Byblos

It’s rare to find a Brisbane venue that’s been around for as long as Byblós. Having opened in 2006, this Hamilton icon was the first restaurant of Lebanese brothers Adonis and Nehme Ghanem, who went on to establish the Ghanem Group—and have been killing it ever since. While they have also justopened yet another stellar spot inside Queen’s Wharf, Lúc Lắc, the team have also turned their appraising eyes on the venue that started at all, and given Byblós a fresh new look. 

With a full renovation now complete, Spaced Cubed Design Studio has designed a stunning new open dining and bar space that features plush seating, dining booths and private nooks, with bi-fold glass doors that open out to a weather-proof, riverfront alfresco space. Inspired by the rich heritage of Lebanese culture and the ancient city of Byblós, the final fit-out is adorned in sand-like textural rendered walls, marble slabs atop a monolithic bar, stepped arches and sculptural dining booths, all coming together to create a luxe setting for a long lunch. 

And with a whole new menu to sample, lunch you shall. While some all-time favourites remain on the line up, like their cult-fave fried filo pastries filled with mozzarella, feta, parsley and onion, Ghanem Group Executive Chef Jake Nicolson has added plenty of new vibrant, contemporary Lebanese dishes to the list. Start with fried eggplant, wagyu skewers and salmon kibbeh nayeh before moving on to generous share plates like slow cooked lamb shoulder and roasted cauliflower. 

For afters, baklava cheesecake and Turkish delight pavlova with passionfruit curd is a must, and of course, you can expect a vivacious drinks offering too—after all, it’s not Byblos without plenty of creative cocktails to sip your way through. Find us sipping on a Cafe Cronus—featuring Brookies MAC, cynar, Lebanese coffee, cardamom cream and pistachio—any day of the week.

Image credit: Supplied