Executive chef Paul Farag takes diners on a full-throttle tour of the Red Sea coastline at new Middle Eastern restaurant Aalia in the Sydney CBD. Impeccably trained waitstaff are armed with an insightful knowledge of the menu that journeys from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, Yemen to Iraq and beyond. One of the most exciting and innovative dishes is the waraq simsim, creamy golden sea urchin resting atop cumin-spiced rice and a glossy sesame leaf. The soft, inviting space has the same warm welcome and sculptural wow of Farag’s menu, reminding you that this is something worth leaving home for. Shop 7.07-7.08/25 Martin Pl, Sydney; aaliarestaurant.com.

Chef Michael Rantissi’s casual Middle Eastern cafe has a loyal following, and justifiably so. When it comes to the dine-in menu, falafel is a good place to start: five flavourful, crispy bites with silky white tahini. A grilled sardine salad with sugar snap peas, pesto and almonds is fresh and far more refined than you’d expect from a cafe. Truer to the script is the meatball sub with house-made tomato ragu, pesto and halloumi. It’s savoury and satisfying. You can also nab a take-home meal from the well-stocked fridges that contain everything from butterflied marinated chermoula chicken to moussaka and salads. 96 Kepos St, Redfern; keposstreetkitchen.com.au.

Don’t be misled by the “takeaway” in the name. It’s well worth waiting for a seat at this Inner West institution. The ’90s alt soundtrack and clientele sipping BYO natty wines are pure Enmore, but the menu owes everything to Egyptian street vendors. Fill your stomach and soul with lentil koshari rice and maalouba pilaf with slow-cooked lamb. Or sample a bit of everything with a mixed plate, featuring the likes of light falafel (crispy outside, parsley-green within); spiced, tender cauliflower; or charcoal-grilled lamb kofta and boneless chicken, served with pickled turnip and chili, fresh fattoush salad and silken tahini or toum. 81 Enmore Rd, Newtown; cairotakeaway.com.

This little piece of the Middle East in Sydney’s centre is just what the CBD crowd needed. It’s a place for long lunches without the pomp; a place for getting a round of drinks and breaking (pita) bread with a side of falafel, hummus, parsley, cucumber, tomato, sumac, onions, pickles and tahini. Go for Jimmy’s vegetarian plate – fried cauliflower and eggplant, hummus, cabbage and pickles – or make your own mezze with wild greens, slow-cooked Roman beans and something from the charcoal grill. Try the chicken shish with shawarma spice and toum or the calamari with pistachio, za’atar and parsley dressing. 312 George St, Sydney; merivale.com/venues/jimmysfalafel.

There’s a line here, and not just for the food. What really makes customers feel good is every dish they buy funds two more – for local refugees and those in Afghanistan. The women behind the counter arrived from there. They include Yakut, a cook whose skills with naan are unmatched. Stretched to feather lightness then toasted on a griddle, that bread is used to wrap “burgers” with fragrant spiced chicken, lamb mince, sticky-sweet eggplant or pumpkin. Slurp up freshly cooked mantu or garlic chive-filled dumplings smothered in minty yoghurt and lentil-flecked tomato sauce. Shop T15 – MetCentre, 60 Margaret St, Sydney; kabulsocial.com.

There was a moment of collective panic in early 2022 when Emma’s Snack Bar was out of action. But much to every Enmore local’s relief, Emma’s Snack Bar is back and as busy as ever. Share Lebanese bread and dips (you have four different types of hummus to choose from), kibbeh and lamb mince filled ladyfingers, or lean into something more substantial with plates of spiced ling fillets in a tahini sauce or punchy garlic chicken. Load your table with as many plates as you can, share carafes of house wine, and revel in the frenetic energy of the always-packed dining room. 59 Liberty St, Enmore; emmassnackbar.com.au.

Courtesy of a fire and the pandemic, Nomad has had a tumultuous few years, but these days the space is just as inviting as ever. Although head chef Jacqui Challinor moved to Melbourne with the opening of Nomad’s sister restaurant this year, the Sydney original shows no sign of decline. The puffy wood-fired flatbread rivals more famous Sydney versions, the inclusion of Persian lime and wattleseed za’atar contributing in part to this status. For a feast, the dry-aged pork cutlet is a theatrical 600g serving, rich and succulent, with pickled radicchio, spiced prunes and pepitas – and, yes, you can take any leftovers home (along with a full belly and the scent of fire). 16 Foster St, Surry Hills; nomad.sydney.

From the sun-drenched dining room to its vibrant take on Lebanese cuisine, it’s little wonder that Surry Hills restaurant Nour has been named after the Arabic word for light. Diners can expect the unexpected, from slow-cooked camel sambusak pastries to hummus topped with softly shredded smoked goat. 3/490 Crown St, Surry Hills; noursydney.com.au.