Tèta Mona restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

I don't usually write reviews on companies but this review had to be written now before anyone jumps the gun on me, I will explain why I rated the restaurant 2 stars out of 5. This may or may not have anything to do with the fact that I am middle eastern myself and was expecting the same traditional foods you get at home I did love the dips but the mains and the side dishes like the tabbouleh to be specific was the worst I have ever eaten by far being in public at a restaurant such as this. To make my night even worse I tried Fatte bi Lahem and that turned me off my whole culture no offence. It was too salty not enough yogurt the meat that they used shouldn't be prepared in that form on a dish like this rather it should of been minced and sprinkled. On the other hand the waitress was really nice but then there was a worker at a register who completely fired back at me really nicely though saying that the last dish i mentioned was the best seller! I was like that's it the world has gone mad or I am not really middle eastern anymore. And the crowd in there is that part of Melbourne really that snobby and shocked to see a middle eastern person walk into a westernised middle eastern cafe. I hope they improve their menu because honestly either present it and change the taste to the real traditional way or maybe elaborate your menu more when a customer ask's.... I don't know what else to say sorry if I was being dramatic and negative I just thought what was on my mind had to be said but usually I would keep it in my thoughts and let it roll by. Good luck for future I'm sure other people who actually never been to Lebanon will enjoy your foods because they never tasted the real cuisine in the beginning. How my tayta Mona...

Interesting. Sounded expensive, it was, but good value for money. Plenty of food. Pretty packed into the space, even for the style of the setting and for the style of the food it felt too crammed. I was conscious that I was probably also speaking to the people at the table next to me. The portion sizes were large, which justified the price. I’m usually one to finish the table but takeaway was necessary. A fun assortment of food in the set course menu, with a couple of memorable dishes including the 7 spice chicken with wild rice, the Samboosek (halloumi pockets), and the drizzle of pomegranate molasses on the fattouch. The chicken was extremely tender, and as a dish with the chewy wild rice there was both amazing balance flavour and texture. The lamb tasted veryyy lamby, and the hummus had what was a beyond healthy pool of olive oil on top. The fattouch was highlighted by the pomegranate molasses.

The food felt authentic, and it was a feel good, fun and enjoyable meal. For a $50 set course I would have appreciated a little more space between tables, and perhaps a change of plates between appetisers and mains but an experience overall I was very...

I went with warm, nostalgic anticipation of my own teta's (grandmother's) cooking without expecting replication. The reality was very different and unfortunately disappointing. The food was amateurish and tasteless, sometimes under cooked. It was as if I was getting a ten year old's version of the cooks teta's cooking, served in child like bowls, sitting at uncomfortable tables like old school desks and benches. Lebanese food is not complicated, but it is labour intensive at times, and should be full of flavour. The banquet that I tasted was like a very ordinary simple food version. The physical space of the restaurant is cramped and grungy, and not at all inviting and homely like one might expect from a middle eastern restaurant. The service was friendly, but I felt sorry for the conditions they had to work in. And sorry for the patrons that were there, who would never taste my teta's cooking. As I walked out with my friend, I was not surprised not see any middle eastern looking people seated at the tables. If one knew the food one would not go back. If one didn't, there are other...