Have you heard of Levantine cuisine? You’ve definitely tried it, or some aspects of it. Don’t worry, it’s not an esoteric term that you need an anthropology degree to understand. Levantine cuisine refers to the kinds of food found in the southeast corner of the Mediterranean, in the area categorised as Levant. This diverse region is home to countries like Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Egypt and Cyprus – a veritable hotbed of epicurean delights that boast common DNA and a shared culinary heritage.

Babylon, the new restaurant from the Mantle Group (The Sound Garden and The Charming Squire), places the flavours of the Levant at the heart of its offering, showcasing a dizzying variety of dishes – some familiar, others more obscure in nature. Sydneysiders will already be familiar with the name – Mantle Group opened Babylon Sydney on Pitt Street in 2019. Drawing from the same well of influence, Babylon Brisbane is a venue of two halves. The first portion, a 120-seater restaurant and a 14-person private dining room has already opened inside 145 Eagle Street (the former home of Esquire), with glorious views across the river to the Story Bridge. The second half, a lush outdoor space boasting bars and terraces with a total capacity of almost 1000 will launch in early 2023. The internal portion, designed by lauded architecture firm Hogg & Lamb, takes aesthetic inspiration from the ancient city of Babylon. The four separate dining areas are divided by terracotta brick, with a colour-soaked scheme executed via red marble tabletops, a sleek 10-m green marble bar, mahogany chairs and dusty pink banquettes.

Babylon Brisbane’s head chef Ferdinand Sari has collaborated with Babylon Sydney’s head chef Robert Taylor to shape the share-style menu, which marries traces of Cypriot cuisine, Middle Eastern food and eastern Mediterranean flair across three distinct categories – flora, fauna and ocean. A custom-built 3-m-long mangal (a style of Turkish grill) and two rotisseries cook an assortment of morsels over wood and charcoal, including freshly baked bread with za’atar spiced butter, spiced fried cauliflower with ras el hanout, lemon, black tahini, almond and parsley, and wood-roasted broccolini with harrisa tarator, walnuts and pomegranate molasses.

Pescatarians will be pumped at the deep oceanic offering, with wood-grilled Fraser Coast squid with muhammara and yoghurt dill, pan-roasted goldband snapper with matbucha, falafel and sorrel, and Tasmanian salmon with arak, tarama, capers, peach and sumac sure to satisfy. Proteins are given the same flame-licked treatment, with the Shish Tawook (wood-fired chicken skewers) with kisir, tomato and yoghurt and woodfired Angus beef (Hünkar Beğendi style) with chilli butter and radish a couple of standout options.

Two tasting menus, valued at $75 and $95 per person, are handy options for those who want to leave the decision making up to someone else. Babylon’s drink list is equal parts refreshing and tantalising, with spritzes and signature cocktails like the Rosey Lokum (vanilla vodka, Gordon’s Sicilian lemon gin, rose and lemon) and the Marduk’s Dragon (Roku gin, Pama liqueur, pomegranate, date, rose and lime) available alongside 17 wines by the glass sourced from predominantly Australian producers.

Babylon is open to the public, seven days a week. Bookings, operating hours and menu links can be found in The Weekend Edition’s Stumble Guide.

This article was written by James Frostick from The Weekend Edition.