Leyalina

The restaurant's decoration is lovely and welcoming. The service was top notch. The staff were all very friendly, they even introduced the dishes which were really nice. The food was all tasty and really fresh. The desert was amazing, the best one I've ever had in Melbourne. Would definitely recommend this place to my friends.

It's good food and the waitstaff are very lovely, but our food took over an hour to arrive. We understood that it was going to take a while because it was dinner rush and busy, but there were tables sat down after us had almost finished their meals by the time a waiter came and checked up on us if we were waiting on food (about 50mins after we ordered). He came back and told us it was going to be 3-5mins, and then 15 minutes passed before we asked to check on it, and were told by another waiter it was going to be another 10-20 minutes.... In all that time we saw at least 3 charcoal grills being taken to other tables. :/ The staff were very apologetic and lovely, but we would have appreciated at least an offer of compensation for our (non alcoholic) drinks or salad side, or for a complimentary desert or drink. The manager/owner likes to interact with tables in a very cordial manner, but it just feels very empty when you're not following through with that service. I'm not usually petty about these things, because I've been a waiter for years and I understand it's hectic, but something like this is just bad form.

We came here for their Egyptian classic dish Koshari - lentils mixed with rice and macaroni, topped with chickpeas, fried onions, and a tomato and garlic sauce. It's been a long time since we had it, so we were very excited to find that not only was the dish authentic, with the way it was presented & served, but it tasted just like how you would have it in the streets of Egypt (minus the price of course). The portion was generous and can be shared between two people if you aren't hungry. Finish the meal with Mint Tea, and you will feel right at home. Super friendly service. Definitely coming back again for more Koshari!