Avi's Kantini

UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14 — Avi's Kantini is open for takeaway throughout lockdown. Check out the menu here.

Nestled inside The Bank alongside craft beer bar Uncle Hops, the Middle Eastern-inspired menu can be ordered anywhere in the three storey venue. Highlights include an oozy baked saganaki with honey, pistachio and rose, as well as housemade dips ($12), stuffed pides served with pickles and onion salads ($19-21) and meze plates.

"Newtown has always been a popular spot for Middle Eastern and Turkish food," CEO of Solotel Group Elliot Solomon said in a statement. "With Avi's Kantini, we wanted to build on that legacy and love with a contemporary, psychedelic twist."

Cocktails are curated by Ed Loveday (ex-Bar Brosé and ex-ACME), featuring ingredients like arak (an unsweetened distilled spirit), sumac, pomegranate, saffron and bergamot (a type of citrus). Taste through a refreshing Karpuz (meaning 'melon' in Turkish) with Espolon Blanco tequila, watermelon, rosewater and lime or try Avi's take on an espresso martini with spiced rum, coffee, date and black walnut.

If you want to spend less time ordering, and more time dancing, we wouldn't blame you. The $45 banquet menu is a steal with plant-based and carnivorous options including chickpea falafels, lamb shish and chicken wings in a sticky fig glaze.

The revamped courtyard champions custom art murals by Wollongong-based artist El Oso Negro, while 12-seater cushioned booths, seating nooks and plenty of greenery gives guests heaps of options when it comes to space.