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There’s a delicious new reason to wander the cobblestone streets of The Rocks. Lebanese restaurant Sahtein brings the generous, everyday cooking of Beirut to Sydney, inviting diners to settle in and stay a while.
Led by executive chef Mike Flood (ex-Felix, Firedoor and Quay) alongside head chef Rifat Katranci (ex-Jimmy’s Falafel, The Cut Bar and Grill), with oversight from Hunter St. Hospitality culinary director Santiago Aristizabal, the kitchen takes its cues directly from Lebanon’s vibrant food culture. Sahtein serves the kind of dishes you’d find on dining tables across Beirut, where the conversation flows over a family feast.
The seasonal menu is designed for sharing and uses halal produce throughout. Small plates, charcoal-grilled meats and traditional desserts sit alongside zesty sides and house-made breads.
Cold mezze includes herb-laced salads, hummus, labneh, salt-baked beetroot with pistachio and kibbeh nayeh (finely pounded raw mince). Hot plates centre around favourites like balila (warm chickpeas), crispy falafel, sautéed chicken livers with mulberry molasses and halloumi with fresh fig.
Cooked over the charcoal grill are shish lahm (spiced Wagyu skewers), smoky lamb kafta and chicken with toum (garlic sauce) and Aleppo honey – this dish was one of our favourite things we tried. The centrepiece is the signature raqabat kharouf – lamb neck that’s slow-cooked, richly spiced and served with rice, zucchini stuffed with mince, labneh and pickles. They also have show-stopper desserts – really delicious baklava and a big, exotic fruit platter.
Lunch takes a more casual turn with laffe (Lebanese flatbread) wraps filled with shish taouk, lamb kafta or falafel – ideal for local office-goers. Desserts such as mhalabieh (milk pudding), booza (orange blossom ice cream) and ossmaliyyeh (kataifi pastry with ashta, nuts and rose syrup) round out the experience.
The drinks list follows the same regional focus as the food, with cocktails like Downtown Beirut (a bourbon-based cocktail infused with figs and dates) inspired by Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean flavours, along with a few non-alcoholic options. Arak takes centre stage – served tableside by the glass, carafe or bottle, while the wine list spotlights Lebanese producers.
Set within a heritage sandstone building dating back to 1881, Sahtein feels warm and welcoming – a place where food and hospitality sit happily together at the table.
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