Kamel

Have been a few times over the last few years and I am sorry to write that both service and food quality appear to be getting worse. This used to be a favourite but alas at 3-​stars no more.

Whether you need breakfast, lunch or dinner Kamel is spot on for all 3.
Every meal I have had a Kamel has been original, full of flavour and great value. I highly recommend the lunch and dinner banquets for dining with larger groups or even if you are a hungry twosome looking to feast on a weekend between 12 and 3.
If you want a cosy dinner by the fire be sure to book ahead for the room behind the bar. Groups of up to 30 people can be accommodated over 3 tables on the upper level, albeit one table is slightly partitioned from the other 2.
Kamel is benefitted by being on the sunny side of the street making outdoor dining perfect. When the weather turns bad as it is known to do in Melbourne, there is a handy awning that can be rolled down for protection. There is also a courtyard at the back of the restaurant.
If you are not hungry enough for a banquet you can’t go wrong with any of the daily specials — the tagines and salads are always a winner.
Service is casual and at times you may have to flag someone down but the food and sun is what shines at Kamel and will keep you coming back.

Hot apple tea compliments breakfast, lunch or dinner. Huge array of tapas which double as a very substantial meal unlike other tapas places I’ve been to. Roasted field mushrooms with feta and fig paste/​goat cheese starters are incredible and coupled with their filo lamb & lentil triangles and confit duck specialties they make the best Moroccan spread around.

Three friends and I had an excellent meal of share plates here a couple of months ago when I came through town. They were very accommodating of us dropping in for a late dinner, seating us cosily upstairs. We ordered delicious mint tea cocktails in carafes and lost our minds over the deliciousness of the beetroot salad, and I’d quite happily do it again any time.

Kamel is a nice place for a family dinner. The Turkish influenced food is perfect for sharing and is very tasty. Lots of great spice flavours here. Service is friendly and attentive.
In particular I liked the pork belly, the chicken skewers and the feta salad.

A great place for a dinner out to impress. The food is very good, while the atmosphere/​ambiance is excellent. It’s not the cheapest restaurant in town but in my opinion worth the cost.

Kamel always has interesting new dishes to try and some old favorites. Service is really good and the place has a relaxed atmosphere. In the morning take the kids out back to the courtyard where they can play.

Comically spelt with a ‘K’ to avoid potentially being sued by the American tobacco giant, Middle Eastern-​inspired restaurant Kamel was one of the first in the area to bring mezze-​style share plates to the table, a style of eating that has followed suit ever since.
It’s obvious upon entry that a lot of love has been poured into this cosy den, from its rustic feel to the subtle ornaments that grace the room. Offering rotating seasonal menus, Kamel’s food is aromatic with a modern take on Middle Eastern and North African dishes, while the wine list offers a vast and eclectic selection. If you stay long enough to order dessert, you’ll come to learn that Jock’s Ice Cream designed its halva and Turkish delight flavours specifically for the Kamel menu.
Start with a traditional fresh mint tea and eat your way through a tantalising menu of exotic flavours that will take you on a magic carpet ride.

Not what i was expecting at all, very disappointed.
Service was below average and the food also.
I went there with my wife and 2 kids. Ordered 5 Mezze plates and they came out very slowly and one by one. My kids were starving and the food was cold. The waiter did not suggest anything for us to order so we were on our own.
Too expensive for the lousy service and food.
Not returning here again.

Cool neighbourhood small restaurant. I would definitely return.

Kamel is one of those lovely local places that always has an inviting and fun atmosphere.
The food is almost always very good. Over a decade I’ve had one or two ‘misses’ — last year when the lamb cutlets were a bit ordinary one night the staff noticed I’d left most of them on my plate, asked about it, said they’d tried a new butcher that week and wiped the cutlets from my bill voluntarily.
The price is extremely reasonable and the staff do not encourage you to over-​order. They usually suggest you start with a few plates (to share is best except for breakfast) and then add more as you go along if needed. In fact, once some girlfriends and I were taken aback when a young man taking our order suggested we may have ordered too much! We insisted we were quite capable of eating it all (having dined here a number of times) and wondered if that was perhaps not the best thing to have said to three women!
Over the years I have kept returning to Kamel. First, the price is always reasonable. Banquets can be arranged for around $ 35 which is ideal for events (with guests left to purchase their own drinks for example). Second, you can sit in the main restaurant or upstairs or out the back (outside) or in the private dining room in between. I’ve used this room (holds about 16 – 20) for hens, birthdays, catchups with extended family, christmas celebrations with work mates and meals with friends from out of town. Third, the kitchen is amazing for catering to different dietary requirements. I’ve had group bookings with vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, gluten free and pregnancy… and it is always handled with aplomb. No fuss and delicious substitutions.
As for the food — my favourite menu items are the homemade beans and cheese jaffles for breakfast or brunch, the carrot salad with honeyed nuts as a side dish, the duck pastilla for mains and the tasting plate for dessert which is perfect for sharing with the table — just ask for lots of teaspoons. Persian fairy floss, baklava, turkish delight, halva ice-​cream and turkish delight ice-​cream. Yum! The mint tea is also lovely and sweet. If you are skipping dessert, you can order one piece of turkish delight for 50 cents. Who can resist?

Kamel is the perfect restaurant to visit with a group of friends as the food here really is designed to share. You can pick a number of mezze dishes (roughly 1.5 dishes per person is the best guide to go by) or simply choose one of the banquet menus (min 4 people) and let the chef choose for you.
The cuisine is Middle Eastern and North African inspired, cherry-​picking the best from both regions. Dishes such as grilled peppered watermelon with pomegranate molasses, feta & dill feature a complex and exotic combination of flavours. Other highlights include the the duck pastilla — shredded duck confit, prunes & chickpeas in a pastry twist and the zucchini, corn, feta & chickpea flour fritters with yoghurt.
The space is intimate and softly lit, with cute wooden tables nestled side by side. If you’re planning on heading in with a bigger group, there is an upstairs dining area that allows you to escape the bustle of the rest of the restaurant.
With Kamel being a Cheap Eats Guide regular, the prices are always reasonable and the food always delicious.