Abla's

4.7

23 Reviews

$A41 to $A100

Lebanese

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2 people

28 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 5 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for groups
Neighbourhood gem
Vegetarian-friendly

Abla Amad was born in Lebanon and arrived in Australia in 1954 at the age of nineteen. In 1979 at the urging of friends and family she opened Abla’s, a restaurant that has become a Melbourne institution.

Ever since it opened, diners have returned time and again to experience her special brand of traditional, homemade Lebanese food.

For Abla it is a cuisine that can only be made from the heart – that’s why she is widely regarded as ‘the queen of Lebanese cooking’.

BYO is now available on Thursdays - We fill up quickly so be sure to book!

Private dining

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$A41 to $A100
Cuisines
Lebanese, Home cooking
Hours of Operation
Mon–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(03) 9347 0006
Website
http://www.ablas.com.au/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive Chef
Abla Amad

Location
109 Elgin St, Carlton, AU-VIC 3053
Area
Carlton
Parking details
None
Additional
Gluten-free Options

Experiences

Standard Banquet
A$72.00 per person
Multiple dates available
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, groups of 8 or more must enjoy our set menu. Children under 12 will be able to order from the a la carte menu. We can cater to most dietary requirements; please give us a call if you would like to discuss. Standard Banquet Menu: Hummus, Baba Gannouj, Labnee Makaneek Ladies Fingers Loubyeh Chicken wings Tabouleh Kafta Skewer of lamb or chicken Chicken and rice Lebanese coffee/tea with Baklawa and Turkish delight
Weeknight/Lunch Banquet
A$60.00 per person
Multiple dates available
On Thursdays groups of 8 or more must enjoy our weeknight or standard banquet menu. We can cater to most dietary requirements; please give us a call if you would like to discuss. Weeknight Banquet Menu: Hummus, Baba Gannouj, Labne Ladies fingers Loubyeh Chicken wings Tabouleh Kafta Chicken and rice Lebanese Coffee/Tea

What 23 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.7Service
4.4Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Diners' Choice Awards

Inner City North
Good for business meals
Inner City North
Child-friendly
Inner City North
Good for groups
Inner City North
Healthy
Inner City North
Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Abla's offers "delicious traditional Lebanese food" with a "warm, friendly atmosphere." Known for "sublime" dishes like chicken livers and lamb skewers, it consistently impresses with "outstanding" service and a delightful experience. While noise levels may vary, guests often praise its "reliable" and "lovely" dining environment, making it a Melbourne staple.

23 Reviews

G
George
Brisbane
8 reviews
3.0
8 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Unfortunately, lebanese Restaurants in this Country tend to serve whatever is ordered, as quickly as possible, notwithsatanding, whether you have finished your first dish , second dish or whatever. I advised the initial waiter that I have a huge problem with that type of service and regrettably, That went into one ear and came out of the other. Within twenty minutes of arriving, we had every meal that we had ordered on the table, Entrees, mains getting cold.The food was great, when we first started, but unfortunately, by the time we got to the Kofta , lamb and chicken skewers, it had all gone cold.A fair amount was sent back, as we were tourists and left Melbourne the next day. Abla's is not the only place that unfortunately lacks this finesse.It's truly a pity as their food is great and all those serving were very courteous and obliging.If only, they concentrated on this aspect, we would love to go back again.
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P
Pilar
Melbourne
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on 19 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Beautiful food! Every dish was tasty and well presented. Atmosphere is lovely. Staff are very friendly. I first dined here 20 years ago and the food is just as good! Very impressed
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A
Adam
VIP
Melbourne
18 reviews
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on 13 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely fantastic. Nobody can do chicken livers like Abla’s. Service is extremely efficient and friendly.
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M
Melissa
Melbourne
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 7 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It’s been decades since I last went to Abla’s and it’s every bit as fab as I remembered it. Delicious food in generous amounts. Excellent for coeliacs - great knowledge of gf foods and carefully served. I hesitated with the noise level score as I suspect our table was the noise.
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L
Luke
Sydney
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 5 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
The food was delicious but the restaurant was quite noisy and the staff could have been more helpful - I’d probably still eat here again
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M
Mia
Melbourne
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 1 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
10/10 service, food and atmosphere. I can’t wait to go back!
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A
Andrew
Victoria
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on 23 January 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
The noise level was problematic, not 'energetic'. I would suggest not dining downstairs if you find noise disturbing. As for the food, the main courses were outstanding, but the dips were mediocre and the bread was just bad; it had the vibe of week-old supermarket stock. I can't believe a restaurant at this level doesn't bake it's own bread, and if in fact they did, that the result would be so poor. Luckily the worst bit of the meal came first, and the mains were stellar, but overall not enough to get me back. Great dips and fresh bread are fundamental to the dining experience.
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A
Angela
Melbourne
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 16 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a five star experience at Ablas. Delicious traditional food and great wine selection and friendly, attentive service. Consistently outstanding for many years!!
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A
Amy
VIP
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 14 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Delicious food! Service was slow the day we were there but it was their first day back from holiday.
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S
Sanchia
Melbourne
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on 11 December 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Abla’s is a Melbourne institution. First came 30 plus year ago and this visit was after a ten year break. Food is reliable standard Lebanese fare. Good for a group night out. Staff lovely.
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FAQs

Abla's is rated 4.7 stars by 23 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

28 Feb 2025

19:00

Booked 5 times today

Experiences are available.

109 Elgin St, Carlton, AU-VIC 3053

Dining areas

Additional information

Area
Carlton
Hours of Operation
Mon–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm
Price
$A41 to $A100
Cuisines
Lebanese, Home cooking
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Abla Amad
Additional
Gluten-free Options

Website
http://www.ablas.com.au/
Phone number
(03) 9347 0006

Abla's

Make a booking

Private dining

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Standard Banquet

Weeknight/Lunch Banquet

Menu

What 23 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

How is Abla's restaurant rated?

Is Abla's currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information