In the Middle East, dinner doesn't arrive — it gathers. A look at why mezze is less a menu format and more a philosophy, and how to order it like you grew up with it.
There's a moment we watch for every night at Royâ. A table orders 'a few things to start' — a hummus, some Turkish cigars, maybe the balal because the description sounded intriguing. The plates land, hands cross the table, someone tears bread for someone else, and the conversation gets louder. That's the moment. That's mezze doing what it was built to do.
Mezze isn't a course. It's a pace.
In much of the Middle East, the word mezze (we spell it mazzeh, the Persian way — it means 'taste') doesn't describe starters. It describes a way of spending an evening. Dishes arrive when they're ready, not in a regimented order, and nothing on the table belongs to any one person. The meal has no sharp edges: it starts when the first dip lands and ends whenever the last person stops reaching.
That's why we'll never rush your table between 'courses' — there aren't any. Our kitchen sends each dish the moment it's at its best, and the table builds itself as the evening goes on.
How to order like you grew up with it
Two or three plates per person is the sweet spot. Start with a dip or two — hummus for the table is non-negotiable, and the muhammara, with its roasted Aleppo peppers and walnuts, is the one people come back for. Add something fried or crisp (Turkish cigars, tahchin arancini), something fresh (a cucumber or watermelon salad doing the job a palate-cleanser does), and then let the charcoal grill take over.
The only rule that matters: order for the middle of the table, not for yourself. If you're protective of your plate, mezze will gently re-educate you.
Generosity is the recipe
Every family behind every dish on our menu has a version of the same story: guests arrive, and the table must look abundant — even if it means the hosts eat lightly for the rest of the week. Hospitality isn't a service style in the Middle East; it's closer to a duty, and an honour. When we say our food is made with love, that's the tradition we mean.
So bring people. Mezze fed two is nice; mezze fed six is what it's for. And if you can't decide where to start, ask us — recommending dishes to a full table is genuinely the best part of the job.