Rumi

Updated October 7, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

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Raise a three-cheese pastry cigar to two decades of Middle Eastern excellence. It’s named after a poet-philosopher, but Rumi is writing its own history. So too its owner Joseph Abboud, a newly minted Legend in the latest edition of the Guide. As the share plates pile up, their flavours spin a tale of Middle Eastern intrigue punctuated with pops of sweetness, like the pilaf studded with golden raisins.

Sirkanjabin, a sweet mint sauce poured at the table, invigorates lamb shoulder and recalls Sunday roast, while charry leeks mingle with muhammara, the walnut and capsicum dip. The kitchen isn’t afraid of the dark side – that lamb’s crust and Rumi’s signature burnished cauliflower are robust.

Waiters stream water from ibrik pitchers and offer complimentary pita refills. Bookend the feast with knafeh, a cheese and pastry combo whose crisp kataifi disc is crowned with pistachios and a whisper of rose.

Good to know: Selected skewers at Rumi’s sibling The Rocket Society next door are half-price during its daily “habibi hour” (5pm-6pm).

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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Timeless eatery, as reliable as it is romantic.

No meat, no booze, but no shortage of good food.

Combining two of Melbourne’s great loves: food and art.