Ezra — Restaurant in Sydney

Located in the back streets just behind the buzzing atmosphere of Kings Cross, sits Ezra. A small, cosy restaurant inspired by Ashkenazi, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. I was so excited to return because my previous dining experience here was just incredible. My friend and I went for the $75 Set Menu plus a few extras. For this amount, we were well fed and the quality and presentation of every dish was exceptional. This venue has a 4.9 rating on Google, so you know it’s good!

Of course, we started off the evening with a pickleback. Out came some spiced olives, house pickles and the ‘Gilder Radner’ which is lox, caper berry, pickled chilli and an olive. Then came the ‘Mozzarella and Preserved Lemon Boureka’. This had a flaky crust and a delicious cheesy filling. Perfect start to the evening!

To accompany the dips, we were served freshly baked House Pita Bread and a Jerusalem Bagel. The smell of this was just divine. One of the dips we had was a ‘Macadamia Muhammara with Pomegranate’. The flavours and texture of this was just perfect. The ‘Raw Kingfish’ dish was so beautifully presented and we were wowed instantly. It sat along side buttermilk, a horseradish chrain and was served with a side of beetroot. Flavours were balanced nicely and I actually loved the addition of the beetroot!

Now, that lamb. I went in with a fork and it just fell apart. Cooked to perfection, tender, juicy.. delicious. We ate this along with ‘Moroccan Carrots’, ‘Roast Cauliflower, and a ‘Potato Cake’. This felt like a Sunday roast but taken up a notch.

I am glad my dad doesn’t have social media or reads my Google reviews because if I said this hummus is better than his, he’d be pretty cut. You’ll never see a smoked egg on this dip, but it works and this is probably the only place you’ll find it. The oozy yolk pairs well with the chickpeas and tomato resek. Dipping the fresh bread into this.. phwoar.

Followed by a feast of incredible savoury flavours, we were treated to two desserts. The ‘Chocolate Mousse’ was served with a sour cream anglaise and pears soaked in Turkish coffee. Absolutely beautiful. The pears really gave it a good balance and made the dessert less sickly sweet since chocolate mousse can be quite rich. And of course, the ‘Baklava Ice Cream Sandwich’ had to make an appearance. One of my favourite desserts, ever.

I can't recommend this place enough so stop thinking about it and just...

how do i even begin to describe one of the BEST dining experiences in Sydney? 🤔

Ezra in 📍Potts Point completely blew me away with their menu. but ofc, gotta start off strong with a signature pickleback 😉 a shot of whiskey warms the soul, followed by smooth pickle brine to bring you back to your senses. a delight! 🥃

we started off with an assortment of olives in harissa (discovered Sicilian are my fave!) and the mozzarella and preserved lemon boureka. these came accompanied with a tangy hot sauce that perfectly complimented the crispy, flaky pastry and warm cheese inside 🧀 and also the "gilda radner" w lox, caper, & chilli was delish!

then, the dips. oh my God, the dips. freshly made hummus topped with a smoked egg, and the macadamia muhammara w pomegranate 🤤 these were so smooth and delicious, I'd return just for these dips and their fresh pita and bagel. absolute HEAVEN ☁️

my fave dish of the night though was the raw kingfish in buttermilk 🐟 i honestly ignored the beetroot chrain that came with this bc the buttermilk and fish was just SO GOOD. the lamb shoulder as you can see was pull-apart perfection, cooked and seasoned beautifully. im not usually the biggest fan of lamb but even i couldn't stop going back for more! so succulent and rich 🥩

the potato kugel and the roast cauliflower w haloumi were prob the only 2 dishes i wasn't crazy about, but they were still unique to taste. i also enjoyed the carrot side dish! their cold, crispy rawness added a refreshing element to the heavier dishes we had on the table 🥕

to finish off, we had their signature baklava ice cream sandwich and the chocolate mousse 🍫 the mousse was stunning and not too sweet, and i loved the pears soaked in Turkish coffee. both desserts were wonderful, and wrapped the night up on a high note 🎶

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Inspired by Tel Aviv, Ezra is a well-decorated and energetic bar-restaurant in Potts Point. They’re putting out Levantine (East Mediterranean) dishes that cross geopolitical boundaries, with Israeli salad meeting Palestinian za’atar on cauliflower roasted (for not quite long enough) with halloumi and honey. You can eat them together on a banquet menu ($65/head) that kicks off with spiced olives, and warm pita & Jerusalem bagel with good quality olive oil.

Spanner crab felafel weren’t a particularly successful update; however I liked the soft boiled egg topper on the smooth and creamy hummus, studded with crisp radishes. Levantine tartare, dressed with bulgur (cereal), baharat (spice blend popular in the East Mediterranean & Greece) & almond cream, also ate well.

Along with the aforementioned vegetable sides, our main course was half a vine-wrapped chook with blistered red grapes and a pot of toum (garlic dip) so aggressive we tasted it for hours. This is despite ending our set menu with a good shared rice pudding dusted with caramelised white chocolate, halva and thyme. A little tasting in the kitchen would have left me with a better lasting impression.

Our drinking journey kicked off with picklebacks ($12/each) after a clever piece of suggestIve marketing by SMS while we were in the Uber on our way. Buffalo Trace bourbon was followed with an enjoyable pickle brine and toothpicks of pickled vegetables. We worked our way down the short cocktail list with dinner, following the picklebacks with thematic smooth gin and vodka Gibsons ($20/each). They outdrank a pair of pink Paloma ($20/each) and the more unusual Tel Aviv Batida ($20/each) where dark rum, lime and passion fruit took a left turn with salted natural yoghurt. Before you turn up your nose, it drank very well...