Coming Soon: ZAREH by Chef Tom Sarafian Is Bringing Armenian-Lebanese Fire Cooking to Smith Street
Bookings are now live for the beloved Melbourne chef's debut venue — a 40-seat tribute to family, heritage and open-fire cooking.
Chef Tom Sarafian is opening his debut restaurant, ZAREH, on Smith Street in Collingwood next week — a 40-seat ode to his grandfather Zareh, whose journey from Egypt to Melbourne sparked a multigenerational love of hospitality. Expect the warmth of Middle Eastern hosting, filtered through a sleek and moody inner-north lens.
"This restaurant is a new chapter in a story that began generations ago," says Sarafian. "My grandfather set the tone for all us Sarafians to follow a career in the food world. Some tried to steer away but we've all ended up working with food in one way or another."
At ZAREH, the kitchen finds the centre of the room — fully open and built around a charcoal barbecue and woodfired oven by The Brick Chef. "I've worked in too many kitchens where the chefs are hidden away in basements or behind stainless steel walls," says Sarafian. "[The kitchen is] part of the dining room, because it is central to the experience."
The restaurant's menu draws on a mix of Sarafian's family heritage, his stints in renowned Melbourne and London kitchens (Cumulus Inc, Rumi, Petersham Nurseries, St John, to name just a few) and travels through North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East — but is ultimately defined as Armenian-Lebanese. Expect fresh Victorian produce seasoned with 'Mouneh' (pantry goods sourced directly from organic farms in Lebanon) like high-quality za'atar, sumac and pomegranate molasses, plus pine nuts, cedar oak honey and fermented pepper pastes.
ZAREH's wine list spotlights producers from Armenia and Lebanon, alongside thoughtful local and international labels. Bartender Matt Linklater leads the cocktail program, with a focus on arak (an anise-flavoured alcohol traditionally served in Middle Eastern countries) — including Arak Farid, discovered by Sarafian and partner Jinane Bou-Assi in Lebanon and now imported to Australia for the first time. Notable drinks include the Zareh Gilda Martini, an icy martini laced with arak and finished with Sarafian's take on the classic Gilda, plus a selection of world-class Armenian brandies.
The space, designed with Min Tseng and MIC Projects, channels family nostalgia and Beirut's colour palette: soft green banquettes, pink-hued limestone walls and a flowing tahini-coloured curtain, anchored by a warm timber bar wrapped around the open kitchen. There are details nodding to Sarafian's grandparents' house, too — from bar tiles to a retro glass sliding door.
ZAREH will also retail Sarafian signature pantry favourites alongside authentic Lebanese mouneh — distilled waters, vinegars, honey and jams, spices, za'atar and freshly ground sumac — via a partnership with Droubna, a mother-and-daughter team in South Lebanon preserving traditional farming practices and village food culture. It's an invitation to take the flavours home with you.
ZAREH will open at 368 Smith Street, Collingwood, from Wednesday next week — dinner service only to start, with lunches added in early spring. Online bookings are now open.
Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
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