Awash with sorbet shades and delicate metallic flashes, contemporary Lebanese restaurant, Nour, in Sydney’s Surry Hills, literally sets the tone for a palate refresh. The combination of its assured minimal geometry accented by soft furnishings in rosewater and pomegranate pink, apricot and lilac eschews any preconceived expectations diners may have about Middle Eastern cuisine.
‘People think they know Lebanese food - fattoush, falafel, baklava - but we want to give them a fresh perspective,’ enthuses co-owner Ibby Moubadder. The menu represents an amalgam of cultures and cooking techniques with a sophisticated lightness of touch thanks to the talents of Palestinian and Israeli chefs with combined experience in London, Tel Aviv and Sydney restaurants.
Dishes shift from lamb tartar with quail eggs and pickled okra plus pumpkin and labneh cocooned within dumplings bathed in warm yoghurt to heartier mains such as wood roasted short ribs with charred carrots, nigella seeds and toum béarnaise. Spices, grains and nuts only hint at each plate’s provenance including sumac, harissa, za’atar, cumin, pistachio and freekeh.
No detail is unrefined, including the fit-out. Interior design firm DS17’s custom-built circular wall hangings floating around the 120-seater comprise pastel-flecked terrazzo braced within copper frames, complimenting the assorted oak and powder-coated Billiani chairs and stools upholstered in matching tones. Soft pendant and wall lighting adds the final sheen.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
490 Crown Street
-
For its latest runway show, Zegna creates a serene oasis in DubaiThe Italian fashion house took over the Dubai Opera for a S/S 2026 show that proposed a lived-in elegance, drawing inspiration from Dubai’s sunbaked landscapes and Zegna’s birthplace of Trivero
-
Time-travel to the golden age of the cruise ship at Sea Containers LondonThe South Bank hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary with four new suites inspired by period cabin design, from Edwardian elegance to 1980s glamour
-
A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in JapanTakeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter: ‘a lush restaurant with rooms’In Sydney’s Paddington, chef Josh Niland opens the 14-bedroom luxury hotel alongside his pioneering restaurant
-
Book a brutalist one-room wonder Down Under, the Vipp Tunnel in TasmaniaThe Danish design brand's bookable showcases arrive in the southern hemisphere, thanks to the vision of Tasmanian architectural firm Room 11
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Eve Hotel Sydney: a lush urban escapeA new Sydney hotel makes a bold and biophilic addition to a buzzing neighbourhood that’s on the up
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Lo Scoglio: an Australian vacation rental with regenerative principlesTucked away in Byron Bay’s hinterland, an Italian-style farmhouse presents a sustainable approach to luxury
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Melbourne Place: ‘an alchemy of colour, texture and personality’Designed by Kennedy Nolan, Melbourne Place is the Australian city’s newest independent hotel, oozing creativity and urban energy
-
All aboard the world’s most luxurious train journeysStay on track with our pick of the most luxurious train journeys around the world, whether in 1920s-style opulence or contemporary chic
-
Six hotels where you’ll find the winter sun this FebruaryFrom intimate seaside inns to lush tropical resorts, here are six Wallpaper*-approved winter sun escapes
