Maha

Pricey but worth it. $ 135 for two for lunch with matched wine.
The staff are knowledgeable about the food and wine. The service is excellent and well, the food was a taste sensation to say the least. The serves were exactly the right size for lunch, in fact my friend and I struggled to finish it all (we did, however, because it was too good to leave).
The «matched wines» were excellent!
We had no room for dessert but I can highly recommend the coffee to finish.
Great service, friendly staff and calm atmosphere. Didn’t need the Middle Eastern background music, however.
I’ll be back.

Delish! Overall, a very enjoyable experience. The staff were attentive, gave full explanations of the menu and food/​wines and were delightful to chat with. We had the 5 course set menu with the wines– the food was plentiful and flavoursome. The wines were perfectly matched and each came with a descriptive background story told by the sommelier.

The food was really good and the staff were great. The cuisine was terrific with some imaginative combinations. Lovely cuisine and atmosphere. I highly recommend it.
My only issue was we went for a work lunch with a set menu — which was terrific value, and you got to taste a wide variety of dishes. The set menu price included an alcoholic drink, but I don’t drink, and no non-​alcoholic beverage was offered in its place, which was weird, I thought, especially for a middle eastern restaurant. There was no reduction in the price either.

Had a lovely experience here. Great service & amazing food. We had a number 5 menu. What a taste sensation. It’s worthy of a 5 star but I must knit pick for the sake of the restaurant making that tiny adjustment to make the experience 100%. After going through so many outstanding dishes it was disappointing to eat the manti & salad in the final main. The manti was void of flavour and had a texture of rubber. The lamb was also chewey & dry due to over cooking. «A heavenly first class flight ending in a rough landing». Regardless, please go and eat here. As I say I’m knit picking but hope the chefs pay just that extra attention to detail. Enjoy.

Cynthia’s review is spot on. My partner and I went there for our anniversary dinner and had the six course tasting with wine pairing. The dishes that worked, worked really well, those that didn’t really fell flat. The smoked eel/​potato soup was a great way to start and the sommelier did an excellent job with most of the pairings. The Waygu brisket was like meat butter (in a good way) but the duck with the mezze was really disappointing. Way too salty and like something I would get from the freezer section of the grocery store. The desserts really fell flat for us and was a lame way to end what was an overall decent tasting. The pomegranate brûlée came with minted chocolate fudge and basil and mint gels. It was overly complicated and didn’t work for us. I found the Turkish delight donuts very doughy and heavy and would have been great if they were lighter. The olive oil ice cream palette cleanser was a standout as was their cocktail menu. You’re never gonna love everything on a tasting menu, but I found this one really unbalanced. I’d recommend going to check out Maha, but order off the menu and definitely get a cocktail.

Another amazing eatery in Melbourne! We loved this place and its food and atmosphere were great! We went for a set course menu with multiple options! Not 100% sure as I didn’t order but the food kept coming and tasted amazing.
There was plenty of good and the flavours were incredible.
The staff were helpful and polite and provided a full explanation of each course which was handy!
Will definitely eat here again and thoroughly recommend it!!! Yum!!!

I want so much to give a higher rating but based on my experience of The Spice Journey Sunday, a three is all I can give. Shane Delia is probably my favourite Australian chef and I loved his series, I have been excited about going to Maha for a long time but the opportunity kept eluding me, but my partners birthday lunch finally lined up perfectly.
Walking into the restaurant, I’m immediately surprised, a lavish bar, blue opulent couches and then almost diner style tables, I don’t get it, everyone was packed in so tightly as well there was no enjoying intimate conversation. The music a combination of lovely Arabic folk and American rap.
The service was attentive, however we were served by at least three different waiters. One of which was not knowledgeable, the other two were fantastic though, there was a gentleman in a suit wondering around asking if everyone «was ok?»
The food. Maybe I expected too much because it was Shane Delias restaurant or because it is the food I grew up with. But, what was good was incredible and what wasn’t good, was inedible.
It was great value for what we got at an establishment like Maha, $ 65 for four courses. The generosity and experience is probably worth me kicking it up to four stars, but I’ll review again after doing dinner.
The entrée was fabulous, I can’t fault it.
The second course, the pork Jowl I found almost sickly. The dumplings were great, true to the Turkish palate.
The main, 12 hour lamb was so dry it was unpalatable. The salmon was overcooked in my humble opinion. The grains unpleasant with no clear flavour of fruit and nut. Beside there being no pumpkin seeds in our salad, it was peppery and delicious.
The desert, I can’t say enough good things about it. I could go and eat desert there day and night! They were all perfectly balanced and creative and like nothing I’ve ever tasted before! Just go and try them now!
Their bar menu is most impressive, sporting speciality items from all over the globe. A lot of thought has been put in to establishing it. The drinks and cocktails available are most impressive. I ordered a Morning Sunshine, a pomegranate, vanilla and coffee concoction– lovely and did wake me up.
Overall, Maha is a very special place. Given the flavour combinations and presentation of dishes I am positive my experience was a fluke and I will be going back to try out the dinner menu, more deserts and delve into that bar!
Highly recommended!

