ēmmē

After being covered in bright orange hoarding for months, the prime James Street space where Spoon Deli Cafe used to reside is now home to ēmmē, a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired venue eatery around a woodfire hearth in the kitchen. Open from morning to night (dinner services start from Wednesday 15 May), this stunning venue is the place for everything from a morning latte in your activewear to a swanky long lunch, and we can guarantee it’s going to be a new James Street fave. 

Drenched in natural light, the space itself is raw and minimalist, featuring a marble bar encircling the fire-driven kitchen, long breezy windows opening to the bustle outside and an outdoor area adorned in greenery where you can linger over a coffee or a wine. The prime tables are those indoors where you can watch head chef and one half of ēmmē, Thomas Lian Tze (ex-Greca), transform local, seasonal produce into dishes inspired by Jordanian and Moroccan flavours.

Early risers can tuck into morning dishes like french toast with date caramel, whipped yoghurt and wood-fired figs or potato and eggs spiced up with cumin, fried garlic and chilli oil on sourdough. Lunch is a share plate affair, featuring the likes of wood-fire pita, swordfish kofta with saffron yoghurt and BBQ broccoli with labneh and native dukkah (dinner will be much the same when it lands, only with rotating specials on top). 

The wine list will have you trying familiar styles from not-so-familiar locations, with a short but sweet list of cocktails to sample too. 

Image credit: Ranyhyn Laine