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Restaurant

Café Tanja

638 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia

Recommended by 0 people

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Find Café Tanja

638 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia

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+61 422 379 049
HoursMonday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM Thursday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM Friday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM Saturday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Café Tanja

Skip the predictable Crown Street cafe circuit—Café Tanja delivers the slow-cooked comfort of Morocco and Algeria. Maghreb expats and Surry Hills regulars steer people straight here, where the room runs on family hospitality. Lamb slides off the bone, potato bricks crackle at first bite, and warm house bread mops up the spiced sauce. Close out the table with hot date coffee alongside a round of flaky *msemen*.

  • Slow-Cooked Maghreb Classics: Tender slow-simmered lamb, chicken with preserved lemon, hand-rolled couscous, and crisp potato bricks served with warm house-baked bread.
  • Family-Led Hospitality: Sana and her crew run the dining room with effortless, personal warmth that makes first-timers feel like returning relatives.
  • Signature Sips & Sweets: A rare beverage lineup featuring rich date coffee, traditional sweet mint tea poured tableside, and house orange cake.
RestaurantNorth AfricanRestaurant

What's On at Café Tanja

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Dine at Café Tanja

Discover Surry Hills' premier destination for slow-cooked Moroccan and Algerian soul. Book your table now to experience unforgettable Maghreb hospitality.

  • Authentic Slow-Cooked Maghreb Flavours

    Slow-simmered chicken with preserved lemons and olives, melt-in-your-mouth lamb with prunes, and flaky msemen pastry recreate time-honoured North African flavours.

    It felt like a piece of Morocco in every bite.

    Amine AD

  • Rare Regional Sips & Date Coffee

    Specialty pours like fragrant spiced date coffee and traditional Moroccan mint tea offer refreshments rarely found elsewhere in Sydney.

    The date coffee was to die for Oh and the cafe itself is so cute, beautifully decorated.

    Yasmin Senadjki

  • Hospitality That Welcomes You Like Family

    Sanaa and her team greet diners with heartfelt warmth and care that feels less like a commercial dining room and more like a beloved household.

    It honestly feels like visiting a dear friend’s house where you’re treated like family.

    Audrey Lambert

  • A Comforting Taste of Home

    The comforting aromas, intimate decor, and home-style cooking provide deep nostalgia and solace for diners seeking an authentic cultural connection.

    As someone from Algeria, Café Tanja instantly felt like home.

    Riyad Djedid

  • Communal Feasts Made for Sharing

    Steaming couscous and hearty tagines accompanied by house-made bread are built to be placed in the centre of the table for group sharing.

    Perfect place to go for a meal with friends, to share a couscous in a cosy and welcoming restaurant.

    Mélaine Dachicourt

  • The Ideal Setting for Reconnecting

    A welcoming, vibrant atmosphere offers the ideal backdrop to slow down and reconnect over savouries, crispy bricks, and shared sweets.

    It’s a wonderful spot to catch up with friends and family over comforting, home-style dishes.

    Houria BK

From slow-braised tajines to fragrant mint tea, savor the traditional North African staples guests celebrate most—book a table to experience them for yourself.

  • Couscous

    I ordered couscous from Café Tanja for our company's international lunch day, it was superb!!

    Hafsa Boumeziane

  • Lamb Tajine

    I had the lamb tajine and it was so nicely cooked that it melts in your mouth.

    Nomad_joey

  • Moroccan Mint Tea

    The mint tea was perfect, sweet and fragrant, just like back home.

    Riyad Djedid

  • Potato Bricks

    the potato bricks were ridiculously good (crispy outside, soft inside)

    Joseph Rayment

Beyond the menu

From traditional tea pours to seasonal iftars, the hospitality here goes well beyond standard cafe service. Book your table and settle in.

  • Traditional Mint Tea Ritual

    Sweet, aromatic Moroccan mint tea is poured the traditional way at the table, served with classic Maghreb hospitality.

  • Attentive Dining Guidance

    Staff actively guide diners on how best to enjoy dishes, advising guests to savor delicate potato bricks immediately on-site while crisp.

  • Inclusive Dietary Options

    Thoughtful preparation ensures vegan guests can comfortably share the meal with plant-based couscous and savory bricks.

  • Curated Ramadan Feasts

    A curated multi-course set menu creates an inviting, celebratory setting for guests gathering to break the fast during Ramadan.

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