Shaped more like a cone than the traditional American ring, this melting, puffy, pointed tower of haloumi is the star savoury starter at vegetarian restaurant Za Za Ta. In a venue designed to challenge diners’ perceptions of meat-free cooking, executive chef Roy Ner’s modern spin on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine puts spices and textures front and centre with flavour combinations that defy logic and expectations. Beetroot with strawberries anyone? 

Despite the absence of animal proteins, guests will be more than satiated by the share-style menu that runs from breads and dips to hearty eggplant tagines and out-of-the-ordinary desserts.

Highly competent, well-trained staff always ready to explain and recommend dishes add as much to the restaurant’s buzzing vibe as the vibrant, jungle print wallpaper in the echoey, greenhouse-like main dining room.

A well-rounded drinks list puts diners in the mood to party, with cocktails crafted by an expert bar team and the plethora of wines sourced from as close as Queensland’s Granite Belt to far off Lebanon. This is not just a restaurant for vegetarians, but one to even excite hardcore carnivores.

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