Isme Lebanese Restaurant

Had such a great dinner at Isme. The vibes were great and the staff are really fun.

We had an earlier dinner sitting and it was fantastic, but I could imagine that this place would be great for a later dinner sitting too it you’re wanting something a little more upbeat, or if you want something more quiet and intimate then our dinner seating at 7:30 (give or take) would be perfect for you.

The food was delicious especially those crispy chips you get with the three dip entree. The sizes were huge and there is a great selection of vegetarian, pescatarian and meat dishes to choose from.

Two of the people in our party ordered cocktails (which I had a little sip of) and they were probably some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, the one with white chocolate shavings was so creative and delicious.

I love this part of Melbourne because it seems I am always stumbling across amazing restaurants.

Would highly recommend Isme either for a casual dinner or a more party focused night.

5/5

Cute little restaurant hidden in some back street with absolutely INCREDIBLE food. Little hidden gem. Definitely worth visiting. I highly suggest ordering a mix of things to really appreciate the variety of flavours available. The flower bomb Cocktail was also magnificent!!

Craving Lebanese food, my husband and I decided to try this place out. We ordered 3 items to share that were absolutely delicious — spicy prawn fatteh, sujuk dumplings and the chicken skewers (+1 extra). It doesn’t sound like that much, but we were comfortably full at the end of the meal. Service was great, with multiple staff checking to see if we were all good. There’s a nice community vibe and the ambience in the early evening is also really lovely.

Mezza style places aren’t usually our go to, but we’re glad we tried Isme out and we’re very much looking forward to going back soon!

The best Lebanese food in Melbourne, the service is excellent and the food is delicious and to die for! Cheese Cigars yum, the trio is a must with labne, humus and baba ghanouj and lamb & chicken skewers with garlic sauce is my favourite!

Tldr: Everything here is great from the food to the service! Definitely for the Mezza, order the trio dips with the crispy pita.

A hidden Lebanese restaurant perfect for dining. Well set out tables with the friendliest and prompt service.

The Pink passion cocktail is one of their popular drinks. Refreshing, sweet and a tart flavour with the passion fruit liquor. The lemon juice adds a slight sourness to the drink.

-Mezza-

Trio dips hummos - perfctly made. Each dip has its own taste from the smoky baba ganouch, hummus to greek yoghurt. The pita is served with a crisp and normal pita.

Zaatar and fetta arancini - salty but flavoursome with an olive taste and stringly cheese

Pumpkin pockets - fried doughy skin infused with pumpkin. The pumpkin is not overpowering and matches well with the soft spinach, mushroom and onion filling. It has a herby and slightly spicy taste to it.

Spicy Wingettes - The chicken gives a zesty lime hit on initial bite. They are well marinated.I wouldn't consider these spicy at all.

Cheese cigars - Crispy "springroll" skin with a moderately pasty cheese. On the salty side.

-Bigger-

The vegan- fried cauliflower. Nicely crisped on the outside and super tender on the inside. The sweet pomegranate and raisins nicely adds to it, while balanced with a nutty taste from the pecans.

Sweet as isme- The bread is so crisp and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. The taste is sweet and reminds me of a churros but to make it better, having it dipped with the vanilla icecream adds additional sweetness.

We had a very lovely dinner here.
The food and service was amazing.

A must try is the sujuk dumplings! I love the creativity of this dish.
Can wait to come here.

Ordered the banquet, very nice food, good portion! They accomodated the banquet for vegan so well, the vegan cauliflower is must-try! Highly recommend the cocktail - love u berry much!

Excellent service excellent food not like every other Lebanese restaurant they have really put a modern Twist on their food

The food was beautiful. Consistent among various dishes. The right flavours hit home. It made me question my Lebanese mother’s home cooking. The dim atmosphere, very intimate to bring loved ones to indulge. The chefs put in great effort to make the food with love just as much as the waiter put in great effort to distribute the food with love. The service quick, simple and attentive. Food came out quicker than expected. Something you don’t really see much in Melbourne restaurants. Priced well worth every penny. I will definitely recommend this to anyone looking to expand their Mediterranean taste pallet. I will definitely be back.

By far one of the most underrated middle eastern fine dining in Melbourne. Everything from food to service was top notch and not to mention, an incredible atmosphere. Left feeling quite satisfied to say the least and cannot wait to dine there again!!

Excellent food, equally great cocktails and lovely staff. Highly recommend!

Amazing place, delicious food, premium service.
5 starts.

In two weeks i have dined here twice. The experience is exceptional, food is delicious and full of the best flavours, customer service is beyond amazing especially Denise who goes above and beyond to make all feel so comfortable and welcome. Cant wait to return!!!!!

Since having dinner here last Sunday evening I haven’t stopped raving about Isme. The food was absolutely divine (and included delicious options for vegans/veg)! The service was spot on and our waiter had a great knowledge of the menu and how to order for a larger groups. We were lucky enough to end up in the private dining room. The space is so beautifully decorated and small enough to still feel intimate.

Please pass on my thanks to the server, chef and staff for such a wonderful experience. I can’t wait to come back!

i can not RECOMMEND THIS PLACE ENOUGH!! in my top 3 favorite restaurants in melbourne, the vibe is awesome, the drinks are awesome & the food is to die for. I come here all the time just so i can experience it with all my friends that haven't been. the food is just incredible

I had a recent canapes and drinks function for 40 people at Isme. Perfect sized venue, attentive and friendly service, the food was AHMAYZING (they went above and beyond to ensure that guests with significant dietary requirements were also able to enjoy varied and delicious food) and Joey was patient with all my questions and special requests (music, decor, cocktail options, etc....).
The lovely wait staff even made sure I had enough to eat and drink. Can't recommend them enough.

A fantastic Middle Eastern restaurant with amazing food, service and atmosphere. We have now been there 3 times and it was a perfect experience every time. Tried almost everything on the menu and everything is excellent.
The service and particularly Denise is outstanding. I can’t recommend this restaurant strongly enough. Best middle eastern restaurant in Melbourne

Great cosy atmosphere with a typically cool Fitzroy vibe. Lovely staff when we were there. But the real highlight is the food. We got the Feed Me option and one dish after another was absolutely delicious. We eat a lot of middle eastern food and this really stands out. Amazing! The Sucuk dumplings is a stand out.

Best Lebanese food I've had in Melbourne. Every single item on the banquet was 10/10. Food was full of flavour and tasted delicious. My new fave restaurant. Can't wait to go back.

Spectacular food, great ambience, friendly service. We had four mezzo dishes and all were superb. The butterflied king prawns were the best prawns I have ever eaten - and I have eaten a lot of prawns. Highly recommend.