Aalia
Plush Levantine oasis in the heart of corporate Sydney.
16/20
Middle Eastern$$$
By day, this long, slim glasshouse perched on a Martin Place terrace is filled with light. By night, it’s warmly romantic. Sought-after booths swallow up groups of six, and a recent rethink sees more tables for two.
Executive chef Paul Farag refines and redefines the family favourites and street food staples of Egypt, Lebanon, Iran and Turkey until they are reborn as rich and elegant banquet dishes. And we mean rich.
Soft pillows of bone marrow glisten in ful medames, tamarind oil pools around a spectacular barbecued prawn, and Moreton Bay bug swims in plumped-up orzo enriched with chicken fat. Even the flank steak is highly marbled wagyu, which really shouldn’t require an equally rich Cafe de Cairo butter, but then, why not?
Service is smooth, flavours are big, and yes, that slow-roasted lamb neck with dusky folds of saj bread is still the glorious go-to.
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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/nsw-good-food-guide/aalia-20241101-p5kn5k.html