believe this only cost 16 dollar???? Scrambled egg is soft and gentle. Plenty of veg, halloumi skin is crispy which is so delicious. Accompany with tea is also nice. I love the fresh mint inside. Highly recommend this! Really want to give 5, but I will try more lunch menu.

Syed Ahmed

Have been here more than a few times, both for quick work lunches as well as more leisurely dinners. The food is consistently good as is the service. Can get very busy during peak times so it can take a little while for the food to come out. The good part about all this is that this means everything is prepared fresh, and that is apparent in the taste of everything served. We've had the Soufra for Two a few times and it more than fills up a couple of hungry stomachs. If you're in a hurry, you can't really go wrong with one of the wraps to take away.

Sameera Amra

Fantastic restaurant! Fresh and delicious food. Meals are well worth their price. A wrap meal comes with a modest serving of salad, very generous amount of chips as well as a hand fill of pickles and a small bowl of dip. The menu has a range of both cold and hot mezza. Fatoush salad was absolutely delicious. Staff were very helpful and accommodating! Perfect for small and large groups. We visited on a week night around 6pm, the restaurant was pretty quiet.

Cathy Sharpe

I love this place. Only been here twice so far, and it gets very busy at lunchtime but there's a good reason. The food is so good. Also very pleasantly surprised at the fact that the food was not heavily laced with onion and garlic. I have some dietary issues and tend to just assume certain cuisines will inevitably contain these things. I'm sure they are still there, but not so in your face.

Jeremie Ting

My wife and I were new to Lebanese food. It will have helped greatly, especially with the dips, which were the chef's choice selection, if the waiters or someone can help guide us how to appreciate Lebanese food. That will help us enjoy the grilled meats with the dips and wrap. There were three of us, and we went for the Soufren set at $23 per person. My son loves the food.

Kieu Luong

There’s always a line for this restaurant so I suggest you book in advance. Best Lebanese restaurant in Melbourne. The wraps, platters, dips, pickled vegetables and HALLOUMI FRIES!!! are delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant for a satisfying meal.

Nalia

Had a nice dinner here. The lamb wrap was good, maybe a little small for my liking and for the price. The shared dishes were a little less memorable, especially the cauliflower that was huge and a little hard to cut. With the plentiful Lebanese restaurants in Melbourne, probably won’t be back although it would be a nice place to grab some takeaway for lunch if I was working nearby.

Daisy

Came for a work lunch and got a tablieh. I was surprised by what arrived because there was so much food. The wrap was delicious but a little difficult to eat as the fillings kept threatening to fall out. The restaurant was absolutely packed at lunch and it’s definitely important to book in advance.

Naz Ardalani

I had a Felafel wrap last week Tahini which was so delicious and fresh , but I was shocked to see the guy who was serving and preparing the wrap used his bare hands to make the sandwich!!! It's not hygienic at all and specially with these days virus, wearing gloves is a Must. I really hope the management will put this suggestion into consideration. Thanks

🥭

Perfect for lunch if you work in the city. The falafel wrap is always a good option. Delicious, fresh and very quick! 🌟

Amid

Came here with a bunch of mates. I enjoyed the dips and rice and tabouli but not much of the chicken and lamb taouk. Tea was quite nice and the Baklava was delicious service was timely and they did split bills.

Jamie

Tucked away within a small arcade on the Southern Cross side of Little Bourke, this Lebanese restaurant has a lot to offer. Within the span of a couple of months, I have found myself coming back to Tahini on multiple occasions. The best way to enjoy your experience here, is to get the soufra (which is the banquet option). Consisting of two “grill” options per person, a generous serving of flat bread, and the chefs choice of salads, dips, sides... all this is only about $25 per person! To get the most out of your dining experience here, my only other suggestion would have to be to get the halloumi fries and a pitcher of the apple, mint, ginger lemonade to wash all the food down with. Quality AND quantity, what more do you need?

SaladGirlMelbourne

i stumbled on this place on my way to a bagel shop hidden away in a non-descript arcade in cbd. so so good. thankyou tahini.beautiful herbal teas as well.

Karma Clarke

Melbourne’s indoor arcades are just as magical as it’s laneways, and are definitely worth exploring. I find the best restaurants and cafes simply by exploring, and that is how I found Tahini. It has been a delicious and dangerously addictive discovery. My first visit was solo during a week day lunch time, and I ordered what the waiter recommended, not really knowing what to expect.

Varun Chandwani

Great food Have been here quite a few times. I like there Lamb shawrma and falafel. One can order anything from the menu and will end up having a very delightful and yummy meal. This place is very popular during lunch time, so book before you arrive. Their pita breads with hummus is very refreshing. Recently tried salad which went pretty well with meat. A must try place in CBD

Srslyfoods

The food is really delicious. The servers are all very helpful, friendly and cheerful and made us felt very welcomed. Totally recommended for a group eat out.

Nay Nay

Just a small little shop hidden and tucked away. We didn't have a table but got one quick enough through a waiting list system during lunch peak. The food was prepared and served quickly. Sime great options and a but of everything Lebanese

Cmzajicek

We came here as a group of 4 and it’s a good option if you want lots of share plates in the middle and try a range of options. The staff were pretty confused though and brought out a number of incorrect dishes to the table, also the food came out all at once and could barely fit on the table, with limited explanation about what each dish was. It would have been better to bring out dips first, then entree then mains rather than everything together. The cheese filo pastries were absolutely delicious but otherwise not too many overly memorable dishes, even though tasty enough! Atmosphere a little to be desired, in the middle of a mall!

