Mt Lewis Pizzeria has opened in the Inner West following more than two decades of operating in the west of Sydney.
The restaurant was founded by Tony and Nelly Tarraf in 2005 after the pair migrated to Australia. The family opened a second store in South Hurstville in 2025.
The pair’s son, Jason Tarraf, today leads the next generation of the pizzeria, with the entire family still part of the business.
Jason Tarraf says the latest restaurant, which is located in Enfield and seats 80, is their most personal store.
“For the first time, we had the opportunity to start with a completely blank canvas and create something that’s ours,” says Tarraf.
“Enfield is like a time capsule for my family’s journey. It’s a true look into our culture and about sharing that with as many people as possible.”
While the opening represents a new era for Mt Lewis Pizzeria, the recipes that built it remain.
These include the signatures the restaurant has become known for, including za’atar manoush, traditional Lebanese banquets, and their well-known “cheese explosion”.
The dough recipe used by the family for more than 20 years will also feature at the new restaurant.
“This recipe hasn’t changed. Not because we’re precious about it, because it doesn’t need to change,” says Jason Tarraf.
“Twenty years of making it means knowing exactly what works, what the dough needs, and how long it needs to rest. You can’t rush it, and you can’t shortcut it.”
He says the expansion has never been about changing what made Mt Lewis successful in the first place.
“We can grow, but the heart of Mt Lewis has to stay the same,” he says.
“It’s our family, our food, and our culture. Enfield is our opportunity to bring all three together under one roof.”
The Enfield space features hand-painted scenes of the Lebanese mountains that nod to Anfeh, a seaside town on Lebanon’s coast.
In the main dining room, a large hand-painted mural pays tribute to the people who started it all: Nelly rolling dough alongside Tony holding an oven paddle.
At the centre of the restaurant sits an open kitchen and saj station, a traditional domed hotplate used to cook paper-thin dough.
“The kitchen has always been the heart of our home,” he says.
“Mum is still rolling dough, Dad is here, my sister is here, that hasn’t changed because we’ve grown – if anything, it’s become stronger.”
Mt Lewis Pizzeria Enfield is open seven days from 6am to 4pm.
Dining and Cooking