Zaatar cafe: Fantastic taste of Middle East at friendly Sheffield eating place

Enjoy some proper Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food and pretend you’re somewhere more exotic, such as Morocco or Turkey.

The family-run cafe on Abbeydale Road has been open for around 16 months but I only spotted it recently after a walk in the area with my friend Janet, when we sat in their covered outdoor area with my dog, Annie.

We enjoyed it so much that we returned for lunch without the dog, so that we could sit inside this time.

The name Zaatar refers to a fragrant Middle Eastern spice, herb and sesame seed mix used in lots of the region’s dishes.

The cafe is light and airy and you can see the kitchen in action behind the counter.

We ordered some Moroccan tea, which arrived in a lovely pot with elegant little tea glasses. You drink it black with a drizzle of honey recommended.

We decided to share dishes, so started off with a lovely bowl of humous and a basket of warm bread to dip it in. The humous tasted just right and the light bread, made with olive oil and topped with sesame seeds, was the perfect accompaniment. It was very moreish.

Our main courses were menakesh and zaatar zaalouk.

The menakesh is a type of flatbread where the dough is almost like a pizza. It’s covered in the zaatar spices that the cafe is named after, made into a paste with olive oil.

It was absolutely gorgeous – beautiful light, fluffy dough covered with the smooth paste, which had a real citrusy hit to it. I think that may be due to the spice called sumac, which has a distinctly lemony edge.

The slices had a few little cubes of tomato or feta cheese sprinkled on them and it came served with a lovely salad.

The other dish, zaatar zaalouk, is one for the aubergine lovers, like me.

The aubergine was falling apart inside a lush, tomatoey sauce, flavoured with garlic, a hint of chilli, spices and olive oil.

There was more of that great bread to mop it up with. We could have swapped it for rice and you can add eggs for £2.

The food was excellent and tasted really fresh – Zaatar prides itself on preparing everything daily – and service was friendly and helpful. Our bill came to £23.35.

The main menu also has a range of English or Middle Eastern breakfasts, Middle Eastern lunches, wraps, toasties and salads.

There’s plenty of choice for vegetarians and vegans.

Millhouses Park is across the road if you need to work up an appetite or walk your meal off afterwards.

Or you could pop in in for tea or coffee and some baklava or cake. Sadly, we’d eaten far too well for that – but it’s also an excuse for a return visit.

Zaatar also does takeaways and is open on weekend evenings, when I believe they serve tagines.

The cafe is at 990 Abbeydale Road. Tel 0114 5518266. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday 11-5pm, Thursday to Saturday 11-10pm.

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