We.eat.travel.love

Absolutely love this place. We go here mostly at lunch time and if you are willing to dine in- please make a reservation ahead even if it is only 2 of you. This place is packed and yes does great food. Everything from Shawarma, to falafel to platters and dips &chips is amazing and fresh. And if you willing to do a takeaway- they do a lunch special falafel wrap for $9. Prices are a little higher than usual but definitely worth the taste and food. A much recommended.

Himal Parekh

The restaurant is a bit tricky to find (If you rely solely on Google maps) but when you get there the ambience is pretty good. It was crowded and a waiter there suggested that for lunch hours it's best to reserve tables because they are packed! I was there for dinner and it was delightful. It's a bit expensive but food quality is undeniably 👌🏼. Also very courteous service. Food is out quick and tastes great!

Littlepiggy

First time here for lunch and it was such a great first impression. Staff was attentive and helpful with the menu. Ordered the 'Soufra for more' which was like a banquet with a variety of dips, salads and grilled meats which was absolutely delicious and filling. Definitely recommend to get the Rakakat jibneh which is like a springroll but filled with cheese! I will be coming back to try the rest of the menu :) but be sure to get there early as the place gets packed really quick !

David Li

I've got invited here for a work lunch with a couple of colleagues. Consider I've never eaten Lebanese food, I've to be very objective about this and give it a good try. Spring roll looking food is nice. And meat is at a normal standard. Overall the food is nice but I don't think its my taste

Rachel Iwannabeaninja Tan

Made 3 of my vegan friends pay $23 each for a course only to run out of their mains and just KEPT QUIET ABOUT IT, making us all wait. We were all done with our mains except the 3 vegan friends who only had bread and dips, and the servers only told us they ran out when we followed up on our order after waiting for so damn long. They weren’t apologetic at all, and still made them pay $19. Come on, $19 just for literally just bread and dips?! The non-vegan mains weren’t that great either tbh, chicken skewers were so dry. And one of their mocktails tasted like an old person’s car air freshener. If you’re going as a group, just don’t let them talk you into going for the $23 course meal because they’ll leave things out and be sneaky about it. They don’t care about their customers or their reputation. They probably won’t even come on here to read feedback, they’re just happy they got our money.

Kim Tang

Really wanted to like this place but the customer service was APPALLING. Was told they’d cater vegan for a $23 course but my main never came because they “ran out”. I basically ate salads, bread with dips and falafel balls for a $23 course. When asked for a discount, they still insisted on $18.40... and this happened to another girl at the table next to mine. It’s not hard to show that you’re sorry, don’t charge people $18.40 for some salad and bread. This just shows that you’re money hungry, and you really don’t care about your customers at all.

Flying Forward

Quite a busy diner, I feel an air of excitement with all the Lebanese food options available. I had to get 2 fresh falafel, which was nice and crumbly. Kafta Wrap was loaded with hummus and minced lamb, which made the wrap quite hefty. In general, not the best Lebanese food I've had, but just the options available and the reasonable prices make this diner worth visiting. There is also an outdoor seating area towards the back of the restaurant. Waiters were also friendly and efficient. I'll be back to try other dishes!

Ozzy Kunnu

Tahini Lebanese Diner is a realm of Arak, beautiful flavors, perfectly cooked meats with walnuts, almonds and pomegranate molasses, nicely spiced garlic-ky potatoes, super moist Falafel, fresh Salads, Free-Flowing Pita Breads, huge (each enough for 2) Wraps, sumptuous barbecues, perfectly flavored and textured Turkish Delights and The Cherry on the Cake - extremely flaky Baklava Everything we ordered was beautiful to the eye and deliscious to taste. Vegans, Vegetarians and Meat lovers will love this place. Attendants are quite sweet and very polite. Ambience was perfect but seating could have been better as the sofas we were sitting on sank-in making it difficult to have our meals comfortably. But, we won't let this affect our ratings. Lebanese / MiddleEastern Feast couldn't get any better....And whoever said Feasts are costly has definitely not tried Tahini Lebanese Diner

Silllyadventures

Rating: 3.8 Ordered the souffra for two with our choice of grilled chicken skewers, grilled haloumi and lamb shwarma. The lamb was soft tender and delicious though portion a bit small and was too salty. The chicken was VERY DRY. The haloumi wasn't as memorable could be more grilled. The hummus was great and the falafel was also crispy but tender. Wish it came with a dessert! Overral would definitely come back for other items, probably not the chicken skewers. The meal was flavourful and the service quick

Joanne | Melbournecitay

Overall score: 19/25 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in 5 words: $8 falafel wrap on fridays * Taste ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I admit that I’ve only had the falafel wrap here. On Fridays, it’s especially good value. There’s plenty of crispy falafels in the wrap, along with lettuce and pickles. You could also ask for chilli sauce to add more “kick” to the wrap. * Ambience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - there was a huge restaurant crowd on the Friday I visited. Plenty of large groups enjoying the wide range of Lebanese dishes. * Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- on normal days, a falafel wrap costs $10. On Fridays, it’s $8! Other wraps cost $12-$17 which I think is standard pricing. * Presentation ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - the wrap stays together as I eat it.. quite unlike the other wraps I’ve eaten this week. Makes for an easy and clean office lunch * Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- i got my falafel wrap in 10 seconds.... lightning speed because it was pre-wrapped! Amazing! And yes, the falafel was still warm

Fatcat

Don’t know how I didn’t manage to eat at this place earlier. Lebanese food + not too exxy pretty much guaranteed a win. We had the soufra for two, felt like a massive banquet. Highly recommend!

