Melbourne’s top five Middle Eastern restaurants

Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet, adored to this day for his passionately romantic and spiritual prose. If reading his poems is a celebration of the sublime, then it’s only natural that dining at his namesake’s restaurant would be akin to this experience. At least the late Anthony Bourdain certainly thought so!

Chef Joseph Abboud elevates traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. Think ancient flavour profiles with a twist. Delight in the pairing of fresh school prawns with smoky, rich tahini and baharat spice, or juicy quail kebabs marinated in saffron with verjus and sticky grape molasses.

In larger dishes, a tender veal cut comes bathed in yogurt, peas and almonds, and caramelized eggplants are braised in a tomato and green pepper stew that pops. The menu is designed for sharing and consists of small, medium and large plates with plenty of salads and vegetable-oriented dishes for sides. Bring a large group for the most authentic feast experience.

A generous drinks list of both local and international wines, and exotic Persian-tinged cocktails, provides ample scope for pairing. As you dine, you’ll enjoy a tasteful space that pays homage to Persia, with walls inscribed in Farsi calligraphy and potted olive saplings.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Mante Turkish beef dumplings, tomato, kashk yogurt and nutty butter ($24)

When most Aussies think of Turkish food, they think of late-night kebabs, cheese-stuffed boreks and other bready comfort foods.

Tulum is a bold culinary project from a man who is determined to broaden this perception. Chef and owner Coskan Uysal takes traditional Turkish cuisine and turns it on its head, with an inventive and playful menu that has garnered national attention. (The restaurant is the only Turkish restaurant to make the cut in the prestigious Gourmet Traveller Top 80 Australia’s Best Restaurants.)

Here, you can taste all the complexities of regional Turkish food and classic Ottoman recipes crowned in modern gastronomic glory. Uysal calls it a “New Anatolian Kitchen”. As is the case with any fine dining restaurant worth its salt, there’s a clear focus on excellent local produce and seasonality on the menu.

Try the cinnamon, chicken and milk pudding, inspired by an Ottoman sultan’s favourite from Istanbul, or the semolina kibbeh with spiced lamb, walnut, currants, cumin and buttermilk sauce.

Pick the seven-course degustation menu if you want the full experience.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Taste of Tulum seven-course degustation ($110 pp)

No serious lover of Middle Eastern cuisine in Melbourne is a stranger to Maha. The renowned CBD restaurant is widely respected as a crown jewel in Melbourne’s restaurant royalty, and for good reason, too.

While Maha’s kitchen might stick to tried-and-true Middle Eastern flavour profiles, the respect for tradition pays off. At lunch, the soufra set menu leads you on a diverse journey of Maha’s specialties.

Start your meal with warmed olives and a course of mezze: fluffy house-baked za’atar breads, whipped clouds of hummus with asparagus, toasted sesame and sujuk, and citrusy kingfish sashimi. A beautiful plate of ox heart tomatoes with pickled cucumbers and shanklish also makes a statement.

Shared mains are no less impressive. What Maha masters is beauty in simplicity, and you’ll taste this quality in the prized meats of the day. Opt for a roast free range chicken with lemon and tarragon, or succulent lamb cutlets with black olive and za’atar jus. Fragrant saffron pilaf and seasonal vegetable dishes round out the meal.

Maha’s famous Turkish delight doughnuts with walnut ice cream and rosewater honey are the perfect way to conclude your long lunch.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Soufra set lunch menu ($75 pp)

Lip-smacking Lebanese fare: check. Drinks garden: check. Chic cocktail bar vibes: check. Is there any box Mama Manoush doesn’t tick?

If you’re looking for an inner-city eatery that blends street food with the art of special occasions in style, then Mama Manoush nails it. Dig into creamy traditional dips, bready Lebanese goodness, spiced meats hot off the charcoal grill and regional specialties like the raw lamb tartar (kibbi nayi) or barramundi and saffron rice (samke hara). Bright vegetable salads are in high supply, like the fattoush and tabouli, while a long menu of mezze will expose you to real Lebanese recipes you’ve potentially never tasted before.

Try the vegetarian kibbi, a mixed pumpkin and burghul shell of chickpeas, spinach and onion, served with pomegranate molasses. If you’d like the authentic experience of eating like a Lebanese villager, Mama Manoush recommends the share-style banquet menu.

In a smaller group, or a couple? Value platters for two make Mama Manoush an ideal venue for a funky date night. The aptly named meat lovers platter comes with four chargrilled skewers, lemony fried chicken wingettes with garlic sauce, a fresh salad, chicken and beef rice pilaf, za’atar chips and your choice of dip with Lebanese bread.

If it’s true that the way to a lover’s heart is through the belly, Mama Manoush will have you both smitten.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Mama’s samke hara ($32)

“Babajan” – a respectful Turkish term for an elderly, kind man – is what owner Kirsty Chiaplias decided to name her Carlton North project, a bakery that celebrates the art of cooking and working Turkish food. Kirsty has worked for Gordon Ramsay and has clocked in over 20 years in professional kitchens, and you can taste this level of mastery at Babajan.

Picture a flaky row of boreks stuffed with spiced lamb and potatoes, and creamy haloumi pies filled with three different cheeses, currants, mint and pine nuts. The pastries are scattered with sesame seeds and cast a warm, inviting glow from the shelves.

Babajan is a place to pop in and out for lunch with a friend. Luxuriate in the rich flavours of a spicy lamb shoulder and pistachio tabouli sandwich, or balik ekmek – fried fish with za’atar, sesame and walnut sauce enfolded in fluffy Turkish bread. The sentimentality is real here, and the comforting simplicity of flavours will evoke feelings of nostalgia for Turkey – even if you’ve never stepped foot out of Victoria.

Dessert demands serious takeaway consideration before you leave. Consider a handful of sesame and tahini cookies, a floral-infused Persian love cake or the irresistibly sticky walnut baklava.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Pumpkin, baharat and ricotta borek ($8)

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