Amazing place ! Amazing vibe ! Amazing service and best of all amazing dessert ! Hidden little gem in a dark alleyway, a must to visit ! Tried 3 desserts, each better then each other. Great middle eastern place — finally

We only had shisha/​coffee/​desserts here, so this review isn’t wholesome, but I feel compelled to write one as we had an incredible experience in this place.
The place is so cute, and the service is crazy good. I’d had to say one of the best and friendliest services I’d ever experienced in my life. No exaggeration. Also, I am half-​Egyptian, and lived in the region for years, and this is the only place that really did their shisha/​coffee/​tea right. Down to a T.
You basically sit indoors, but in an ionized courtyard that’s sealed. The ionization shuts down the smoke immediately.
We had an amazing experience. And it is on the pricier side looking at the menu. (That said, coffee was $ 5, shisha was $ 30, pretty standard). But because of how nice it is, we will definitely be coming back at some point to have dinner on a nice occasion. Looking at the menu too, it seems like they really know their Arabic/​Middle Eastern food, as they produce items that only someone really well acquainted with the region would recognize.
Downside is that will be closed for 5 weeks starting Jan 1^st for full on renovation, so will have to wait till then. But will definitely be coming, and maybe bring the whole fam.

I and 4 friends only came here for the shisha and we were not disappointed. The price was very reasonable, the shisha quality was good (although the coal burned a little bit too fast) and the place was delightful. The choice of music was excellent, very relaxing and suited us well. The only thing was that the shisha lounge’s couch was a bit too narrow and the tables weren’t tall enough so sitting there wasn’t completely comfortable. But after all, money well spent. Definitely deserves another visit.

Brilliant. Such a treat. First time back in Melbourne for 20 years and Maha was the only restaurant on ‘my need to do’ list. And we certainly were not disappointed.
We ordered the four course menu with wine and loved every morsel. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Would recommend to anyone.

I’m not sure about you, but I rarely feel so satisfied after a meal. Not just because the food was magnificent, but it was presented so well, served so excellently and all in an excellent atmosphere.
Too much to recommend, but the lentil dumplings on a bed of labna were amazing.

A basement restaurant in Melbourne but apart from that, pretty distant from any other cliché. Dark, with a great fit-​out, you instantly feel like you belong here. A quick lunch is very well catered for, though time and time again the desire to stay longer sees me order ‘just one more thing’.
Middle Easter fare, a fusion of sorts, sees a plethora of tasty dishes fill the menu. If a la carte seems all to hard– choose one of the many set menus.
The booze list is extensive and complete, carefully selected to match the style of the menus. Try not to leave without dessert!

Maha has to be one of my all time favourites. Service is impeccable and their flexibility with the menu is unheard of in Melbourne these days.
I came here for dinner and ordered the sultan banquet. I couldn’t falter one item, with the 12 hour lamb being a highlight.
The price was also quite reasonable for a restaurant of this standard.

Absolutely loved our entire dining experience here!
Food was amazing and more generous serving sizes than expected so we walked out after the 6course menu extremely full and satisfied. Meals were brought out at a really nice relaxed pace so we never felt rushed nor did we feel like we were waiting. Staff were knowledgeable, friendly and proficient.
Absolute value for money for a high end restaurant! They even gave us take home digestive herbal teas to have before bed!
Would recommend this place to everyone.

I don’t know how you could not rate this restaurant 5 star. I’ve been to hundreds of restaurants throughout Melbourne and this would have to be top 5, maybe even number 1.
I share my sentiments with David and Natalie W below, it was amazing from the first bite. We were on a romantic dinner for 2 and had the 4 courses (2 shared entrees, Main and shared dessert). The shared entrees totaled 5 dishes, 3 cold, followed by the hot mezze. To be honest, as I type I’m trying to re-​trace exactly what we had but there was just so much! There was a seafood and chickpea tagine, the tastiest roast chicken on black hommus, breads, salads, rice, crumbed chicken on honey marinade, little meatballs and fish, all accompanied with different types of exquisite middle eastern components that made every mouthful truly different and extremely tasty!
The main was 12 hour slow roasted lamb and herbs accompanied by a dish that has escaped my memory (even though this was only last night!). Anyway, again, phenomenally tasty.
And the shared dessert we had Turkish delight dumplings, vanilla panna cotta with crumbed chocolate, flowers and lemon sorbet and traditional turkish pastries with chocolate.
Some of the elements like the Saffron foam, Chocolate fur, great infusions and flower beads would either pop flavor, or dissolve in your mouth. Shane Delia = Genius!
Service was top notch too. I HIGHLY recommend this place. If you haven’t been GET THERE, and make sure you do one of the sharing options (the 4 meals was ample for us).

Great meal to celebrate Malta month. Plenty of food and the staff are great. Cocktails were refreshing and great wine list. Definitely coming back for Lebanon month next month.