Amy Flood

If you love the style of sharing food you’ll love Tahini. Skewers, dips, breads and salads they have it all. You can order sharing plates, individual dishes and everything in between! We were a table of 10. They managed to sit us just fine on one of their big long tables! The staff were really great, friendly and explained the menu and how it works. Some people went for the banquet style offering which is for more than 2 people. Everyone gets to pick 2 meats and then plenty of dips, breads and salads come along with it. I ordered a salad which had loads of pickled veggies. I LOVE pickled veggies with the chicken and prawn skewer. My salad came with flat bread. The meats come with their own dips. For me it’s like the perfect style of eating. Meat, veggies and bread. My only fault was that my chicken was a little dry. It was a very nice Friday night meal. I would go again for sure! 8.5/10

Mustard

My friend and I got the soufra for two for lunch and was amazed by the spread we got which came out pretty much all at once. The falafel was amazingly crispy and large. You can tell they were freshly fried as they've got a frying station on display. The cheese rakakat was flakey and crunchy filled with cheese, what's not to like? A side of tabouleh to freshen things up. We got to select 4 types of protein, that of which we found the lamb shawarma to die for. Fatty and well seasoned, it's best to devour this first before the fat coagulates. The chicken skewer was lean breast pieces and a tad boring as you can imagine. The kafta was a very tasty spiced mince on a skewer and the prawns had a lovely charred flavour to it. All this paired well with the various accompaniments with a generous amount of flatbread, labneh and hummus. A very welcome addition to the CBD, I'll be sure to go straight for the lamb shawarma next time! The soufra was great value and surprisingly I didn't feel bogged down despite the amount we ate.

Jeremy Kong

Love this place - the meat is juicy, succulent, tender... Good throwback to when I lived in Oman. Service was quick and friendly, and they kindly offered to explain the menu to us upon being seated, so new clients should find them very welcoming and the dishes and menu accessible. Split bills were done with little hassle (though there were only two of us so maybe there's that to consider). I ordered a mixed lamb and chicken shwarma - meats were beautifully cooked. Wonderful combination of flavours inside the wrap, which included pomegranite molasses, pickles, and the restaurant's namesake. As I had the tablieh (basically a combo), I also had chips (sprinkled with paprika? Cumin? No idea but it was delicious and perfectly cooked), hummus (rich and creamy), pickles and a salad (alright, a little dry). Was very satisfied by the end of it. Tahini is in this kinda food court-y passageway, but still managed to feel pretty warm and cosy thanks to its colourful tables and chairs and unique glassware. Also of note : they do gluten free wraps for no extra cost. For someone who's used to shelling out the extra dollars to eat like a regular person, it was a nice change to feel accommodated without having to spend yet more money for something outside of my choice. Drop by if you're in the area. Incredible food for affordable prices.

Sanduni Fernando

Great flavours and so moorish without being too heavy! We had the share platter for two and added a few dishes on the side and it was a lot of food, but we could not stop eating! Would definitely come back

Hbomb

What a cool intercity joint. This place was pumping with people but they were managing and turning over tables pretty quick. We ordered a banquette and so much good quality food came out. Can't wait to come back.

Tinmans Treats

You wouldn’t necessarily find this walking down the street, but Tahini is very popular with the lunch time work crowd. So popular that there are just as many people eating in as they are taking away. There's lots of seating and there's a great vibe. I got a takeaway lamb sharwma pack. I’ve been here a few times for their felafel wrap which is pretty tasty. I do like the meat options here also – this is Lebanese takeaway food at its finest. The chips… are amazing. The seasoning is fire. I’d actively seek this place out next time, it’s an underrated hit. The best eatery in that laneway.

Thecheftable

Great restaurants/cafe, booked a table just before the Rush hour, we got our food fresh & quick, we ordered 2 sufra's which obtain some salad,dips and meat, everyone on the table enjoyed. Not to forget to mention the service it was awesome. Thanks guys

The Dear Luncher

When you’ve had a million shawarma’s at Melbourne’s premier Lebanese establishment (Oasis Bakery) it’s always of interest to see how other Lebanese eateries deliver this spectacular tube of meat. Oasis in Murrumbeena is certainly the benchmark in Melbourne, so how does Tahini stack up? Not bad, not bad at all. It’s served up differently, so don’t expect to be eating it out of a paper bag (though maybe you can do this if it’s ordered take-away). The Dear Luncher ordered the lamb option, as part of the ‘meal deal’ aka Tablieh. The Tablieh results in chips and salad with a dip as well. The lamb within this shawarma was succulent and there was plenty of it inside. Quite obviously slow-cooked as per the description and the pickles inside were joyous too. The chips were excellent. They were sprinkled with what appeared to be a bit of sumac and paprika, they almost had a bit of chicken salt about them as well. The salad was a tad underwhelming, a dry dressing of some sort that needed lubrication. So The Dear Luncher splashed a bit of what appeared to be olive oil on the table, all over the salad. This didn’t improve it much it has to be said. The added pickled vegetables on the side were a nice touch. Quite a gigantic plate this one, so you get a lot for your $19. Oasis shawarma’s are still the preferred choice for The Dear Luncher but if you like your Lebanese and Middle Eastern fare in the CBD – you can’t go wrong at Tahini.

