Bar Bouni has opened in Melbourne, a concept blending together the best of contemporary and traditional Middle Eastern with Mediterranean cuisine.
From the Tommy Collins team, founder Ben Avramides’ is taking an “unapologetically modern lens” to the traditional techniques that inspire him.
Jessica Mantilla (Añada) leads the kitchen, showcasing traditionally marinated meats and slow-cooked vegetables.
Highlights include spiced harissa chicken ordered by the half or whole, crackling pork belly, and a rotisserie cauliflower paired with a creamy almond tarator sauce, and curry leaves.
Bar Bouni serves ever rotisserie item with its signature “Lebo-terranean” sauces. These include garlic toum; zhoug, a hot sauce popular across the Middle East; and muhammara, a traditional dip made from roasted red peppers.
The sharik, which includes pickled vegetables, house sausage, a lamb and pine nut empanada, and seasonal fattoush salad, is designed for grazing and pairing.
Bar Manager Federico Soligno (Vue de Monde) oversees a modern wine list, complemented with cocktails.
The interiors are purposefully nostalgic, echoing the “unmistakable feeling” of being welcomed like family, which is the cornerstone of Bar Bouni’s ethos.
Through Bar Bouni, Avramides – a third generation emigrant restaurateur – is continuing a family legacy that began in the 1950s when his grandfather settled in Surry Hills and opened a pastry shop. By the 1970s, Avramides’ father opened Hunna’s and iconic Cleveland Street Lebanese restaurant Emad’s in the 70s.
Located in Melbourne’s arts precinct, Bar Bouni at 153 Sturt St, Southbank is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.
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Dining and Cooking