Walking into your first middle eastern restaurant can feel pretty overwhelming honestly. But once you understand how the whole sharing thing works, it's actually fun. You'll get to taste way more dishes than eating alone ever allows. This guide covers everything from what to order to basic manners. Places like Nour Restaurant Sydney in Surry Hills make the experience even better.
Why This Food Feels Different
That smell hits you right away - grilled meat, warm bread, spices everywhere. Your brain starts trying to figure out what you're actually smelling there. Most people freeze up a bit when they first see the menu.
Everything works differently here compared to regular American or Italian restaurants you know. Nobody orders just one plate and keeps it to themselves at all. The whole point is passing dishes around and trying everything together as a group.
How the Whole Sharing Thing Works
So here's the deal with middle eastern restaurant dining - it's all about mezze. That's basically a bunch of small plates that keep showing up. You're not getting everything dumped on your table at once like Olive Garden.
Think of it more like Spanish tapas if you've tried that before. Dishes come out when they're ready, which takes a while sometimes. Your server isn't being slow, that's literally just how it goes here.
Getting the Order Right
Here's what actually works: get two or three cold dips per couple eating. Then add maybe one or two hot things to try out. Finally grab one main dish for every two or three people there.
Don't go crazy ordering everything that sounds good right away though. You can always get more if everyone's still hungry after the first round.
Starting with Cold Stuff
These cold dishes come first and they're pretty safe for beginners honestly. Hummus is the obvious one everyone already knows from the grocery store. Baba ganoush tastes smokier and has this eggplant thing going on.
Tabbouleh is mostly parsley with some other stuff mixed in there. It looks super green on the plate when it arrives. Fattoush salad has these crispy pita pieces that make it actually interesting.
What to Get First
Just start with hummus and call it safe if you're nervous. Maybe add baba ganoush if your group likes trying new things at all. Both work great with that warm bread they keep bringing around constantly.
Hot Starters Worth Trying
Falafel shows up on basically every middle eastern restaurant menu you'll ever see. They're fried chickpea balls that taste way better than they sound. Sambousek are these little triangle pastries with meat or cheese stuffed inside.
Halloumi cheese gets grilled until it's all golden but doesn't melt somehow. It's weird but really good with a squeeze of lemon. Kibbeh uses bulgur wheat and meat shaped into balls or patties depending.
The Crowd Favorites
Everyone orders falafel because it's familiar and tastes amazing every single time. Sambousek gives you that crunch factor people love with fried food. If you see something called arayes, get it - it's pita stuffed with spiced meat.
Main Dishes That Actually Fill You Up
Grilled meats are where middle eastern restaurant kitchens really show off their skills. Shish tawook is chicken that's been sitting in yogurt marinade all day. It comes off the grill juicy and packed with garlic and lemon flavor.
Lamb kofta uses ground lamb mixed with herbs and spices on skewers. Mixed grill platters give you literally everything on one big plate. You get chicken, lamb, kofta, sometimes even quail if you're at a fancy place.
Chicken Options
Shish tawook never comes out dry because of that yogurt trick cooks use. Chicken shawarma is the one that spins on that big vertical rotisserie. Both taste completely different even though they're both just chicken technically.
Red Meat Choices
Lamb chops get cooked over real charcoal which makes them taste incredible honestly. Beef kabobs work if you're not into lamb at all for some reason. The kofta thing is basically Middle Eastern meatballs on a stick basically.
Vegetarian People Actually Have Options Here
Good news if you don't eat meat - this cuisine gets it right. Moussaka here isn't the Greek version, it's eggplant with tomatoes baked together. Fasolia means white beans cooked in tomato sauce with tons of garlic.
Stuffed grape leaves taste tangy from the lemon juice they add inside. Most places will make you a vegetarian combo plate with four different things.
Why It Works for Vegetarians
The food treats vegetables like they matter, not like an afterthought thrown together. Chickpeas, lentils, and eggplant get the same respect as meat dishes do. Spices make everything taste complex without needing meat at all really.
That Bread They Keep Bringing
Fresh pita shows up hot throughout your entire meal at no charge usually. You literally use it as your fork and spoon combined here. Rip off a piece and scoop up whatever dip you're eating.
Some spots serve flatbread with za'atar sprinkled on top which tastes herby. Saj bread looks almost see-through it's so thin when it arrives.
Actually Using It Right
Just tear the bread and use it to grab food directly. Nobody judges you for eating with your hands at a middle eastern restaurant. That's literally the traditional way to do it over there anyway.
Drinks That Make Sense
Skip the Coke and try ayran if you're feeling adventurous about things. It's basically drinkable yogurt with salt added which sounds gross but works. Fresh lemon-mint juice tastes sweet and refreshing with spicy food especially.
Arabic coffee comes after dinner in these tiny cups that pack serious caffeine. Mint tea helps your stomach handle all that food you just ate.
Bar Options Now
Lebanese wine from Bekaa Valley goes surprisingly well with this type of food. Lots of restaurants make cocktails now using pomegranate juice and rosewater stuff. Nour Restaurant Sydney has a whole bar program that's won awards apparently.
Basic Rules to Follow
Just remember these things and you're good:
Your right hand is for eating when you're using bread pieces
Asking questions about menu items is totally normal and expected here
Grab small amounts since you're sampling tons of different dishes anyway
Nobody's rushing you, so just relax and talk between courses
Tell your server if something tastes amazing, they appreciate hearing it
Don't ask for the check until you're actually ready to leave
Sweet Stuff at the End
These desserts pack way more sugar than American desserts you're used to. Baklava is that layered pastry with nuts and honey everyone's heard about. Kunafa has cheese underneath crispy noodles soaked in sweet syrup on top.
Ma'amoul are date-filled cookies that taste better than they sound honestly. Muhallabia is pudding with rosewater which gives it a flowery taste.
Handling All That Sugar
Order one dessert for three or four people to share around. The sweetness can hit you hard if you're not ready for it. Coffee or unsweetened tea helps balance everything out at the end there.
Getting a Table Reserved
Good spots fill up fast on Fridays and Saturdays especially around here. Call at least a few days early if you want weekend dinner. Nour Restaurant Sydney books up way in advance since it's the top middle eastern restaurant in Surry Hills.
Tell them if you're celebrating something special when you call ahead. They'll usually do something extra for birthdays or anniversaries happening that night.
When to Actually Go
Tuesday through Thursday nights are way easier to get into without planning. Lunch is less crowded than dinner, basically always is everywhere. Late dinners after 8:30 sometimes have tables available without calling first.
Just Go Try It Already
Your first middle eastern restaurant experience will probably surprise you in a good way. The staff actually wants you to enjoy yourself the whole time there. Messing up pronunciation on dish names doesn't matter at all honestly.
Ask whatever questions pop into your head about ingredients or spices used. Servers are used to explaining things to new people all the time. That whole hospitality thing is real - they genuinely care about your experience.
Share everything, try weird-sounding dishes, take your time eating slowly for once. You might find flavors that become your new obsession after tonight. Whether you're hitting up Nour Restaurant Sydney or somewhere else nearby, just jump in.
