Abla's

4.8

14 Reviews

$41 to $100

Lebanese

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 24, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighborhood gem
Good for groups
Vegetarian-friendly

Abla Amad was born in Lebanon and arrived in Australia in 1954 at the age of nineteen. In 1979 at the urging of friends and family she opened Abla’s, a restaurant that has become a Melbourne institution.

Ever since it opened, diners have returned time and again to experience her special brand of traditional, homemade Lebanese food.

For Abla it is a cuisine that can only be made from the heart – that’s why she is widely regarded as ‘the queen of Lebanese cooking’.

BYO is now available on Thursdays - We fill up quickly so be sure to book!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
Lebanese, Home cooking
Hours of operation
Mon–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(03) 9347 0006
Website
http://www.ablas.com.au/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Abla Amad

Location
109 Elgin St, Carlton, AU-VIC 3053
Neighborhood
Carlton
Parking details
None
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Wine

Experiences

Standard Banquet
A$72.00 per person
Multiple dates available
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, groups of 8 or more must enjoy our set menu. Children under 12 will be able to order from the a la carte menu. We can cater to most dietary requirements; please give us a call if you would like to discuss. Standard Banquet Menu: Hummus, Baba Gannouj, Labnee Makaneek Ladies Fingers Loubyeh Chicken wings Tabouleh Kafta Skewer of lamb or chicken Chicken and rice Lebanese coffee/tea with Baklawa and Turkish delight
Weeknight/Lunch Banquet
A$60.00 per person
Multiple dates available
On Thursdays groups of 8 or more must enjoy our weeknight or standard banquet menu. We can cater to most dietary requirements; please give us a call if you would like to discuss. Weeknight Banquet Menu: Hummus, Baba Gannouj, Labne Ladies fingers Loubyeh Chicken wings Tabouleh Kafta Chicken and rice Lebanese Coffee/Tea

What 14 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.4Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

Melbourne
Healthy
Melbourne
Vegetarian-friendly
Inner City North
Good for business meals
Inner City North
Healthy
Inner City North
Neighborhood gem
Inner City North
Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Abla's is a cherished Melbourne icon, celebrated for its "outstanding" Lebanese cuisine and "excellent service." The menu features traditional favorites like chicken and rice, lamb skewers, and hummus that consistently impress. Though service can be leisurely, it enhances the relaxed dining experience. Perfect for a memorable, "homely" meal.

14 Reviews

S
Sanchia
Melbourne
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 11, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Abla’s is a Melbourne institution. First came 30 plus year ago and this visit was after a ten year break. Food is reliable standard Lebanese fare. Good for a group night out. Staff lovely.
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P
Paula
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 9, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food and a warm, friendly atmosphere, can’t wait to return.
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L
Lozi
Melbourne
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 5, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was unreal! Some of the best I have had and my friends agreed. We couldn’t how amazing it was !!! And the whole team was super lovely. We will be back for sure. Highly recommend this to everyone !!!
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J
John
New York City
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 19, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Ablas is the finest example of home style refined Lebanese cuisine in Melbourne
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U
Umesh
Sydney
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 12, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Nice homely Lebanese food but nothing really exceptional. Service was slow but that made us eat at a leisurely pace and we had a nice long evening of good conversation. Abla's could do with a little more enhancement of the menu with a few new and innovative dishes.
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T
Tamara
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
An absolute Melbourne tradition- you cannot go past Abla for traditional family Lebanese.
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M
Mike
Melbourne
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful food, great wine and fine company Great recipe for a delicious dinner
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M
Michelle
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 9, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely A1. Sublime. Can’t imagine there would be any better Lebanese food in Australia. A nice surprise was the spicy cauliflower and the Makanek. Hummus and tabbouleh outstanding. I can make my own fairly decent one at home but it doesn’t hold a candle to theirs. The Lamb skewers - I don’t have adequate superlatives to describe how great it was. Baklawa the perfect balance of sweet nuts pastry and syrup. We wanted to move in. Nirvana in your mouth for the entire meal.
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J
Jack
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 1, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Ablas is always the same. You know what you're going to get and what you're going to get is delicious, fresh, clean, tasty traditional Lebanese food and you're going to get looked after.
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C
Claire
Melbourne
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 18, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and excellent service. We went for the banquet option to try a few different things. Nothing disappointed, but the loubyeh and chicken and rice were stand outs. We made the mistake of filling up on the dips, but they were just too good not to.
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FAQs

Abla's is rated 4.8 stars by 14 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 24, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

Experiences are available.

109 Elgin St, Carlton, AU-VIC 3053

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Carlton
Hours of operation
Mon–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
Price
$41 to $100
Cuisines
Lebanese, Home cooking
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Abla Amad
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Wine

Website
http://www.ablas.com.au/
Phone number
(03) 9347 0006

Abla's

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Standard Banquet

Weeknight/Lunch Banquet

Menu

What 14 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Abla's restaurant rated?

Is Abla's currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information