Melbourne's New Two-Storey Middle Eastern Restaurant and Bar Souk Is Now Open

The enticing aromas of a Middle Eastern market are now wafting through the Melbourne CBD. Taking over the laneway space formerly occupied by The Deanery, Souk's menu boasts a mouthwatering mix of Arabic, Anatolian and North African cuisine with a contemporary edge, along with a selection of Middle East-inspired cocktails.

Owners Ergun Elmas and Vlad Kovacevic have brought on Mexican-born chef Rogelio Almanza, who, with Elmas, has created a menu that promises to unleash an explosion of flavour. "It's an enjoyable challenge for me because it is gastronomy of the Middle East but I understand the concept very well as it is similar to Mexican gastronomy," he added.

With a strong focus on share plates, starters at Souk include prawn falafel served on smoked black tahini, and Kuwaiti fried chicken ribs crumbed with el-hanout spice mix, served with sweet cucumber and garlic sauce. Down the page you'll find heartier dishes, such as charcoal octopus with Muhammara sauce and roasted potato, stewed okra and tomato, apricot chicken koftas served with beetroot hummus, and traditional Turkish meatballs because of course. Dessert-wise, prepare to add slow-cooked tapioca pearls in a sweet Turkish coffee cream to your end-of-meal rotation.

Souk's neon-lit yet cosy space is split into two levels: a 130-seat upstairs dining room, and a downstairs bar. It's in the latter space that you'll find a mix of local, European and Middle Eastern wines, plus cocktails including Aladdin's Mistress made with Moroccan green iced tea, crush cardamom pods, white rum, dark rum and mint.

Find Souk at 13 Bligh Place, Melbourne. For more information, visit soukmelbourne.com.au.

By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.