When the most notable element of Downtown Crossing was a gaping hole, people were staying away in droves.

Now, as the long-awaited Millennium Tower continues to climb, those who got in on the ground floor are celebrating.

And most of them are eating at Bonapita (www.bonapita.com).

Opened by Ilan Barniv, a Johnson and Wales-trained Sabra, the new Mediterranean eatery is tucked into an old but somehow perfectly suited chapel, complete with antique wood walls and handmade ceramic ceilings that are further enhanced by the chef’s handmade, hand-stamped wooden tables and the staff’s efficiency and charm. Also, the folks at Design Museum of Boston picked Bonapita to be part of their Design for Dining exhibit, inviting Soldier Design to install a lovely indoor gazebo that will soon host Chef Barniv’s homemade, Samovar-warmed teas and unique baked goods, making any time in the fast-moving line both easier to take and more worthwhile as well.

Once you get to the front of the line, Chef Barniv and his smiling staff will be happy to guide you through the simple menu (all of which is also detailed along the walls, offering even more pleasant and productive viewing material for queue-dwellers). With four filling choices (chicken a la plancha, Bonapita oven-baked all-beef meatballs, roasted, steamed, and seared black bean and beet patties, and mushroom, lentil and thyme) in three servings (freshly-baked, worth-the-trip-itself pita, plated with two kinds of wild rice and roasted vegetables or atop a fresh and zesty salad with house-made tahini), the simple menu offers an abundance of options, allowing for enough satisfying fry-free, dairy-free and guilt-free combinations for every day of the week! And while Chef Barniv’s Israeli-engineered pita producer pumps out nearly 400 fluffy pockets of joy an hour, each one comes off the conveyor ready to hold or accompany whatever it is you may want, at the restaurant, their occasional “pop-ups” at the Prudential Center and other area venues, the office (Bonapita offers last-minute catering and a new app also allows for advanced ordering and line skipping), or (as they are also available by the half dozen) at home.

In addition to the house-made teas, Bonapita also offers a raft of refreshments, including Honest Tea, Vitamin Water, Fruit Water, San Pelegrino, Dasani and Coca Cola Products. Chef Barniv has even garnered a one-night-at-a-time beer and wine license for folks who want to rent the space and bring some secular fun to the former holy site.

Additional additions include freshly-made creative soups, tangy pickled beets, spicy green peppers, and creamy, cooling baba ganoush. And as more people wake up to the new charms of Downtown Crossing, Bonapita is preparing to offer breakfast as well!

So whether you work Downtown or are just Crossing through, fill your middle at the best Mediterranean place in town- Bonapita!