Abla’s

Authentic Lebanese is so good. Order the mixed dips and you will not be disappointed. The chicken and rice is delicious.

Never tried Lebanese food before? Get excited!
I have been enjoying my mother’s Lebanese cooking for all my life and Abla’s makes me proud to parade authentic Lebanese food to anyone who wants to take the plunge to food paradise.
Nothing fancy inside, its cosy and the staff are friendly. The atmosphere is perfect for groups and still a lot of fun with your partner.
Make sure you arrive on an empty stomach and order the banquet; it has all the classics and is amazing value for money. It begins with a bowl of Lebanese bread and three mixed dips (Labneh, Hummus and Baba Ghanoush) to start the salivation process. These three dips don’t get any better than this. Within a short period of time, the Lebanese sausages (Makanek), Sliverbeet Rolls and Ladies’ Finger came out. You’re going to love dipping the Lebanese sausages in the Hummus and Baba Ghanoush so make sure you don’t finish all the dips yet! The Loubieh (best Loubieh you will have), Chicken Wings (baked in garlic and lemon), Tabouleh and Kibbee are next. All amazing (those chicken wings fall off the bone) and you will roll your eyes around your head with the taste orgasm you’re having. Make sure you leave enough Labneh (one of the dips) to dunk some Kibbee in.
It’s not over just yet, next came out one of the best Falafels you will ever have and tender lamb skewers. The final meal that made its way was the beautifully presented Lebanese Chicken and Rice dish. If you managed this far, you will be glad to know Lebanese coffee with baklawa and Turkish delight will be tickling your sweet tooth.
It’s a lot of food, it’s a feast fit for a king and queen, but if you can’t finish it and want to take it home in a plastic container? No problem.
The whole experience is homely and warm, and that’s the charm about Abla’s. You will be treated to the most amazing authentic Lebanese food of your life! There’s nothing like it.

I went there with the guys at work for our end of FY lunch the other day and had a great time. I’d never had Lebanese cuisine before and, to be honest, it wasn’t even on my list until I found out that we were going to Abla’s. It was a great choice though.
Standing in front of the place, you can actually guess that it’s been here on Elgin Street for a long long time. The place is not fancy or pretentious, is quite small and the décor is far from vibrant. It actually looks very simple with carpet on the floor and a beige/​crème coloured wall. What it lacks in the décor, Abla’s makes up for it with a fantastic service and delicious food though.
We had the banguet, which was about $ 70/​head and the servings were very generous. They started with bread and dips, followed by about 7 or 8 dishes which included fish, lamb skewers, chicken and rice, Chicken Wings, Tabouleh, Silverbeet rolls. To finish off, we had lebanese coffee with baklawa and turkish delight.
We didn’t get a chance to meet Abla. Perhaps, we’ll have better luck next time.
Abla’s is definitely worth a try and make sure you try their lebanese beer as well — they are pretty good.

My friends refer to Abla’s as a melbourne institution — this is a great place for sharing a delicious meal with friends with good service and mouthwatering mezze

Best falafel ever! Portions for the full tasting menu was a little big but the food was great.

Abla’s is a Melburnian institution of sorts, specialising in authentic Lebanese cuisine with a ‘homemade by mum’ kind of flair. The restaurant itself is in an old house and by no means fancy; but what it lacks in ambiance it makes up for in the great food and overall experience. I recently came here on a Friday, when for a fixed-​price banquet. The waitress kept bringing dishes to our table until it was completely covered and there was no room to move unless we ate our way out. Everything was delicious, highlights include the baba ghannouj (amazingly smoky with a generous touch of creamy tahini), the kibbeh (probably the best I’ve ever had, perfectly spiced lamb and pine nuts surrounded by airy, golden brown semolina), the felafel (amazing, slightly chewy texture — not dry and crumbly like many places), and the green beans (just the right amount of tang and not overly oily).
Abla herself came by between the entrees and main course to see how we were enjoying our meal!
Other pluses: they are very good at accommodating dietary requirements (I have a dairy allergy, and we had a vegetarian in the group as well), and have BYO ($ 5 corkage). The banquet is also a great deal, for $ 60 per person you’ll get an out-​of-​this-​world feast (make sure you come hungry).
My one complaint would be that it’s a bit loud upstairs when there are large groups, so this is probably not a good choice if you want to have a quiet conversation. If you’re just out to eat some great Lebanese food, drink, and be merry, though, this is easily forgiven.