Around the table is where we relax, it’s where we slow down and escape the troubles of the world. Cedar’s is like a home away from home, where you can meet, talk, eat and replenish your soul. It’s where family and friends have been coming for more than two decades now, and it’s part of why we’ve become such an institution in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
The way we do things at Cedar’s owes much to our heritage and the traditions of Lebanon, particularly Northern Lebanon. Hospitality is central to our culture. In Lebanon, nothing gets discussed on an empty stomach. We communicate with food. There is power in eating together, in sitting down and taking the time to share a meal or coffee. This is as true for a Saturday family brunch as it is for a casual business meeting over coffee and baklava.
Food is a basic need. But it’s more than that. When we sit down to share a meal, we bond, we take time out of our busy lives to spend with our family and friends. Sitting around the table, sharing in a meal, has as many psychological benefits as it does physical. We open ourselves up to conversation and community.
There’s more to this than just age-old wisdom, though. Science also tells us that taking the time to sit down and eat communally can make us happier and mentally healthier. Oxford University researchers have found that communal eating makes us feel better about ourselves and is a source of great social and emotional support.
At Cedar’s, we cherish the experience of sitting around the table, talking and eating with those near and dear to us. It’s a pure pleasure that gives so much. It’s a joy we share with you every time you come and eat at Cedar’s.