One of the most delicious and homely dining experiences we've had! It was such a treat having Abla come by and chat to us, and being able to take her recipe book home with us. Clearly a very hospitable and generous family, and the food rivals that of the best fine dining restaurants in Australia.
What a wonderful restaurant! The food is absolutely delicious and the staff so accommodating and friendly. Left with a full belly and feeling like one of the family.
Abla's is an iconic Melbourne restaurant, and for good reason. Not flashy, just damn good food, and great staff. Of you want some traditional Lebanese fare, this is the place. The banquet is great value and will leave you stuffed. The Babba ghannouj was divine smokiness, the ladies ' fingers was delicious, the chicken is amazing.
A wonderful, casual, warm restaurant serving top quality food.
Lovely service and generous servings of good quality food. Very happy customers!
Finally had the chance to try the chicken and rice dish, and it was quite dry although it did not disappoint. The hummus at Ablaâs was probably my highlight though. I love that the meals here are delicious, hearty and very fragrant. Will come back to try more meat-based dishes, but once for the famous chicken and rice was enough!
Small intimate cute, and great location. The service is splendid and the food quality is outrageously amazing. Authentic amazing Lebanese cuisine. Absolutely fantastic.
Delicious and wholesome. Recommended as the go to restaurant for Lebanese food in Melbourne. Friendly and attentive service. Walk ins can be accommodated for but if you have a larger group I would recommend booking ahead. The chicken and rice is a must! You will go home feeling pleasantly full and satisfied.
The food here is delicious and you can tell theyâve been doing it for generations. Beautiful restaurant set with white table cloths, we sat upstairs which was nice, although the waiter did tend to awkwardly mill around near the table. We had the Baba Ghannouj, an eggplant dip that was deliciously Smokey. Also - the ladies fingers are a must, the crunchy filo pastry filled with mince and spices is amazing. The lamb fillets were a little more cooked than I wouldâve liked, and the chicken and rice came out looking very impressive. They serve traditional Lebanon coffee and donât miss pairing it with some sweets.
A great place for authentic Lebaneseâs food. Great friendly service and a lovely atmosphere. The dips, skewers and cabbage rolls are a must.
I have been coming here on and off for many years. Every time I do, the food and service is consistently good. If you want good,fresh homemade Lebanese food , then this place has it.
BYOW is a bonus.
One of my favourites.
Samreen Sarfraz Sahhar
+3.5
Good food! I wish the restaurant was a bit more spacious as it would be hard now to dine there with our baby and pram! We had the banquet and found it to be nice and filling but not as delicious as Dunyazad banquet.
Love love LOVE Ablaâs Restaurant! I am a regular and I think Iâve basically tried everything on the menu and have no complaints. I was offered to buy her book also and I couldnât help myself, now Iâm making Ablaâs recipes at home! :)
![4]( "Recensione")
4.5/5
Ablaâs is a restaurant serving homestyle Lebanese food. It is named after Abla Amad, widely known as âthe queen of Lebanese cookingâ. The fit out is cosy but sophisticated with clean, white tablecloths and dim lighting.
Between the 4 of us, this was more than enough food and we took some leftovers home. Everything came out gradually, we waited for some dishes longer than others. The Batata Harra are always delicious, they are a must-order for us when we go to a Lebanese restaurant. They are slightly spicy and tangy. Their mixed dips were perfect â generous portion, packed full of flavour, served with Lebanese bread, my favourite was the Baba Ghannouj.
The meats came with a side of tabouleh (which we completely forgot about when we ordered and the bowls were big). The chicken was succulent, nicely seasoned. The lamb was a bit too chewy for our liking, we definitely preferred the chicken. The lamb sausages werenât anything special but still good. If you like chicken livers, I recommend trying them here. They had a lovely garlic and lemon dressing which was addicting. Both salads were faultless â exactly how Iâd have them at home.
This is not a place where you will be ripped off, despite the prices being higher than an average eatery. Portions are so generous, just how your grandma would feed you. We struggled with putting the plates on the table as it was too small for the 4 of us, it was more like a 2-seater which became a little annoying. But overall, I highly recommend! This is quality Lebanese food, perfect for a date night or when you miss your grandmaâs cooking.
I found this place nice but not spectacular. Feel like most of the items we ordered were very mild tasting so if you're looking for something more bold this isn't it.
I hadnt been out for Lebanese cuisine for a long time. This was so good. Great variety of dishes. Also I ask for the aircon to be put on and they sorted it out right away. Really lovely staff and great atmosphere. Also the dry Prosecco is excellent.
Warm and friendly restaurant at a non-busy part of Carlton. The space is a bit small , but the food is generally pretty good with generous portions. The photos are of the chicken and rice and the fattoush salad. I feel like the chicken and rice dish needs just a little something to tied it together like hommous. Definitely try the meat cigars or lady fingers as theyâre called if youâre going.
They had two sittings obviously to be able to fill to capacity and we did feel rushed.
We had hardly sat down before the waitress was trying to get us to order she was very polite and friendly.
We ordered a variety of dishes for two of us and the boys had the set menu they were very impressed.
I love the deserts the Turkish delight and baclawa were beautiful.
We probably wouldnât eat here again but I certainly would go and pick up some of that Turkish delight there are better Lebanese restaurants in Melbourne
Always an amazing experience going to Abla's. Consistently good no matter how busy. Great menu with an excellent variety for meat and non-meat eaters., Authentic middle eastern food, and excellent service and ambience. Bonus points if you recognize any of the 90s arabic pop songs playing. Very nostalgic and a true gem of a place.
The experience and food was delightful! My must-have was the flavourful Chicken and Rice. It was just how I had remembered it from all my previous dining experiences at Ablaâs. Rei (apologies if I have misspelt your name) was a warm and gracious host! Congratulations on your 42nd year! Such a fantastic achievement and milestone. Best wishes for the many more years to come!
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Melbourne
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes