Sahtein is now open on 18b Argyle Street in The Rocks, inside the historical building of Argyle Stores. Among the best new restaurants Sydney CBD will see this year, Sahtein focuses entirely on Lebanese cooking in a heritage-listed space.
Executive Chef Mike Flood leads the kitchen. His background includes Sydney’s Felix Bistro & Bar, Firedoor and Quay, plus Petrus and Maze by Gordon Ramsay in London. Head Chef Rifat Katranci was part of Jimmy’s Falafel’s opening team and formerly ran The Cut Bar & Grill’s kitchen. Hunter St. Hospitality Culinary Director Santiago Aristizabal oversees both.
Santiago and CEO Frank Tucker spent a week eating through Beirut late last year, from fine dining restaurants to family-run neighbourhood spots, and everything in between. Generosity over embellishment stayed consistent throughout. That ease shows in how Sahtein approaches the menu.
Signature Dishes at One of Sydney's Best New Restaurants
The menu uses halal produce throughout. Breads, dips and pickles sit on the table from start to finish, getting shared and passed as the meal unfolds.
Kibbeh Nayeh comes raw. Finely pounded lamb with baharat, bulgur and raw white onion. The texture is smooth, almost silky. It needs confidence from both kitchen and diner. Shanklish gets mixed tableside with vegetables. An aged cow’s milk cheese that’s sharp and funky in the best way. Loubieh bi Zeit means Roman beans cooked slowly in tomato and olive oil. The beans break down soft, soaking up everything around them.
The signature is Raqabat Kharouf. Slow-cooked seven-spice lamb neck with zucchini stuffed with kafta, labneh and pickles. The meat falls apart without needing a knife. Seven spices build warmth without obvious heat.
Balila looks simple on paper. Warm chickpeas, partly crushed, finished with brown butter. That butter makes all the difference. Baid Maquli features eggs cooked in lamb fat. Rich, savoury, not something you see often in Sydney. Traditional Lebanese home cooking rarely appears on restaurant menus here.
Lunch Service That Works for CBD Diners
Laffe are lunch-only. Grilled meat or falafel wrapped in Lebanese flatbread with toum and pickles. There are also Shish taouk (grilled chicken), lamb kafta and falafel. The flatbread gets charred on the edges, staying soft in the middle. Toum (garlic sauce) hits sharp and creamy.
Service runs from 12pm to 9pm Sunday through Thursday, stretching to 9.45pm Friday and Saturday. It works for lunch meetings and late dinners equally.
Cocktails Built Around Lebanese Flavours
The cocktail programme leans into Lebanese and Eastern Mediterranean ingredients. Expect figs, dates, pomegranate, tamarind, pistachio orgeat, arak and orange blossom worked into drinks that taste distinct from standard cocktail menus. Downtown Beirut gets prepared tableside with bourbon, dried fruit and spices. Watch it get mixed, smell everything before it reaches your glass.
Non-alcoholic drinks get proper treatment too. Open Sesame layers sesame and cardamom, finished with tahini and coconut crema. Creamy, nutty, and more interesting than most zero-proof options.
Arak service happens tableside. Available by glass, carafe or bottle. It clouds when water hits it, turning milky white. The wine list focuses on Lebanese producers, backed by Australian and European selections.
The Space: Heritage Sandstone From 1881
Exposed sandstone walls date to 1881. Heritage pillars run through the room. Restored flooring shows its age in the right way. Olive-green booths and leather chairs soften the stone without hiding it. The room feels lived-in and warm.
Frank Tucker explains: “We hosted members of Sydney’s Lebanese community at a menu tasting to gather their insight. That feedback shaped what you see on the menu now. We wanted Sahtein to feel welcoming in how it’s priced and experienced. The menu should feel generous and easy to return to.”
Book Your Table
New restaurants in Sydney CBD open constantly. Ones with this chef pedigree, heritage setting, and focused approach? Less common.
Bookings are now open. Set menus are available for groups. Reserve now.
*Sahtein practices the responsible service of alcohol. Drink responsibly.