Zareh

Tom Sarafian cooked at London's St. John and Moro and ran the kitchen at Bar Saracen, then turned his hummus into a cult jarred brand, before opening Zareh in August 2025, named for his Armenian grandfather, who cooked professionally after migrating from Egypt. It won Best Restaurant at Time Out's 2026 Food & Drink Awards, on a five-star debut review.

Why go

Everything comes off a wood oven and charcoal pit custom-built by Samuel Fraraccio (Broadsheet). The London years show less in any single dish than in the discipline: a short menu, most of it fired to order, which Time Out reads as "a tight, thoughtful menu that feels carefully considered from start to finish." Sarafian folds his Armenian-Egyptian heritage and partner Jinane Bou-Assi's Lebanese roots onto one plate, or as Broadsheet frames the through-line, "Armenians brought the spice and the heat to Lebanon." He cooked on MasterChef Australia in 2026, and the 2026 Age Good Food Guide named Zareh New Restaurant of the Year two months after it opened, handing it a first hat in the same edition.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the signature hummus under Fraser Isle spanner crab and Mooloolaba prawns, the dish Jeff rates one of the most unique he ate all year. To start, Broadsheet says "the best way to start your meal is with bastourma toast and kafta nayyeh," the toast built on Armenian cured beef over charcoal-grilled Akimbo sourdough. For mains, the chicken kebab with toum and pickled green chili, which Time Out calls "the kind of dish that forces you to reconsider the idea that chicken could ever be boring," the crisp-skinned rainbow trout, or the harissa-spiced lamb cutlets (Broadsheet). Drink the arak.
• Avoid: leaving the interior to chance on a weekend. Forty seats on a busy strip book out, so reserve ahead. The outdoor tables are walk-in only (Jeff, first-hand), a backup if the inside is full.

What locals & experts say

• Time Out (2026): named Zareh "Best Restaurant" at its Food & Drink Awards, and the five-star review calls it "a tight, thoughtful menu that feels carefully considered from start to finish," singling out the chicken skewer as "the kind of dish that forces you to reconsider the idea that chicken could ever be boring." ref
• Broadsheet: the fire kitchen turns out "crisp-skinned rainbow trout, blushing harissa-spiced lamb cutlets, and an outstanding chicken kebab served with toum and pickled green chilli." ref
• Qantas Travel Insider (2026): ranked Zareh #7 in its 11 Best New Restaurants Melbourne. ref
• The Age Good Food Guide (2026): New Restaurant of the Year, awarded "just two months since it opened," alongside a first hat. ref
• Two of the industry, unprompted. Sofia Levin, MasterChef judge and food writer: "It punches as hard in atmosphere as it does in flavour, one of my absolute favourites in Melbourne." Robbie Noble of Cherrywood, on why it works for a date: "There's flame, brass, good music and Tom's as fun to talk to as he is to watch cook."
• Jeff (first-hand, spoke with the owner): the outdoor tables are walk-in only; the interior books ahead.

Good to know

• Timing: dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Confirm your date.
• Booking: interior is essential, via SevenRooms at zareh.com.au. Outdoor seating is walk-in only, no reservations (Jeff, first-hand).
• From MCEC: about 4 to 5km in Collingwood, a tram or taxi away.

Jeff's take (his words)

• Make it the priority: if you try one restaurant in Melbourne this trip, make it this.
• The dish: the signature hummus with spanner crab is one of the most unique dishes I ate all year.
• Worth it: worth the trek, and worth waiting outside for.

Verdict (Chef Jeff ladder)

must-visit — Held at must-visit on 2026-07-30 and the case got stronger. The 2026 Age Good Food Guide gave Zareh New Restaurant of the Year two months after it opened and a first hat in the same edition, neither of which this entry carried before, on top of Best Restaurant at Time Out's 2026 Food & Drink Awards and a five-star debut. Two industry voices name it unprompted: Robbie Noble on the room, Sofia Levin calling it one of her absolute favourites in Melbourne. It is the fullest thing on this list to the standard Jeff actually describes. A chef in ascent, capital spent on a custom wood oven and charcoal pit, big flavors out of local seafood, a distinct point of view crossing Armenian and Lebanese cooking, top technique in a forty-seat room at $$$, and outdoor tables you can walk into.