@chocolatesuze Fantastic Middle Eastern restaurant with the best charred octopus #surryhills #shaffa #sydneyfood ♬ Night of Arará II – Miki Ikhifa & Nubalix

I love sitting at the bar looking into an open kitchen because it’s like dinner and a show. Get yourself to Shaffa in Surry Hills and make sure you order the super fluffy focaccia and the hummus with crispy chick peas.

Everything was 10/10, but the charred octopus is a must-order. The way the smokiness of the octopus plays with the spicy sujuk and the sweet crushed tomatoes? Pure magic.

Another winner is the cauliflower loaded with creamy garlic labneh, a kick of chili, and the perfect crunch from almonds and fried kale.

And we couldn’t resist the chicken cigars with shatteringly crisp pastry shells filled with juicy chicken, drizzled with bittersweet pomegranate molasses and raw tahini and scattered with toasted seed nibs.