After closing its cosy Fitzroy restaurant in 2022, Isme is back, occupying a sleek new site in Thornbury and serving a fresh raft of dishes with contemporary flair.
“In Middle Eastern culture, hospitality is a way of life – the door is always open, the coffee is always brewing, and guests are welcomed like family.” For Joseph Rahme, running restaurants is about more than just feeding people.
“My passion for food stems from my family and cultural identity,” he says.
It’s that warmth that he’s tried to weave into his contemporary Lebanese diner Isme since it first opened in 2021 in the backstreets of Fitzroy and, now, in its new location in Thornbury.
Despite the venue’s popularity, a series of challenges relating to the Fitzroy site plus COVID lockdowns led Rahme to shut up shop in 2022. But it wasn’t the end of Isme.
Late last year, 26-year-old Rahme reignited the Middle Eastern diner within a sleek corner site beneath an apartment building on High Street, Thornbury. (It also happens to be next door to his focaccia bar, Juju’s Deli – which has a second South Melbourne location).
Some things have changed, while others will keep Isme regulars smiling. Here’s everything you need to know before you visit Isme 2.0.
What’s the new Isme all about?
While Rahme’s mother, Therese, and sister, Houda, were both on the pans at Isme’s first iteration, it’s him in the kitchen this time around. His menu focuses less on home-style Lebanese cooking and more on contemporary versions of familiar dishes.
What should I eat?
Isme’s interiors are heavily inspired by downtown Beirut, but the menu takes inspiration from all corners of the Middle East. Grilled zucchini is amplified by the Yemeni flavours of zhoug, a spicy coriander-based sauce, and Lebanese tarator, a creamy sauce of tahini, garlic and lemon juice.
HSP bites are Rahme’s sophisticated take on the late-night kebab shop favourite. Crisp potato sandwiched with lamb and onion, plus carefully piped layers of chilli and garlic sauces, bring the typical HSP flavours to the fore, while mint cuts through the richness. The stack is finished off with a flurry of freshly grated cheese.
Crowd favourites from the Fitzroy eatery have also made their way over to Thornbury, like Therese’s original recipes for cheese-filled filo cigars, and bite-sized dumplings filled with spicy sujuk sausage and lathered in Turkish chilli butter and labne.
But the stars of the show are undoubtedly the dishes that come from the roaring wood-fire oven, on full display in the open kitchen. Barbecued flatbread is a no-brainer; it’s served brushed with toum (garlic dip) and sprinkled with zaatar, but it’s also great for swiping through creamy labne soaked with chilli oil.
Baharat (a Middle Eastern spice blend that includes pepper, cumin and sweet paprika) adds depth to lamb shoulder that’s slow-cooked over the fire and served in either quarter or half serves atop garlic yoghurt. You can also get it on sumac-dusted hummus.
How much does it cost?
Whether you choose your own adventure or go for the chef’s selection menu, you’d be looking at about $85 per person for a good variety of meze (share-style dishes), excluding drinks. But we do recommend a cocktail (or two).
And to drink?
Speaking of cocktails, there’s plenty to choose from. Isme’s espresso martini – using Tia Maria and espresso by Melbourne coffee roasters Zest – is perfect for wintery evenings, while a vanilla-laced rose, sake and yuzu number is a year-round must-try. And for those who prefer to drink their dessert, don’t go past Le Beirut. Vodka, passionfruit and lemon are shaken into a frothy concoction with egg white, then sprinkled with white chocolate dust.
Where should I sit?
Take your pick. There are intimate corners, street-side seating for the warmer months, and a central communal table ideal for larger gatherings. But the best seats in the house are among the few tables opposite the kitchen. To your right, a projector casts a glow on the wall, while in front you’ll see the wood oven in action. (It’s also slightly quieter here, further away from the main space).
The cavernous space features sandstone-look bricks that line the perimeter of the work stations, and industrial-style light fittings that match polished concrete floors.
What else should I know?
Isme is just a few metres walk from the Thornbury Theatre and a five-minute drive from Northcote Theatre. Dine before or after a show to make the most of date night – there’s plenty on in July including Aussie pop star Kita Alexander’s Press Pause tour at the Northcote Theatre on July 11. When the weather warms up and daylight savings returns, start the night with a beer at Welcome to Thornbury before dinner at Isme.
Dinner Wednesday-Sunday
752 High Street, Thornbury, ismerestaurant.com.au
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Emily Holgate – Emily is the Assistant Producer for the Good Food App at The Age. She previously wrote for the likes of Broadsheet and Urban List.Connect via email.