Spaghetti Monster

Went with a group of work colleagues for lunch today and had the Soufra for 8 people. Friendly and super fast service. Delicious food all round with a good variety and plenty of it. We left a good bit too as we were all pretty stuffed. Favourites were the cheesy spring rolls, Turkish sausage and tomato dish and the lamb & chicken sharwarmas. Lebanese / middle Eastern food isn’t really my thing but on the odd occasion I really enjoy it - today was one of those days.

Svsj

Tried the haloumi and lebanese black tea mint. Its a big portion. I like the seasoning both for the chips and haloumi wrap. Just adequate not too much. I like that the staffs were very friendly and helpful. Will definitely come back. Thing is though, if ur a first timer, it might be hard to find this place:”)

HKFayad

The closest you will get to the real street food of Beirut. Falafel is served Beirut style, with tahini and pickled vegetables. The Shish Tawook is served with creamed garlic. And they have imported Lebanese Pilsner, served Beirut style: with salt and lemon!

Me

Felafel wrap Friday’s are my favorite thing about this place. I come at least once a month for this treat. The felafel’s are cooked fresh and they are great. Also came recently and ordered a mixed toasted kebab style thing which came with chips a salad and some hummus. I found the lamb super fatty. The hummus wasn’t very flavorsome. The chips were great. Do yourself a favor and totally come and get the felafel wrap. The four stars are for the felafel.

Jasmine

Pretend this is a fast food place and not an establishment and you'll be less disappointed. Ordered: Falafel Tablieh (vegan): house made falafel, lettuce, parsley, tomato, radish, mint, pickles & tahini. Tablieh included a wrap, chips & a salad to match ($16.00) Review: I am not an experienced eater of middle eastern but I dislike how crumbly and dry the whole meal was. Falafel, although potentially delicious, disintegrated in my hands whilst the wrap was as exciting as chewing cardboard paper. Plain chips with overly pickled salad left a sour taste in my mouth. On the bright side, the interior is spacious and service was nice? :) Really wouldn't recommend this place for their falafel wrap though. Perhaps something else on the menu may prove to be a 5/5 experience.

Foodandwinefan

This place is one of my go to lunch spots within a block of work. They are licensed and have a fantastic menu, the food is hot and delicious and there’s always way too much of it! The staff are really good and know how to keep things moving in this busy little tucked away eatery. Highly recommended.

Ann T

Ordered Tahini for lunch at work via UberEATS. The lamb is delicious, cooked just right and not dry. Also the dips were great too. Wouldn't mind larger portion sizes.

Mujahed.shugdar

The service too bad and food comes late and cold , they took a piece halloumi from breakfast order and when i told them they denied. I show them my previous breakfast pic with more but still arguing.

Varsha Lakhani

Visited Tahini for lunch with colleagues and opted for Soufra ! Everything was done with perfection and the spread was lovely! So worth the price ! Would love to come back with my partner one of the evenings and enjoy the meal at leisure.

Good Food, Good Mood

The work crew came here on a Friday, I’d recommend booking if you plan to do so... it was absolutely manic. We were originally waiting for a table but ended up ordering takeaway to bring back to the office, the whole experience felt so rushed and chaotic. I just wanted a nice delicious meal and assumed from the overblown crowd inside that this place was the right choice. Brought my meal back, did I order the wrong thing or are they just small on the portions??? The Lahmeh wrap had no substance or flavour, there was hardly any meat and I’m glad there is sriracha at work. The salads and dip weren’t satisfactory, chips were probably the only good thing. For a whopping $18 I was expecting A LOT more, rather use that money on Nando’s (so I can get a drink with the combo) or another Lebabese restaurant for better value. Colleague said the falafel is good though. Any suggestions on what to order??????

Custardbun

A great place for lunch! The lahmeh is the best, tender and moist, with a smoky charcoal flavour. The falafel is also out of this world! The tabbouli and fattoush are also great if you are seeking a lighter lunch. If you can't decide, the platter for one is an easy and reasonably priced option. Despite being always busy at lunch, the staff are super friendly and efficient.

Karina J

Amazing chicken wrap! Had exquisitely spiced and marinated chicken through the entire wrap and the best garlic sauce I’ve had! Very filling- will definitely recommend to friends

Mouth On A Mission

Offering a great selection of meals for an affordable and delicious lunch. The food here is very good providing delicious meals as well as amazingly fast service to cope with their enormous popularity. The falafel wrap is particularly nice coming in at just $10 and more importantly coming with falafel that was nicely cooked and no dry or chewy as it is so easy to find bad falafel. I would recommend this restaurant for a quick lunch with friends that promises good food for a reasonable price.

