The new housing development at St Clair brings with it several new cafes and eateries. One of those places is A Taste Of The Mediterranean which offers food with Lebanese and Italian influences. Starters include falafels, dips, salads and bruschetta, while the pasta offerings are small with 4 types of pasta and 7 sauces to choose from. The mains primarily consist of char grilled meats in various forms, and then there are the pizzas which are available in 3 standard sizes.

This particular cafe is larger than the other eateries in the village. With 3 frontages, there is plenty of natural light coming in from multiple directions. The bi-fold doors at the front provides good ventilation, and the open plan space is well designed with exposed ceilings and low hanging light fittings.

For dinner, I ordered the Yiros Pizza which consists of marinated lamb, capsicum, red onion, fresh tomatoes and garlic sauce. The dish arrived after a 20 minute wait and was nicely presented.

The toppings on the pizza were well distributed, but at the same time, conservative in amount. Everyone likes their pizza a certain way, and for me, I like plenty of toppings. The lamb was well marinated, lean and tender, and the garlic sauce had a thick consistency. The capsicum added a nice crunchy texture, while the fresh tomato and red onion provided a lovely natural sweetness. The pizza base had a thin consistency and was similar to a flat bread.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was reasonable. A small pizza (9 inches) will set you back $12.90 which is good for a cafe. The most expensive item on the menu is the Seafood Platter which comes in at $45 but that can serve 2 or 3 people.

It’s nice to have a taste of the mediterranean out in the western suburbs.

WHERE: St. Clair Village, Shop 9, 40 Cheltenham Parade, Cheltenham