Dukkah - South Kingsville

When you say Middle Eastern food most people automatically think of their local kebab shop. And while there are some great kebabs out there Middle Eastern cuisine offers so much more. It’s a cuisine filled with flavour, colour and creativity. If this doesn’t sound like any Middle Eastern food you’ve had before then you need to check out Dukkah Restaurant.<br/ <br/ Dukkah Restaurant oozes creativity from the moment you walk in the door. Nestled in South Kingsville, the restaurant offers a warm atmosphere designed and curated by the owners Remy and Veronica, with a bar made of a tapestry of doors, attention to detail and colour everywhere, it definitely stands out, which is a hard feat in Melbourne.<br/ <br/ This creativity and attention to detail spills over into the food. Knowing what was coming we made sure to skip lunch before heading in because we were about to be fed, Middle Eastern style. What does that mean – we had a bit of everything, filled with fragrant spices and little twists on Middle Eastern classics.<br/ Check out the review of Dukkah Restaurant in the blog post below.

Between their twist on Kunafa and their fel-fel dip, Middle Eastern inspired restaurant Dukkah is a little slice of the Middle East on the main strip of shops in South Kingsville. Expect service that is warm, passionate, knowledgeable and welcoming – all of which creates a strong sense of community in the venue. Also expect a wine list that has been carefully curated to only include exclusive wines that aren’t available at your local Dan Murphys. Just as much care has been taken with their menu, with many of the dishes including spices that have come directly from Egypt. The trio of dips $17) is a must to start, consisting of lemon turmeric hummus topped with dukkah, caramelised beetroot and yogurt, and fel fel which is a blend of char grilled capsicum, cream cheese, sweet paprika, walnuts and chives. The Mixed Grill $28) also can’t be missed, serving up one of the best lamb cutlets I’ve had in Melbourne. But whatever you do, make sure you save room for Dukkah’s twist on Kunafa $11). For those of you who aren’t familiar with this dish, the traditional dish is borderline controversial – consisting of melted cheese and pastry doused in incredibly sweet rosewater. However, Dukkah takes all the best parts of the dish creating a desert that consists of fine shredded angel hair pastry, mango, cream, pistachio dust and rose petals. Delicious food, great service and a great sense of community – Dukkah Restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Food: 4/5

Great local place with great food and friendly staff. Have been many times for dinner or even just the Desserts. Have had them cater a birthday party at my home near by and they were very helpful and flexible with offerings. Highly recommend Dukkah

What a great find! Couldn't decide where to have dinner last night but we felt like something middle eastern. So glad we discovered this amazing restaurant! All our dishes were delicious and full of flavour and the price was very reasonably for the quantity and quality. Can't wait to go back!

I went here with my partner last week and loved everything about it. From the decor, ambiance, staff and food, it was all excellent. We had the dips, lamb tagine, mixed grill and kunafa for dessert. The flavours are so good and the meat is cooked perfectly. Highly recommend!