When you show up to a regional restaurant packed with locals greeting each other by name, you know you’ve found yourself in the right place. At compact, pretty Nomah, the first venture for Hamon Shephard (formerly cooking at Gwylo) and Sky Hession after a food truck and pop-up, you’ll be even more certain of it once the procession of Middle Eastern-leaning small plates start hitting the table.

Large triangles of pita to layer with sumac-spiced hummus and house-pickled vegetables are bright with acidity and crunch, while skewers of slow-cooked chicken hum with ras el hanout. Tilba haloumi gets the saganaki treatment, with fennel-seed freckles and burnt-sugar crackle from honey made right next door.

The falafel are crunchy, the vibes are high, and a BYO licence means your first stop should be the shelves at Small Town Provisions a few doors down.

Good to know: The $65 set menu allows you to try nearly everything on offer.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.