We had the Sunday lunch $130 compulsory set menu. The lunch went for over 3 hours with six small courses.
The famous char grilled chicken and the famous hummus were not on our tasting menu. This is understandable but be warned if that is something you wanted to try..
We had a chicken wing dish and a Murray cod dish which were just ok. The rice under the fish was terrible. The fish was cooked perfectly. The play on a fattoush salad was nice.
The overall experience was disappointing. The music was so loud it was like a night club.
We asked for the music to be turned down only to be told that while she (waitress) will try, “Tom” (the chef) likes it loud. So while the music did get turned down, it was turned up to the max five minutes later.
This kind of arrogance and contempt for the diner was upsetting. It really impacted our special occasion celebration and we were all really looking forward to eating here. We left with headaches and hoarse throats from shouting.
I normally don’t leave negative reviews but I hope this is a constructive one.
Swanson Wong · 2026-01-26
The hype is real – Zareh is amazing! Seriously wasn’t a bad dish in the bunch. The hummus is an obvious must but the chicken was a standout. Slathered in toum and served on herb salad, it was a perfect balance of flavours and textures. The bastourma toast was also a highlight and great place to start - especially with pickles. For something larger/vegetarian, we enjoyed the pumpkin rice and the perfectly salty/sweet cheese mamoul for dessert. As for drinks, they make a mean Negroni.
Vegetarian
Quincy · 2025-12-12
We loved this restaurant!
The food was absolutely delicious. Every dish was well presented and seasoned to perfection. The ambiance was a buzzing happy place with good vibes all around. For first time visitors, we recommend the set menu to sample various dishes. It was hard to choose a favourite. We had a fantastic time.
Rita Sarafian · 2025-12-08
Some dishes were amazing, some were ok. The chicken kebabs were insanely delicious and was the highlight of the night. Potatoes were amazing too. With the hummus dish, the spanner crab bit was absolutely yummers and it honestly saved the hummus. The hummus alone was surprisingly just ok (sorry, I think Maha East has set the bar really high). Rest of the dishes we ordered were alright.
This place is crazy busy and it looked like there was one poor guy trying to keep his head afloat serving at least half the tables inside. Great effort on his part because he was still patient and super friendly. We just had to work a little to get attention.
Lovely vibe and music, but a little loud. So bring your best hearing and stadium voice.
Berenice Ethel Chua · 2025-12-06
This restaurant is amazing. Do not hesitate to book. We spent 3 glorious hours here last night. I’ve had the prawns and hummus before and they didn’t disappoint. The chicken kebab and the lamb also hit it out of the ballpark. The rice pudding and strawberries with their house tea was an elegant way to finish the meal.
In addition to the exceptional food (most interesting flavours I’ve had in a while out in Melbourne) the ambience is divine. They’re playing Armenian vinyl and the owner of the restaurant Tom is on the grill cooking. Service was informative and friendly. We didn’t feel like we were rushed to leave. It really felt like more of a food experience than simply going out to dinner. It makes you realise that whilst also lovely perhaps the “heart and soul” has left a lot of well regarded restaurants in Melbourne given the obvious care and skill that has been put into Zareh.
Sally Bastick · 2025-10-31