Bar Saracen: Moreish Middle Eastern eats

Good reports are circulating about a new restaurant on the former Rosa’s Kitchen site: Bar Saracen from veteran hospitality team Joseph Abboud (Rumi, the Moor’s Head) and Ari Vlassopoulos (ex Hellenic Republic, Pei Modern).

Chef Tom Sarafian has come from Rumi to cook moreish – Moorish? – starters like fried cumin-dusted okra, and a triumphant prawn, egg and cheese borek. Try the fish taratoor (think tahini rillette) served with pickled baby grapes.

Beetroot, labne, dukka butter #ofmiddleeasternappearance

A post shared by Bar Saracen (@barsaracen) on Apr 2, 2018 at 4:09am PDT

We fight over golden tag deegh on saffron pilaf – the crispy bit from the pan – before Joseph reappears with another. The Turkish white on the concise list, Suvla Kinali Yapincak, works with every dish including mamool – a round pastry on fig and sesame jam oozing warm Meredith Dairy’s Goat Cheese.

Coincidently the building is also of Middle Eastern appearance with rusty orange walls and triangular-pointed windows. More calculated are red banquettes, prayer beads on concrete walls and Youseff’s taxi light adorning the bar. Yallah, before everyone catches up.

Bar Saracen
● 22 Punch Lane
● 8639 0265
● barsaracen.com.au