Wow, what an amazing place! We came here as it's down the road from family we were visiting, and…read morewe visited here as a group with a couple of kids. The ambiance, interior fitout and service are excellent - we ordered a selection of dishes to share between us, and it was great to sample a wide variety of dishes. Highlight was dessert: Mahallabieh - milk custard with pistachio and Persian fairy floss - OH. MY. GOODNESS. !!! I would go back just to have that :P This is definitely on our list of places to come back to next time we're in Melbourne!!

I was not impressed with either food or service. Owners were cold, and did not explain their…read morebanquet to us. Food stopped after three little servings so we paid $90 for not very much food for three people. Then they charged extra for coffee. Make sure you ask all the questions before eating to understand how the system works, they are unlikely to volunteer the information to you. Or just go somewhere else that is friendlier.

Babajan has an interesting menu with lots of options but their exorbitant prices and elitism is a…read morebit much So my friends and arrive to a very busy crowded cafe. We are seated outside on little stools. It's a hit day. We feel like salads. Their counter salads look great but come with a catch. You can't order a salad as a main only as a side and you can't mix two. And it's a small side place of 13.50. Or you can get takeaway for two salads for 13.50 is a small sumo sized salad cup. Why because they're promoting something called responsible cafes so apparently cardboard takeaway containers and plastic spoons are responsible. Yes the waiter thought it was a bit much too but what can he do. 13.50 for a small salad takeaway is already overpriced. Yes I had the fish bulgur salad which was sensational and their eggplant tahini salad was to die for but I had takeaway walked 10 minutes to Edinburgh gardens with better seating less noisy and a nice atmosphere. Also their small sized coffee is 4 dollars and weak. Recommend getting takeaway only. You won't be saving the environment but you will definitely make less of a hole in your pocket. Menu is definitely to die for and staff are lovely despite the insanity that prevails.

Best breakfast I've had in a while! I kinda don't want to tell you all how amazing it was so I can…read morekeep this place to myself! We got greeted with smiley and friendly staff - always a good start to the day. Place is small but the turnaround was pretty fast! We got a table straight away. The cuisine is turkish-greek and the dishes are absolutely delicious and full of flavour. We tried a bit of the spanakopita to start, which was no less than my greek grandmother's homemade pita! We had the baked eggs and avocado ezme with a side of sesame koulouri and no joke we licked the plates clean! So much flavour and very generous portions. There are so many options for those who want a takeaway - a cabinet full of delicious pitas, salads, boreks and little bites! Oh coffee is from code black and perfect! Can't wait to try some more dishes!

Had very high expectations for this place based on all the reviews, but ended up pretty…read moredisappointed. The food was OK, but not nearly amazing as we'd expected. Possibly that's because we ordered their vegetarian options, which were all side dishes -- maybe they're more known for their meat options? Either way, they should really up their vegan and vegetarian game! We went for my boyfriend's birthday -- so, yeah, it was a special occasion, which made our experience even more disappointing because our expectations were set so high. For starters, even though we'd made reservations two weeks ago, we were squeezed into a tiny little table with four patrons on either side and very little elbow room. We could hear all of the conversations of the two tables next to us and they could hear our conversation. Didn't make for a romantic birthday dining experience, that's for sure. On the plus side, the service was very attentive -- a French girl who knew exactly what was and wasn't vegan. She pointed out the various sections of the menu and our various options. My boyfriend started with a drink (arak gantous/abou raad), a strong aniseed-flavored liquor. He enjoyed it but I stayed far away based on the smell alone, haha. Then for our entree we ordered: - taratoor (almond and tahini dip) - hummus dip - crudites (fresh veggies to dip in the tahini and hummus) - pickled veggies to dip in the tahini and hummus This was probably the highlight of the meal -- I really loved the taratoor and the hummus was good too, although the flavour got a little repetitive compared to some hummuses (hummi? lol). The portion sizes of the entrees were good so we were actually starting to fill up. So next we ordered: - 1 serving of crunchy potatoes seasoned with garlic and coriander - 1 serving of rice pilaf - 1 serving of freekeh None of these wowed us. The crunchy potatoes were very very dry and honestly needed a sauce of some kind. My boyfriend ate three potato cubes and flat-out refused to eat the rest, leaving me with a very bloated potato-belly at the end of the evening because I hate wasting food so I had to eat the rest of them :/ The rice pilaf was nice enough with barberries and pistachio, a traditional Persian sort of dish, but like the potatoes, it was very dry. The freekeh with pomegranate dressing and almonds was just not very nice. My boyfriend ate most of it and I avoided it. Ultimately I think the problem is this is the type of restaurant designed for share plates, and the vegan options were all side plates to share, not mains. And as side plates they didn't go together well as a cohesive whole. There were literally no vegetarian mains available (much less vegan mains) and I think this is a real shame. It forces veggos to select these side dishes that don't really form a complete meal, and everything ends up tasting very dry and odd together. Rumi should definitely make more of an effort to come up with a vegetarian (preferably vegan) main so that nobody misses out. So. Yeah. Probably avoid this place if you're vegan or vegetarian. We spent $86 altogether and for that amount of money (and a birthday celebration dinner!) we expected to be much happier with our food and experience.

