5 Middle Eastern RCA-winning Venues Worth the Road Trip

As we celebrate all things from the Middle East this week, let’s continue on our delicious culinary drive around the country to visit Readers’ Choice Award-winning dining destinations.

Here are five restaurants to find more than a falafel on the plate that are worth the road trip:

Experience some of the world’s oldest cuisine in an exotic Middle Eastern dining experience at 1001 Nights Restaurant on Mt Eliza Way in Mount Eliza. This Mornington Peninsula rare gem boasts an authentic, luxurious and modern setting of recycled timber, filigree panels and arched windows letting in an abundance of natural light.

 

Embark on your culinary journey with spiced beef and pine nut cigars and harissa, or fried spiced squid, tahini yoghurt and rocket salad; before mains such as chicken tagine, chickpeas, dried fruit, almonds, honey and couscous. Perhaps Ottoman-spiced grass-fed lamb cutlets tempt, with biryani rice and house salad, or Maryland chicken, saffron marinade and harissa yoghurt, with za’atar fries and flatbread.

Locally-loved Café Boker on River Street is the place to head in Ballina for the tantalising taste of Middle Eastern fare with flair. Located in the CBD with an inviting alfresco area streetside for people-watching while enjoying a coffee catch-up with friends, this rustic café exudes a warm and welcoming vibe ideal for lingering over a lazy brunch.

 

Expect beautifully plated dishes which taste as good as they look, think Israeli chicken shawarma, with hummus, mango pickle, white tahini, za’atar and flame-charred pita bread; or delve into tender and fragrant slow-cooked lamb served on a bed of creamy hummus, white tahini, olive oil and za’atar with pine nuts, halloumi and pita, best enjoyed with a glass of Wildflower Cabernet Sauvignon.

Take your tastebuds on an exotic journey at El Attar Middle Eastern Grill on Neil Street in Toowoomba. Be transported to Egypt after your first steps through their doors and into a moody ambience of red décor, mosaic tiles and wall murals of pyramids, as the aroma of spices waft from the kitchen, whetting appetites for authentic Middle Eastern fare.

 

Delve into a shared entrée platter of falafels, sambousek, kibbeh and malfouf, served with flatbread, sauce, za’atar spices and olive oil; before wrapping your hands around a chicken shawarma kebab wrap with lettuce, tomato, onion and sauce, or an El Attar beef burger with cheese, salad and sauces, served with golden chips, garden salad, flatbread and pickles. 

Expect Middle Eastern fare with a twist at Laian Restaurant on Cathedral Avenue in Geraldton. A full glass frontage with bi-fold doors opening onto a sunny alfresco area ensures a light, bright and breezy vibe, with exposed bulb lighting, tiled floors and cosy tables setting the scene for lingering over a meal with family, friends or someone special.

 

Stop in for a lunch catchup and enjoy shakshuka with housemade tomato sauce, fava beans, chickpeas, feta, cheese and eggs; dine in the evening starting with falafels and dip, or lamb sausages with capsicum, onion and pomegranate molasses, moving onto mains like beef kofta with tomato, potato, saffron rice and tahini sauce, or slow-cooked goat, with tomato and chickpea sauce and saffron rice.

Soak up panoramic views of the Coral Sea and dine on a feast of Middle Eastern delights from the highest rooftop bar in Cairns at Rocco on the Esplanade. Picture yourself sipping a herb-infused Insta-worthy cocktail while admiring the 270-degree vistas with earthy-toned surrounds and Middle Eastern prints setting a warm ambience to get lost in the oasis of greenery and sweeping views.

 

Expect an inspired drinks menu with sophisticated sweet and savoury cocktails to go with pomegranate-glazed chicken and smoked almond sauce skewers to start a memorable meal or Baharat lamb and pine nut cigars. Delve into larger plates of Daintree barramundi fillet, ras el hanout, creamed corn, Beirut fries and grilled pita bread; finish indulgently with chocolate and sesame custard doughnuts.