It’s a global cult as much as it is a restaurant. Proselytising the power of pita, Israeli chef Eyal Shani has installed his pulpit in Hardware Lane, where a two-tiered dining room with stadium-style bleacher seating is serving up an addictive recipe for good times and great food. Take heed: Miznon means “kiosk” in Hebrew. Fine dining this is not, but the casual approach to service (it’s an order-at-the-counter situation, and nearly everything is served in a pita or paper bag) doesn’t undermine some serious kitchen moves. A best-in-show falafel game is being played in the form of a fluffy-light burger wrapped and tucked inside a pita pocket with meaty tomato and the bite of red onion and pickles, while Sac de Coque sums up the freewheeling ethos with a jumbled bag of golden-skinned chicken with a bitter-edged salad, fried potatoes and thick aïoli. Assertively peppered swordfish swimming in a bread-sopping moat of lemon vinaigrette makes the case for simplicity, but there’s no harm in chasing it with the house gag of a Run Over: a buttery, garlicky roasted potato smooshed with sour cream between two pieces of baking paper.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot at the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 50.