Split The Bill

Very popular with the legal eagles (it's near the Magistrates' Court) this lebanese diner serves up some yummy food. I am partial to the felafel wrap, you can see the balls bubbling away so you know it's fresh, unlike the sad felafel you see in the kebab shops. These are great balls of fire. Great interior, dine in or take away, you'll be happy.

Social Shark

Excellent food and the happy hour offer where you get the Lebanese banquet with a drink included for $22 is one of the best value for 💰 deals in Melbourne The wide range of choices and quality of the food was s delight and all four of us thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food.

Bob

Visited Tahini for lunch on Friday with mates at work. There was a fair bit of wait before we got seated given its popularity. As our first visit, we went with the soufra. There was definitely much more than what we could finish. Food was very tasty. Highly recommend the lamb shawarma, which was well seasoned and very tender. The freshly made falafels were great too.

Sana @ MissBurberryXO

We visited Tahini Lebanese Diner on a Friday afternoon, and hence, it was super packed. The wait for not longer than 10 minutes. The shish tawook we ordered came with a side of toum (garlic sauce). Chicken was tender and very aromatic - the char on the pieces of chicken gave it a slight smokiness which is delicious. The toum was very mild (for my own toum loving taste buds). The staff was very helpful in suggesting a small side salad with gluten-free croutons. The crutons were fresly made and tasted better than the salad itself which had turned soggy. I had to order a tablieh (instead of a wrap) since I was avoiding gluten - and this cost $18 instead of $12 for a wrap. Good value for money for a sit-down lunch on a busy Friday afternoon!

Rachel Hui

Lovely diner set up that's quiet enough for a good weekday evening catch up with mates. Staff were friendly, helpful and very accommodating to our group consisting of one vegan, a few vegetarians and two meat-eaters - we went with the 'Souffra for more' option and it did not disappoint...we had an abundance of different dishes to suit everyone and each one was done really well - the standouts for me were the grilled prawns and the tabouleh salad. The food came out quickly and the drinks were really refreshing too. Bonus points for being happy to let us split the bill :) The place doesn't kick on till late but neither do I. I'll definitely be back to Tahini!

Shashank And Deepti

This place was recommended by my friend and surprised to see how busy it was during lunch time. We luckily got seats by the bar as soon as we arrived. We ordered Soufra for two - generous meal and delicious. Next time would love to try their falafel wrap which seem to be popular.

MadaboutFood

I have been to This place now 3 times and all the time food was great, service was good. Peak hours its too busy & reservations recommended. We had arranged a formal office party and didn't find a place to sit indoors but luckily weather was too good to sit outdoor that day!! I highly recommend the 22dollar plater its awesome. Do try the fired potato sides and all dips are out of the world 👌

Naval

Good food.. unfortunately the host on the day I visited was not helpful and was confused. Should have a proper reservation list rather than writing on board and then striking down people who are standing there and not maintaing the order.

FoodieMe

Been there with my office folks. Had to wait for almost 30 mins and that's the crowd u see on a Friday afternoon.wouldnt complain cos the food did total justice. I personally love middlleeastern food and the falafel and hummus was totally worth it. Loved every bite and would love to go back soon.

Sweet And Sour Fork

All up, Tahini was a bit of an underwhelming experience, though not unexpectedly so. I imagine they achieve what they mainly set out to do, and that’s to serve up a quick, reasonable meal at a reasonable price for those who work nearby. I can imagine finding myself here every now and then if I worked in the next building over, but that aside, there’s not much else to bring me back.

Jessica McPherson

I was so excited to try this place out when I found out they had gluten free options! I practically ran there after work, and ordered the Soufra for one with an extra skewer on the side. I bit in to the chicken, and it tasted really funky, like something was wrong but I couldn’t place what it was. Another bite, I realised the texture was a bit strange. I then pried the cubes of meat apart only to find that my skewer was undercooked and horrible. Unfortunately, this has led to me being sick in bed for two days now, with no sign of improvement. I messaged them on Facebook about the situation, and no apology or attempt to remedy the situation! They left my message on seen. My advice? Stay away from here.

Cocktails&Chocolate

Great little Lebanese restaurant tucked away in a food court but open for dinner each night. Went on a Wednesday night and it was buzzing. Service was super friendly and attentive. I got the tablieh with the halloumi wrap. The serving was huge! It came out with pickled vegetables and dips. The vegetables and dips were great but I thought the wrap itself was lacking in flavour. Friends got the lamb and chicken versions and said they were great.

Kirsten Weaver

Food was really nice, good portions and fresh and lots of vegetables. Atmosphere was average as it was way too busy and they basically wanted to turn over tables as quick as possible. The waiter came over to us when we were still eating and said he needed our table back. We asked for the bill and they said we had to line up to pay (in the same line as everyone getting take away), the line was spiraling out of the restaurant! I told them they couldn't expect us to wait in that line after having table service and the waiter was quite argumentative, proceeded to tell me we had the table for an our and that the food only took 20 minutes to come out etc! It seems the kitchen were good and could cope with all the orders but they didn't have anything else sorted out. Prob wouldn't go back even though the food is good - way too hectic!

