Looking for a relaxed and cheap family-feed? We love Zaatar Coburg for its Middle Eastern food – particularly its Turkish pide or pizzas. It’s a family business run by brothers Charlie and Jeff Elrahi and the place is welcoming of kids.
Zaatar takes up prime position on the corner of Sydney Road and Harding Street, with the large window street frontage providing lots of natural light in the dining area. There’s plenty of tables, even when busy, with room to park a pram and high chairs available. I particularly like the dazzling Moroccan tiles that adorn the tables and the colourful wallpaper of doorways.
The menu is most famous for its pizzas and pies and the choice can be overwhelming. I recommend you try one with zaatar ($1.70), a family-recipe spice mix containing thyme, oregano, sesame salt seed, sumac, and olive oil. The kids also like the spinach and cheese ($3.90).
Other ingredients include soujok (Turkish sausage), onions, cheese and tomato; and there’s an adventurous east-meets-west pie of haloumi and Vegemite!
In addition you can choose from a range of mezze, salads and dips which you can mix and match, though none of these options seem to be available on our early Sunday night visit.
We try a range of their desserts including a nutty baklava, super-sticky namoura (semolina cake) and sugar-dusted twisted doughnut.
Zaatar is a great option for a quick, cheap and filling meal in Coburg. It’s a favourite of neighbourhood families and is worth visiting on a special trip so you can try their pies and pizza.
After your meal check out my favourite playgrounds in Coburg – Harmony Park and Coburg Lake.
HOT:
- pram access;
- high chairs;
- standard menu suitable for kids;
- disabled toilet; and
- free parking.
Zaatar, 365 Sydney Rd, Coburg 03 9939 9494
7am to 8pm, 7 days a week
