It might be the sunny fitout or the Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan flags that catch your attention at Cafe Tanja, but it’ll be the crackle of paper-thin brik pastry that breaks it. Here, this street-food favourite consists of a pastry package plumped with hunks of potato, a runny egg and either tuna or gooey cheese, all rendered with delicate pan-fried crunch.

If there’s a defining thread to the menu, it’s in the complex layering of North African spices, which runs through rich lamb tagine bolstered with almonds and prunes, or the tchouktchouka – Tunisia’s riff on shakshuka – that hums with cumin and roasted capsicum.

House-made breads are a must, whether it’s Algeria’s fluffy matlouh (best for mopping up sauces) or Morocco’s flat memen, swaddled around lamb or garlicky marinated chicken. Warm-hearted service from co-owners Sanah Djebli and Nadim El-Zein only adds to the charm. Winning hearts and minds, brik by brik.

Good to know: The lamb tagine steals the headlines, but the chicken version with green olives and preserved lemon is a sleeper hit.

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