Nineteen43

The name of this café is a reference to the year that Lebanon became independent from the French, a clue that these guys care take their heritage seriously. And boy, do they. The traditional Lebanese flatbread known as manoush, and kaak, Lebanese-style bagels, are both baked in-house daily. They source their olive oil directly from Lebanon, and feature soft drinks like ayran, gazoz and a housemade rosewater lemonade for those who chasing authentic Middle Eastern flavours, while Sydney’s Reformatory Lab supplies the coffee beans.
 
On the food front, it’s a mix of Aussie classics with touches from the Levant – pistachios on the ricotta and fruit toast, za’atar on the avo – and favourites like Turkish eggs and a riff on shakshuka. Those freshly baked breads are what really draw the crowds though, stuffed with the likes of halloumi, basturma (air-dried beef) and sujoq, a Middle Eastern chorizo-like sausage.