Four hospo up-and-comers added a jolt of energy to Hamilton’s dining scene in late 2023, when Middle Eastern-inspired wine bar and bistro Ach opened on the fringe of the Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area. The brainchild of Marty Coard, Noam Lissner, Mia Nguyen and Mat Drummond, the 50-seat haunt showcases the diverse cuisine of the Middle East – from Morocco, Libya and Egypt to Israel, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, and out to Afghanistan and Iran – as well as wine sourced from the region’s fertile growing areas. Delivering traditional flavours with modern techniques, the Ach kitchen team is cooking majority of the menu over fire in a custom-built hearth, with small plates and large share-style mains featuring alongside house-made laffa and challah breads. As for the beverage program, Ach boasts a wine list approaching 50 bottles, comprised of a mix of interesting vino from Lebanon, Turkey, Israel and Australia. Ach opens in the mornings from Monday to Friday, serving coffee from Melbourne roaster Reverence alongside the likes of breakfast rolls with egg, lamb belly bacon (dry aged, cured, smoked and glazed in house) and harissa, basturma-style bresaola sandwiches, lamb sausage rolls with labne, spinach and fetta bourekas, chocolate tahini cookies and fig and kaymak rugelach.