It’s an area Sydneysiders often leave to the tourists, but if you meander through its cobbled laneways among heritage sandstone buildings, The Rocks offers an architectural adventure through our largest city’s history. Tayim conjures its own sense of history with a modern play on traditional Middle Eastern food that’s as accessible as it is appealing.

Set in the Harbour Rocks Hotel, Tayim’s stunning sandstone walls partition off the bar and dining areas, decked out with tiled floors, pendant lighting and wonderful hanging rugs. There’s even a lovely balcony that’s ideal for people-watching.

Attentive and affable waitstaff urge guests to share the beautifully plated contemporary Middle Eastern dishes by chef Ran Kimelfeld (formerly of Nour), who is as respectful of tradition as he is willing to innovate.

The hummus should be compulsory: a cluster of slow-cooked chickpeas loll in the velvety spread partnered with a good slap of chilli, grilled flatbread and pickled carrots and cauliflower. Tiny dice of watermelon, green chilli and labne add vibrancy to a generous serve of sumac-cured kingfish.

Among the array of things on sticks cooked over coals, lamb kofta with pine nuts and burnt vegetable zaalouk are more successful than the Yamba king prawns – sidekicks of smoked tahini, harissa and pickled fennel can’t mask that they’re overcooked.

Main courses, meanwhile, include whole roasted rainbow trout with hazelnut dukkah and preserved-lemon chermoula, while fire-roasted eggplant yields smoky flesh accented with tahini and the smack of fermented chilli and served with a seed cracker.

Desserts are surprisingly pedestrian after what’s gone before. I could’ve done without the panna cotta. But that misstep aside, Tayim is far from a tourist trap, so maybe it’s time more Sydneysiders made a trip to The Rocks.