Melbourne’s Armenian-Lebanese eatery Zareh named Gourmet Traveller’s restaurant of the year
Previous winners of the award have included Saint Peter, Attica, Orana by the late Jock Zonfrillo, and Quay Armenian-Lebanese eatery Zareh has been named Gourmet Traveller’s restaurant of the year, in a category of the annual industry awards that has historically been dominated by European-leaning cuisine and fine-dining establishments. The restaurant’s menu pulls from the Armenian, Egyptian and…
Zareh, a Melbourne-based Armenian-Lebanese eatery, has been crowned Gourmet Traveller's restaurant of the year, bucking the trend of European-influenced cuisine dominating the annual industry awards. The restaurant's menu fuses Armenian, Egyptian, and Lebanese flavors, featuring items such as aish baladi, kafta nayyah, and hummus topped with local seafood.
Zareh, which opened in August 2025, is named after co-owner Tom Sarafian's paternal grandfather. The award ceremony took place in Sydney, where winners frequently referenced Australia's migrant history and impact on the local dining scene. Beppi's, a 70-year-old Italian institution, won the reader-voted "enduring excellence" award.
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