A guide to ordering mezze like you grew up with it

In my grandmother's house in Zahlé, a Sunday lunch never started with a single plate. The table filled slowly: a bowl of hummus, a plate of pickles, a dish of olives, labneh with a pool of olive oil, bread still warm from the neighbor's oven. By the time the grilled meat arrived, you had been eating and talking for an hour. That is what mezze is. It is less a course and more a way of spending time together.

At the restaurant, guests sometimes feel unsure how to order this way. So here is how I would do it if I were sitting at your table.

Start with contrast, not quantity

The best mezze tables balance textures and flavors. Instead of ordering three similar creamy dips, pick one from each of these families:

• Something creamy and mellow, like the ember-roasted hummus.
• Something smoky, like the baba ghanoush with eggplant cooked on the logs.
• Something bright or sharp, like fattoush with sumac dressing or our pickles.
• Something rich or sweet-spicy, like whipped feta with hot honey or muhammara.

Four dishes that contrast will feel more generous than six that taste alike.

How much to order

For two people who also want a main, three mezze is right. For four people, order four or five and one extra bread. If you want to make a whole meal of mezze, which is my favorite way to eat, plan on two per person plus a skewer or two from the grill.

The bread question

Every mezze order comes with oven bread, baked at 750 degrees so it puffs and chars in about 90 seconds. It is best in the first five minutes. Do not be shy about asking for another round when it cools. That is what it is there for.

Eat with your hands, and use the bread as a spoon

Tear the bread into pieces about the size of your palm, then pinch up a little dip with a swipe rather than a dunk. For olives and pickles, fingers are fine. There is no wrong way, but you will find it faster and more fun than passing cutlery around.

Mezze is a conversation. The food keeps arriving so the talking never has to stop.

Pairing drinks with mezze

Tomas, our beverage director, likes something crisp and salty with a mezze spread. The Assyrtiko from Santorini is perfect, and so is our Olive Martini if you prefer a cocktail. For something without alcohol, the smoked honey lemonade has enough acidity to cut through the richer dips.

In Lebanon many people drink arak with mezze, an anise spirit mixed with water and ice until it turns cloudy. We serve it the traditional way, and in our Arak Sour for anyone who wants a gentler introduction.

When to move on

Here is my one rule. When everyone at the table is still picking at the dips but nobody is reaching for more bread, it is time for the fire. Order the mains and let the kitchen clear a little space. If you would rather not decide at all, the chef's feast does exactly this for the whole table, pacing mezze, mains and dessert for you.

However you order, take your time. The best compliment a guest can give us is staying an extra hour.