Dama Rose — Restaurant in Melbourne

My Syrian friend has been trying to take me to DamaRose for over a year, but the constant lockdowns made that a bit of a challenge.

We booked on a Tuesday night, but it wasn’t busy at all.

Initially, we were planning on ordering the $56 banquet, but being 3 of us, we decided it’ll be better if we just ordered a few different dishes.

We got: Hommus with Lamb — absolutely delicious! The lamb wasn’t oily, which can sometimes be the case, especially in Lebanese restaurants Cheese Sambousek — this was one of my favourite dishes! It was filled with cheese, which tasted like a hybrid between halloumi and feta Mushroom Panne — large mushrooms covered in crunchy crumbs DamaRose BBQ Lovers — three meat skewers. The kofta was to die for Mosakaa — now, being Greek myself, this dish surprised me the most as, even though on paper it sounds exactly like the Greek moussaka, this was something completely different and insanely tasty! For dessert, we opted for the Custard, which brought me back to my childhood, as it was covered in chocolate sprinkles. The lovely waitress also gave us a Mhalaya on the House, which was a beautiful rose water milk dessert — really refreshing on a hot summer’s night. My friends had the Mint Lemonade and I had a glass of a beautiful dry rosé. There was a glass of bubbles somewhere too…

We paid $47 per person, which was fantastic value as we were super full and very happy!

I was very impressed by DamaRose as this was my introduction to the Syrian cuisine. Although similar to other middle eastern food, it was definitely unique and very delicious.

Can’t wait to go back and try some more of what they...

Dama Rose is a family-owned Syrian restaurant nestled in the heart of Ivanhoe. Their menu consists of traditional Middle Eastern dishes like falafel, shawarma, kofta, grilled meats, fattoush, and all the dips. There are also vegan/vegetarian options here! Entering the restaurant feels like entering one of my family gatherings – wooden tables, paintings of the homeland on the walls, and the nostalgic voice of Fairouz playing in the background. There is also a cozy indoor/outdoor area at the back where you can enjoy your meal without worrying about getting too cold during the nights.

I was disappointed to see the restaurant so empty on our visit because they deserve to have tables filled with customers, considering how good their food is. It is some of the best home-style Middle Eastern food I’ve had in Melbourne thus far. The meats were fresh and flavourful, the dips were so tasty, and the chips were crispy! The bread came out fresh and warm and was the perfect accompaniment. We wiped our plates clean and left feeling satisfied. (Even mum was happy with the food, which speaks volumes 😂).

On top of all of this, the staff here are so hospitable and made us feel like guests in their home. Their generosity was peaked when, upon telling them we were Iraqi, they gave us baklava as a treat before leaving. Just another reminder of why I love our Middle Eastern culture – everyone becomes family.

Needless to say we were very happy with our visit to Dama Rose and we will be returning with a larger group next time to share with them the beauty of this restaurant. I don’t like to use the phrase ‘hidden gem’ too often, but this is definitely...

Close to perfect. If google allows half point I would have given it 4.5

This is a hidden gem that I have recently found in Ivanhoe. I will definitely come again.

I ordered the DamaRose BBQ lovers. The presentation is very beautiful. Other places will just put a blob of dips and salad somewhere on the plate, but they actually put a lot of thought.

Salad is fresh and the dressing is actually spot on, I can taste the lemon and it is not overpowering. The dips is not your usual thin blobs, it actually quite thick and you can taste the chickpea in the hommus and the garlic in the labneh.

For the skewers, the lamb is actually tasty and succulent, there is no gamey smell usually associated with lamb. The chicken took the crown, seasoning is just spot on. The only let down is the kofta, it lack a touch of seasoning. If i were to have it on its own it is not too bad, but after having the lamb and the chicken the bar has been raised

I finished it off with the syrian coffee, very different if compared to your standard espresso. It has a rich, dark flavour and floral aroma without the sourness usually found in espresso.

Would have been a perfect pair with some sweets. Which i have skipped as i was very full.

Overall, it is a bit pricey if you are a big eater like me and eat alone. However 2 mains can definitely be shared among 3 person and you will feel very satisfied with the good food and...