Mike Farah

Fantastic Lebanese cuisine, I especially love the falafel roll, beautifully crispy and the smokey eggplant dip. If you can, come with a few friends and get their sharing menu, it's a real treat.

Andy Dufrain

New shop opened up in Collins Square, thought id give it a crack and was pretty disappointed, Ordered the Mezza for 16$ - came with 1 skewer with 5 pieces of lamb on it and 12 pieces of bread? Tabouli was delicious and so was the hummus. Get rid of the carrot and cauliflower and replace it with a drink or give us more meat and you have a reasonable priced meal. Portions are way off. I hear that the wraps are the way to go...If you want value and taste.

Angel Lewisova

Had an excellent lunch here - $40 for a mixed lunch banquet we couldn't finish! Couple of different dips, loads of bread(would have been nicer if it was warm though), falafel, a nice salad, choice of meat or vegetable skewers, we had lamb , chicken, prawn and haloumi - all great!

Lole Lole Lole

Very busy place during lunch so be sure to book ahead, otherwise you'll be lining up for ages to dine in.. Waiters were very friendly and attentive, food took a while to come out for the 4 of us. A group of 6 managed to get their food before we did even though we ordered first. Had the shish tawouk and although it was tasty and enjoyable, I've had better Lebanese tawouk elsewhere and what I had was below average. Not going to be rushing to come back.

Eat And Be Merry Crew

This Lebanese Diner hits the spot and has found a big following - the food is flavoursome and filling - perfect Friday work lunch to see you into Friday night and the weekend! I didn't try the warak areesh (vegetarian vine leaves) as I needed to leave stomach room for the rest! The rakakat jibneh are light cheesy pastry cigars - they'll do! The halloumi fries are... well it's halloumi, fried, with tahini, mint, pomegranate and I'm pretty sure some pomegranate molasses. You need to eat them quickly while still hot as they go a bit rubbery when they cool - but freshly cooked they are the antidote to the wait for the end of Friday. They give all the good feels. The lamb ribs were fall off the bone tender and tasty, just a little too fatty for me. The arayis, minced spiced lamb flatbread with pine nuts and zaatar will become a regular order.

Lauren Croning

The food was absolutely amazing and the staff were incredibly lovely. Did not have any complications whatsoever, I will for sure be returning and I would definitely recommend!

Nicole ✌️

Had the Halloumi wrap last week and just had to come back for another visit before going home! The ingredients used were so fresh, and it was so beautiful and enjoyable to eat! They also have the best hot chips 👌 I'll definitely be visiting again!

Sprinkles

Found this place on Uber Eats, came In for a visit and loved it! The halloumi wrap was delicious, full of Fresh flavours it made the perfect easy meal! Lovely and friendly service too ❤️

KnowingMelbourne

Tahini offers the best chips I've had in the cbd. And I've had a lot of chips in the city! I recommend the platter for 2, as it will leave 3 people full. The tablieh (wrap, dip, pickles & chips) is a battle for even the hungriest person. And it is delicious. Wash it down with traditional lemonade & you'll be productive all afternoon.

Piggyeatalot

Not too bad for the price really. I had a haloumi wrap which tasted quite fresh and healthy, although not 100% sure w the basil sauce... is that Lebanese? Anywayz, hubby had a few grilled sticks and he thought that was meh. He didn't like the potato and beef croquettes either. Admittedly the beef croquet was super oily but I found the beef inside quite tender.

BrunswickBeetroot

A very welcome addition to the Melbourne CBD lunch scene. Tahini serves up incredibly delicious Lebanese food. This is a great place to visit in a group and while it can be difficult to get a table during the lunch rush, they do accept bookings. I've tried the soufra for two (SO much food, you and your sharing friend won't go hungry) falafel wrap, the pickled cauliflower salad and the falafel salad. These are all really yummy, filling, flavour-packed dishes. The falafel salad is my particular favourite because the crunchy falafels with delightfully purple picked cabbage, finely cut apple sticks with a creamy hummus dressing and toasted seasame seeds is a great way to brighten up the day! The staff can appear a bit hurried but are friendly. When you pay don't forget to try some of the complementary Lebanese chewing gum. The flavour doesn't last long but they are a good palate-cleanser, especially the cinnamon.

Gin

This place is hellish busy at lunch time so book or queue. You won't get better Lebanese in the CBD. Sure, it's in a food court, but for a quick, tasty, healthy lunch, it's a winner.

Robin

We had the lamb ribs and there was very little meat on them, mostly fat and very greasy. Spoke to two different waitresses about it and both were unable to accept constructive feedback. So disappointing.....

Marley

Amazing food and the service is so good. The falafels are so delicious I've been having dreams about them ever since. Just up the road from work so I'll be back regularly with friends!

Hungry

I absolutely love this place. The Soufra for One with chicken and kofta skewers is just the best thing ever and their hummus is just oh so good. A regular lunch spot for me. Just remember to book if you want to eat here!

Gholamg

The place looks great and the service is friendly, so arrived with great expectations, as a Middle Eastern food lover. Left bitterly disappointed. If you're looking for authentic Middle Eastern food, this is not the place to be. Lamb was dry and tasteless, both on a skewer and the mince. Mix of salads was all wrong, for Middle Eastern cuisine. In short, all looks good, but fails to deliver.