Extremely overpriced. Poor wine list — good luck spending less than $ 100 for a bottle of red. A party of three left hungry (stupidly small servings) yet paid over $ 300 for the ‘privilege’. Better Middle Eastern food is most assuredly found in the suburbs for far less.
One word: pompous.

Maha Restaurant is part of the Made Group of restaurants (The Press Club, Little Press & Cellar, Hellenic Republic, PM24, St. Katherine’s and Mama Baba) and for me, is the most unique find that I have stumbled across in a while both inside this select group of restaurants and frankly out and about in Melbourne.
As usual, I turned up with one other in the bowels of the Bond Street basement location with no reservation and was happily escorted to a table. I quickly became accustomed to the beautiful smell of spice and was seated in the back dining room amongst the gentle purr of the other patrons.
Before ordering the six-​course «Latifa» tasting menu with matching wines ($ 130 p/​p) we tasted two iterations of Raki, which is a Turkish national drink — an unsweetened, anise-​flavoured alcoholic delight. After adding some water and a cube of ice to dilute it, the taste reminded me of absinthe with a strong taste of licorice. Not to be confused with ouzo or sambuca, it was a nice way to set mood.
I didn’t proclaim to be an aficianado in Middle Eastern-​inspired cuisine and that did not surprise the very helpful and attentive floor staff. They were not only happy to explain and educate, which for us was a curiosity regarding the origins of the food and the inspiration behind Shane Delia’s menu along with the resulting wine matches which I would ultimately find quite stimulating and intriguing.
Chicken kibbeh matched with a 2007 Marsovin (sparkling wine from Malta) made its appearance first and foremost and what an impression it made. Perhaps because I have visited too many «Modern Australian» and «Mexican-​inspired» restaurants as of late but both the smell and texture of the chicken matched with a wine from a region that I had never drank from — ever — left me feeling like a randy teenager seeing his first «R» rated movie. If this was setting the tempo for what was to come, my expectations were effectively in the clouds.
My favourite dish came out next with a familiar wine, the 2011 Tamellini Soave Classico, Soave from Veneto DOC, Italy. It recently made its appearance when I had the Melbourne Onion Soup at Vue de Monde and thought that it paired nicely then and once again, it was a winning match at Maha with the prawn and octopus tagine. What a flavour explosion. Once again the smell and texture made me giddy and I intend on going on the hunt for Shane Delia’s cookbook in the hope of being able to replicate this dish in some way at home. I know that I would not be able to do it justice, but the smell still haunts me and if I could make my residence smell like this dish for a few days, I would be in a perpetual state of bliss. The 2011 Tamellini has proven to be an easy drinking wine and flexible enough to effectively match with a variety of tastes.
The «boat smugglers stew» which consists of prawn, red mullet, pork belly, tamarind, saffron and tomato was another taste sensation and when matched with the simple 2010 Domain de Bieville chablis, I found it quite robust yet pleasant. It was obvious that the wine was taking a trip around the world showcasing not only the scope of the list but also demonstrating that many regional varietals pair well with food inspired from the Middle East. The stew, was a cornucopia of tastes and I found the combination of the mullet, belly and especially the tamarind to take centre stage. Yet another dish that I want to try to attempt at home, especially in the winter with the mighty Magpies on television on a Friday night.
Perhaps because my palate was overwhelmed by this time, but the next dish, the seven spiced angus short rib did not make the same impression on me that the previous offerings did. I was rather indifferent to this, most likely because the 2012 Eldridge Estate Gamay was big and earthy and the beetroot that was fused into the ribs just seemed to overwhelm the dish. I have 2012 Eldridge Estate Gamay in my personal cellar so it was good to see such good representation from Mornington Peninsula.
The 12 hour roasted Mt. Leura lamb shoulder was tender and easily was pulled apart. The green olive tabouleh was a great complement and this time a 2007 Colognole Chianti (district east of Florence) matched it but it did not do the lamb justice. In my humble opinion the wine was not bold enough (and actually is quite a cheap and cheerful wine) but I really did enjoy the dish.
Strangely the crescendo for this meal was achieved with the single dessert. A beetroot sponge and beetroot ganache with milk chocolate peppermint crisp ice cream all hidden inside a watermelon rosewater ice. Matched with an Israeli wine — the 2010 Yarden muscat from Galilee, the smell of citris combined with the easy drinking nature of this muscat made the ganache just awesome.
Maha turned out to be a great experience, not just highlighted by the plethora of new flavours and tastes, but it was also an adventure, which dining really should be.

Loved the location.
Like finding a little gold mine in an unsuspecting place.
First thoughts while inside was its very inviting, intimate yet sort of community. Enjoyed watching groups receive their shared food. The variety & tastes.
Staff were well trained and a pleasure to be served by.
I enjoyed the food, but really hoped for a bit more ‘something’ for the price.
If you have the money it’s a great place to try.