Azima’s story begins at home. In its feature on the new City Walk restaurant, This is Canberra reveals how owner Adam Elchakak drew inspiration from his mother’s cooking when developing the concept, creating a Lebanese restaurant in Canberra centred on the dishes and flavours he grew up with.

The restaurant marked a very different direction for Elchakak, whose Canberra venues Inka and Koto are known for Japanese-influenced dining. Alongside co-owner George Khoury, he brought the focus to traditional Lebanese food, with a menu designed around sharing and the generous style of Middle Eastern dining.

There is plenty of variety on the table, beginning with hot and cold mezze before moving into dishes such as shish tawook, kibbeh, arnabeet mekle with tarator and Jordanian mansaf. The menu also places a strong emphasis on fresh vegetables, with a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan options alongside the meat-based classics, reflecting the variety found in Lebanese cuisine.

The name Azima roughly translates to “an invitation to feast”, which neatly captures the restaurant’s purpose. With Lebanese banquet menus designed to be shared and priced at $55 or $85 per person, the concept was created to give families and friends a place to enjoy a generous Lebanese meal without making it an expensive occasion.

Dessert continues the Lebanese food experience with traditional sweets including baklawa and knafeh, served alongside strong Arabic coffee. For This is Canberra, Azima offers more than a new cuisine for City Walk—it brings a personal connection to Lebanese cuisine in Canberra and a welcoming approach to sharing it with the wider Canberra community.

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