Tarator takes its name from the tangy, tahini-based sauce that runs through much of its menu, and the South Melbourne restaurant builds its Mediterranean and Lebanese food around it. Founded and run by hospitality entrepreneur Robert Asbiridonne, the venue relocated to its current Dorcas Street home, a space large enough to host private functions for up to 150 people. The menu covers familiar Lebanese and broader Mediterranean staples done with a contemporary lean, from Tyrian-style falafel and beef and lamb kibbeh to herbed roasted chicken and oven-baked barramundi, most served over hummus or salad bases and finished with the house Tarator sauce, pomegranate molasses or a Toom garlic sauce. Zaatar wraps and grazing boards featuring Australian cheeses and charcuterie round out the lighter end of the menu, alongside coffee service through the morning. Beyond the restaurant floor, Tarator runs a sizeable events and catering operation, able to cater offsite functions for up to 3000 guests, making it as suited to a private function on Dorcas Street as it is to a large-scale corporate or wedding catering job. It's a solid option for a Mediterranean lunch, a wrap on the go, or a fully catered event without leaving South Melbourne.