Zaid Al-Daweri

I Ordered the lamb skewers and the chicken , didn't like the texture and taste of the lamb , chicken was alright , didn't satisfy my taste buds . Lamb and chicken was overly marinated no taste of chicken or lamb , all you can taste are species. good quantity wise. The service was alright. Will not recommend at all if you are going on a lunch or dinner date.

Kate Gf, Df, V

I really enjoyed this place. It was tucked away in a shopping centre, but this meant it was quiet and accessible to wheelchair users. I had the falafel salad which was definitely gluten free, I didn't check if the dressing was dairy free (sorry). But the menu was clearly labelled, we could access it online beforehand to plan what we wanted, and the waitress was super friendly and helpful. I not only ate my sald but also the bits of my friend's meal that she couldn't manage to fit in :-D

Maddie Kingham

My partner and I went here for lunch today and were very impressed! I ordered the Soufra for 1 ($19.00)and my partner ordered the Falafel Wrap with Tablieh ($16.00). Boy, did we get a lot of food with it! We both walked out of there absolutely stuffed! More importantly though, the food was tasty! The falafel was incredibly fresh- crunchy on outside and fluffy inside, the sauces were all very delicious (special mention to the Garlic Toum- I wish I could buy this!). The prawns were cooked well, although could have had a moment longer on the grill to get a bit more charring. All in all- a very enjoyable and satisfying lunch!

Whats On The Grill?

Don't understand why this place has average reviews, it is a great lunch spot. Lots of nice dips (baba ghanoush the stand out) and the skewered lamb is delish! Did find the chicken to be a touch dry however. Food is delivered fast and served with a smile. Look forward to coming back!

Allan Ramos

The Soufra was really good ! The lamb very well cooked and the humus incredible! Very good and original lebanese taste with original ingredients and fresh flavour

Gee

Found all the skewers to be a little dry. Had the two lamb skewers, chicken, prawn and haloumi. The hummus was nice but the bread felt like mountain bread out of a bag. Overall wouldn't rush back here.

Jesskaar

Ah yes. $40 here goes a long way for two people. You can order the Soufra for 2, which includes an assortment of skewers, salads, fried items, dips & breads. We had 4 people, so we ordered two Soufras, meaning we were able to sample an amazing spread and variety of food. Cheese cigars, eggplant dip, tabbouleh, hummous, fattoush, freshly fried falafel, pickles, lamb, bread, dip, bread, dip. I went back and forth, meticulously making my way through everything. My only criticism was that the meat skewers were very dry, so I would recommend getting the falafel instead. Aside from this, the service was friendly and attentive, and I believe the kitchen gave us a few extra goodies, which wad very generous. Will be back!

Our Foodie Finds

Needed somewhere to burn time before a night out and came past this place at the back of little Bourke just behind Banoi. Tahini was a nice surprise having low expectations due to it being a CBD restaurant which usually means it tastes awful. We ordered the Soufra for 2 which came with 4 items from the grill. We chose the shish tawouk (marinated chicken), kafta (lamb skewers), haloumi and kraides (tiger prawns) which was served with hummus, labneh, tabouleh, warak Areesh and rakakat Jibneh $38.0. Also grabbed a serving of baklava, 4 pieces $7.0. Really delicious! Surprisingly so as nothing was overcooked or under for that matter, nothing under seasoned or lacked the flavour that we expected from these types of dishes. Living in the North West of Melbourne we're a little spoilt for options and we've had our fair share of bad but Tahini Lebanese Diner isn't one of them. The service was on point also with our meals coming out pretty quickly. Well dressed and well mannered service staff along with the decor and general vibe of the Diner made for a great pre night out meal. Would like to try out a couple of the other dishes here and fingers crossed it wasn't a one hit wonder but till next time, this is Our Foodie Find!

Edenn Eats

My good friend took me to this little gem in the cbd, tucked away in true melbourne style. I am glad I was taken here before I read the reviews as I had an amazing experience and if I had gone off reviews I probably would have skipped this. The food was amazing, we had halloumi skewers which came with one of the most delicious dips I've ever tasted (smokey flavoured!) cheese sticks, lamb, tabbouleh, hommus, falafel and more! Great beers on tap perfectly matched the food too. I honestly don't know why it has some negative reviews it's a great place wonderful atmosphere and fantastic staff. Do yourself a favour and have a Thursday night in here!

James Brodyboy

Had the share platter for 2, was enough for 4. The chicken was so tender and and yogurt dip was was out of this world Can not fault this place!!

Mo A (Ma777444)

The place looks busy, the food looks tasty and colourful. BUT IT IS NOT TASTY AT ALL. Bad service manners by the owner and his employees. The amount of food is small comparing to what you are paying. Yeah, I agree the place looks fancy and you need it for your instagram profile :)

Bobby

Really nice falafel. Good service, fresh but just a bit too expensive. The tablieh isn't too bad, with lots of food and is nicely varied - probably too much food for a lunch, but that's a good thing. Vegan items are clearly marked.