Bear and I came here because we had seen Anthony Bourdain's visit. Though the food here was good,…read moreeverything felt incomplete. Like we ordered the lamb and got a delicious lamb shoulder, completely on its own. Who just wants to munch on red meat? As a Middle Eastern, may I make a quick suggestion? Please add back in the flat breads, the rice, the potatoes. They are needed. We ordered the: Crispy fried school prawns - Delicious, needed more sauce 'Batata Harra' - Really good, needed a (any!) sauce. Advieh marinated lamb shoulder - Needed something to accompany it. Shaved Cabbage Salad - Really underwhelming. Don't recommend. I can't remember the rest. It's a shame because the potential is definitely there, but it definitely misses the mark. Ambiance and service could improve too.

One of the best Lebanese restaurants in the world . I haven't been to Lebanon, however this tastes…read moreas authentic as my grandmother's Lebanese recipes. If you love Lebanese food then make sure you don't miss out . I would fly here just to eat here especially if I'm in Australia in another state . I love this place one of my favorite restaurants on the planet

I love this restaurant so much!! My parents came here…read moretogether when they were younger and last month when we came back to Melbourne my parents brought the family here. And even though we originally had a reservation for 4, when we called ahead they had no problem changing our reservation to 6 which we really appreciated. The food was incredible. Looking at the menu, I had no idea what to choose because everything looked so delicious! I ended up deciding on the kibbee (which was honestly one of the best things I have ever tasted) however I also tasted the chicken and rice, lentils and rice, and the dips with pita. I would absolutely recommend ALL of those dishes as they were all incredible!!! The dessert was equally amazing and the portion sizes were perfect! Despite being fairly busy, the waitstaff was very helpful and quick. I really appreciated everything that they did to make our dinner perfect. The atmosphere of the place was very comforting and the candles really added to the vibe. Everything about the decor made it seem like I was in a whole other place for the night. I have never been to Lebanon and I hadn't eaten very much Lebanese food before but after eating there, I really want to fly directly there. My family has their recipe book and when I tasted their rice and lentils I was immediately transported back to my childhood. Their food felt so nostalgic. I have a peanut allergy and the staff was very informative and clear about the nuts used in the kitchen. If you have a treenut allergy I would advise you not to come as Lebanese food does have a lot of treenuts, however Abla's was very safe for me and I think anyone else with another allergy would feel very assured with the way that the staff handled it. Overall our experience was incredible and Abla's is an amazing place! If I lived in Melbourne, I don't think very much could stop me from going every day!! I definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic service, delicious food! I loved everything I tried, from the cocktail to the kibbie to…read morethe Barramundi. Great staff, very respectful and it was a busy night! Kudos to all.

This is easily the best place I've ever eaten! I would fly to Melbourne just for this restaurant…read more Our server was lovely and attentive, the front of house was very polite and down to earth. We didn't have to wait long for the food and when we added something to our order late it came out with our last dish. I can not recommend highly enough the cauliflower dish, chicken wings and the halloumi fingers. Delicious! Thank you for that incredible food experience!

The food here is sooooooo good! Everything is made for sharing so bring your friends. They have…read moregreat banquet prices to allow you trip try a bit of everything. Great option for vegetarians. Make sure you BYO (there is a bottle-o conviniently located across the street)

This is definitely my go to place for delicious and healthy Lebanese food. Located on the…read moreBrunswick side of Lygon st, this modern Lebanese place is a vegetarian haven. I have been there a couple of times and must say that their vego dishes are way yummier than their meat ones. Our staples are their trio of dips served with crispy and non crispy bread, DIY falafel, tabbouleh and their rice stuffed zucchini. Delish!

Allahhu Akbar This…read moremeans "God is Great." I'm compelled to evoke this exaltation because the kebabs are so good here, God's hand must be acknowledged in their making. Alhumdullilah This means "Thanks be to God" and it is appropriate to say this after you've eaten their dips. Mashallah This means "by God's Grace" and you can say this about the expertise of Tiba's chefs for their method of grilling over charcoal. Now you have learned a little Arabic, a little about Islamic phrases, and exactly the right amount of knowledge to find great Lebanese food in Melbourne.

So authentic!!! Delicious and full of flavor. If you are…read morelooking for Lebanese food while in Melbourne AU, I highly recommend this restaurant.

Eggplant dip. Get it. Get it now…read more I'm kind of tempted to leave the review at that to be honest...but I won't. This unsuspecting place turned out to be quite delightful. It was packed on a Saturday night so book ahead. The starter of bread and eggplant dip was amazing. I probably could have just had that and been happy. The main of Kibbeh Meklieh was quite filling with amazing flavours throughout.Our other main of Coussa was a total let down however. It was the most expensive item we ordered and at $17.50, I would have expected more than three small pieces. The flavour was nice enough, but it was completely overpriced and underwhelming compared to the other items on the menu. My dining partner has been there several times for lunch so it's interesting to note that many of the dishes are offered as wraps during the day for nearly half the price - and larger serves. I would certainly go back because the flavours are bang on - might just stick to daylight hours to make it better value.

I have walked past Agraba many times and not even noticed it, so when my workmates told me they…read morewere going to this place for lunch, I was surprised when they said it was in Errol St. Since my visit here though, I will no longer will I be in the land of the unobservant, because this place is worth a visit. The menu consists of an array of Lebanese delights. On my visit here I decided to try the lamb wrap and I was wrapped I did; it was delicious and humongous. I followed this up with a Lebanese coffee which was just the ticket to combat my imminent food coma. My work mates also chose an assortment from the menu including other wraps and share plates and they were all in agreement that this place is definitely worth a second visit. If you are in the area and fancy something a bit different give this place a go, you won't be disappointed.