What Is Mezze? A Guide to the Shared Table

Ask three people from three countries what mezze is and you will get three different lists and the same answer: it is the food you share before the food you share. Small dishes, all at once, in the middle of the table, eaten slowly with something to drink. Here is what it means, how to order it, and what ours looks like.

Where it comes from

The word travelled from Persian through Turkish (meze) into Greek, Arabic and the whole eastern Mediterranean. In Greece it is the food that comes with ouzo; in Turkey, with raki; in Lebanon, with arak and a long lunch. The point was never the individual dish. It was the table: cold plates first, dips and olives and cheese, then a few hot things, then, only if anyone is still hungry, a main.

That rhythm is why mezze suits a restaurant like ours. It is designed for groups, for lingering, and for a bar. It is also, not by accident, how the Slavic table works: our zakouski section sits right next to the mezze on the menu, because they are cousins.

The dishes, and how they fit together

A good mezze spread balances a few roles:

• Something creamy: hummus, tzatziki, a soft cheese.
• Something sharp or briny: olives, pickles, feta.
• Something fresh: tomato, cucumber, herbs.
• Something warm: a pastry, a fritter, grilled bread.
• Bread, always, to carry it all.

Order across those roles rather than five versions of the same thing, and the table works.

Mezze at Maison Almaz

From our Zakouski & Mezze and Starters sections, prices in Indonesian Rupiah (K = 1,000):

• Mixed Olives, 80K. The briny anchor of the table.
• Hummus, 65K. Chickpea, tahini, lemon, served with warm pita.
• Greek Bruschetta, 60K. Tomato, cucumber, red onion and feta on toasted bread.
• Samosa, 60K. Pastry filled with potato, onion and peas, with tzatziki.
• Blinis Salmon, 160K. The Slavic guest at the mezze table.
• Mediterranean Mezze Platter, 310K. Hummus, pita, olives, falafel and a cheese board. This is the one to start with for two or three people.
• Charcuterie and Cheese Platter, 370K. Cheeses, cured meats, nuts, olives and spreads. Note: this one contains pork, and is labelled as such on the menu.

Add a Greek Salad (115K) for freshness and you have a full first course for a table of four.

How to order it

1. Start with the platter and add two or three dishes around it.
2. Order in waves: cold first, warm second, mains only if wanted.
3. Share everything. Mezze is not a starter each; it is one spread for the table.
4. Drink with it: a signature cocktail, a glass of white, or, in the Slavic spirit, ice-cold vodka.

Much of the mezze is vegetarian or vegan (hummus, olives, bruschetta, the salad), which makes it the easiest way to feed a mixed group. Tell the team about any allergy.

Mezze is the reason our tables are long. Book one on the reservations page or message us on WhatsApp, and come hungry but not in a hurry.