Balila Lebanese Cuisine & Cafe — Restaurant in Melbourne

We wanted to try out Lebanese food and Balila was close enough to not go. We also noticed all the good reviews and decided to visit for a late lunch.

We didn't make a mistake!

This family run restaurant and take away joint is a small gem. The owners welcomed us to their restaurant and it was clear that they are proud to cook for us.

The quality as well as the quality of the food is very good. All dishes were presented well and seemed freshly cooked.

The lamb shank is a must try. The meat on the bone was super soft and the tangy sauce on top made the overall taste go up another notch.

The open plate of shwarma weigh lamb looked great and tasted great too. I've again the meat was well cooked and the combination of pickle, chips, and salad and the lemony taste that tickles your taste buds. Yum!

We also took vegetarian Makbeh (vegetable stew) for our vegetarian family member. The verdict was that the dish was good, but the tomato base of the stew was too strong and overpowered the whole dish, which made it taste more like passata. Maybe something needs to change.

An additional cold item was the Okra dish, which we all enjoyed. I never thought that I could enjoy a cold okra dish. And here we are.

We liked the Lebanese bread, which we tried with almost all dishes. The trick is to fill the meat, pickles, chips and sauce on the bread to eat it as a roll. Loved it!

Balila is great, and we'll...

I wish I could give more than 5 stars to this restaurant, simply amazing!! Today was not my first time trying this restaurant I have been to this restaurant quite a few times and the food is always amazing.

My personal favourite are the wings and the mashawe, I don't think my words will make justice but I'll try. The skewers in the mashawe are so tender and well seasoned the smell is enough to make you hungry. Personally, I cannot tolerate the smell of lamb and opt out of it at other places but their lamb skewers are the only ones I can try it's so soft so juicy and perfectly seasoned. The grilled chicken wings with their garlic dip is even more amazing with the seasoning and the smoky flavour. Even when I order online the quality and freshness of the food is always amazing.

This restaurant is so close to my heart not only because of its amazing, delicious food but also because of the owners. The business is family owned but every member is so warm and welcoming they always make you feel at home.

Whenever I try to find a place to eat I always choose to eat at their place have not have the chance to try anything else and I have no regrets :)) Masha Allah great...

The meals were substantial and we over ordered of course! But they were very tasty to the point that we reluctantly asked for a box to take the leftovers home. Except it was minimal. Now for the coffee, it was heaven. Yes, it was a Lebanese coffee. Smooth as silk with some sugar and so delicious. We were well looked after by the lovely people who run the place. They explained the menu thoroughly for us. So a lovely experience with Lebanese quisine.

We came for breakfast a little time later. I wish we took a pic. It was awesome and very different, but oh so flavorsome. Do yourself a favour and come for coffee. Then have a baklava or a semolina cake, both were delicious and made by the proprietors. This was added to our Top 5 dining...