I tend to get a bit nervous when food is given refinement in an attempt to swing the bat to the pointy spectrum of dining. Sometimes salt-of-the-earth fare is spectacular when left alone in all its fragrant, pickly, smoky, finger-licking glory.

At Nour, though, they’ve managed to take the food to new heights without losing the soul of the cuisine.

Owned by Eleanor Harris and Ibby Moubadder of Newtown’s Cuckoo Callay, Nour is among the hustle and bustle of Surry Hills’ Crown St.

It is bright, sleek and awash with soft pinks, blonde woods, white walls and greenery that anchors the room through gorgeous glass doors.

Sit with street views, along banquettes, at the bar in front of the woodfire oven, or out the back in an almost greenhouse, garden-style dining room.

It’s as boisterous as a pub, and for good reason. The share plates flying out of the kitchen of executive chef Roy Ner are definitely worth talking about.

The food is a contemporary play on the Middle East that’s free from cliches but big on its proven flavour combinations.

Crisp outer and soft bright green inner felafel wraps around prawn flesh on a bed of smoked black tahini. Lupini beans and pickled green tomato star on smoky eggplant that is highlighted with a goat’s curd emulsion. Textural lamb tartare benefits from the twang of pickled okra and a solid yoghurt flatbread.

Carnivores will rejoice with an epic short rib with toum (garlic) bearnaise, but snapper coated in black squid ink is a tad overcooked, although the accompanying cuttlefish rice and sweet leek with fresh herbs is stunning.

There are wonderful light touches, but it never jeopardises the big oomph of flavour, nor respect for its origins. How soul-satisfying.

If you like this, try…

delicious.100: No.9: Stanbuli

Inspired by traditional Turkish tavernas, chef Ibrahim Kasif’s (ex-Porteno) food will leave an indelible mark on our culinary landscape. Mussels are stuffed with fragrant rice. The must-eat mackerel sandwich is slider-sized in house-made buns with lettuce and pickled turnips. Pickled WA octopus is served simply with taramasalata.