22/04/2026
This is the hardest post we've ever had to write.
After 11 unforgettable years, we've made the decision to close the doors of Leyalina. Our last day will be Thursday 30th April.
What started as a dream — two engineers with a love for food and hospitality — became something far greater. Leyalina became a home. A place filled with laughter, music, and the warmth we grew up with in Egypt and wanted to share here in Melbourne.
Every dish was made with love. Every ingredient hand-picked and cooked with care, every single day, with one goal: a true taste of home.
You became part of our story. Guests travelling from interstate to reconnect with flavours from back home. A regular who came for the Molokheya because it reminded him of his mum. These are the moments that meant everything.
From being featured by SBS and various other sites, to over 1,500 beautiful reviews, to the friendships built night after night — we are humbled beyond words.
Leyalina means "the night is ours", and for over a decade we shared countless nights together — sh**ha, backgammon, laughter, and memories we'll carry forever.
This has always been about family — and to every guest who walked through our doors, you were part of that family too.
We would love to see you one last time before we close on Thursday, 30th April. (We will also be open on Wednesday, 29th April for our final week.)
Please don’t feel you need to come all at once — come anytime over the coming days for a meal, a sh**ha, a visit, or simply to say goodbye. If you’re planning to come as a larger group, we do recommend booking ahead.
If Leyalina has been part of your story, please share your memories in the comments. It would mean the world.
With love and gratitude,
Nader & Tereza ❤️