Alix Smith

I love this place! Delicious, full of flavour and the ingredients all taste very fresh and clean. The falafels were huge, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and incredible dipped in the smoky eggplant dip. The prawn wrap has amazing charry flavours. The beautiful pink pickles are delicious and look amazing. Love the fit-out. So happy to have a place like this in the cbd.

Shaun Ginsbourg

As a big fan of middle eastern and particularly Lebanese food I was very excited to give this venue - just a stone's throw from the office - a go. Unfortunately it was very disappointing. My party of three hungry blokes each ordered a Tablieh. For $18 we each received a wooden board laden with a pita bread sparsely stuffed with protein, lettuce and chunks of floury tomato, chips, a handful of salad, radish and cucumber pickle, and a dip. In my case the salad was a coleslaw similar to one you would buy pre-made in a supermarket. My fellow diners were treated to a handful of parsley with a few slices of onion. Whilst there was enough food to leave us feeling full, all of it was very bland and lacking in imagination. This is extremely surprising given the restaurant is beautifully fitted out, seems to have good number of customers - for now anyway - and it takes very little effort or expense to make this sort of food vibrant and delicious. Whilst there is nothing wrong with keeping food simple, this does not mean it has to be as boring as this. I suggest the owners of this establishment need to get down to a place like Oasis Bakery in Murrumbeena - or even the nearby Workers Food Room - to find some inspiration. Otherwise they will find their cavernous eatery starting to look tired and empty very soon.

Mia

If you're ever in the city during the day and feeling like a delicious Lebanese meal tahini is a good choice. The shish tawook is succulent, the toum is perfecto, falafel is delicious. However I found the falafel WRAP too dry. But that aint going to stop me from going back to buy everything else on the menu

The Swine

Every now and then the Swine has a craving that needs to be met - today, it was big bulging falafel balls that the Swine was looking to put in his mouth! 'Tahini Lebanese Diner' in the city was the eatery of choice but it just didn't happen. The magic just wasn't there. These balls were not big, juicy or bulging. They were also way to salty for the Swine's liking. Today The Swine had his balls in a wrap which was full of pink and green pickles. Yes, this was a bit strange (and cold) - yes very tangy with an interesting texture. The Swine is sorry to say this is not something that he can recommend on a Monday at lunchtime. The Swine understands that great falafel balls may be an acquired taste but he knows what he likes and loves. It wasn't this! The Swine is disappointed. He may have to venture to Sydney Road to find the quality falafel balls he is accustomed to. Not Swine Approved.

JZY

大写的失望！地方难找，东西难吃，价格高，我都不想写逐个写评论了，可是这140字的review我得凑够字数啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 不开心，如果你想惩罚自己就去吃吧，呵呵：） Pleeeeeeeaaaaaase do yourself a favour and don't ever eat here. I won't even spend time writing reviews. Nothing is good here except the service.

The New Fave

Tahini is one of the latest eateries to open up in the legal district of the CBD. Offering Lebanese cuisine, the venue itself oozes with character and offers both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as eat in or take away options. The menu is extensive offering a range of wraps, skewers, salads and dips and, most importantly, they do serve wine! To eat I couldn't go past the Tablieh - choice of wrap with chips, salad and dip for only $18. For the wrap I chose the Kafta - spice minced beef with hummus, pickles, parsley onion and sumac. The wrap itself was dry and lacked flavour, so thank goodness for the side of hummus and an offering of chilli sauce to liven the dish up. Otherwise, the chips were cooked well and deliciously seasoned, and the slaw was a delicious and complimentary accompaniment.

Zhitian Zhang

I've ordered halloumi wrap and couple of falafel The wrap is wrap with chunk tomatoes and cucumber and lettuce and occasionally halloumi itself. It was bland. Falafel was also bland. Sorry guys:-( Service is friendly,though.

Bigriffs

Lunchtime walk in, place was quite busy, ordered the chicken tawook as a meal with chips and a salad. The wrap was excellent, minimal in approach but bursting with flavour from the toum (a garlic condiment) and very fresh. The chips were so-so, quite al dente, as if they had eschewed the traditional dunking and merely wafted the basket over the fryer, and the parsley salad was a nice hit of green. Also came with tasty pickles and a couple of dips (though nothing to dip with) - the hummus was a little dry but tasted good, and the hair-curling toum was as addictive as ever. The felafel looked pretty good, will try those next time. A bit expensive given it's fairly traditional lebanese fare which can be had in most corners of our fair city, but an exciting addition to the CBD which is curiously bereft of decent lebbo food.

Heidi

I visited tahini for the first time at lunch today. It's a cool little Lebanese place tucked away next to smucks bagels, nearby goldsborough lane if you're having trouble. There's not a heap to choose from for lunch around this area so it's always nice to have a new addition. I had the prawn wrap and my friend had the chicken wrap both were really nice and tasty, they came out quicker than I thought given the amount of people in there! They were also generous with the amount of prawns. My only criticism and they'll work it out as they are new, is that it wasn't very clear where to stand and order, there were two lines, we stood in one for a while and the bar person handed over menus for us to look at while we waited in line. Then a different person came and told us we were in the drinks line not the food line. It's such a small criticism and but if the target market is the lunch crowd we all have very precious time to eat and relax and don't want to waste any time in the wrong queue. Appropriate signage will sort this out easily.

Review Tahini Lebanese Diner - Melbourne