Maha Bar & Grill

Posted by: Rozzles | 30 October 2011, 6.20pm

This was my first visit to Maha and after hearing many mixed reviews thought I would try it out myself. I took a girlfriend to celebrate her Birthday. She is a vegetarian and I was a little concerned being the foodie she is that it may not be up to par. How wrong I was. We arrived at 12.30pm on a Sunday afternoon and waddled out at 4.30pm.

On arrival the waiter asked us if we had any allergies or food preferences. He then advised that we would start to receive a selection of the Chef's selected dishes. I have to say I was a little hesitant not being in control of what I wanted to order and eat. Oh how wrong I was. We grazed on the most magnificent fare I have eaten in a long time.

The dishes were infused with intricate flavours, herbs & spices finished off with infused oils that created a truly delicious experience.

I hadn't had breakfast as I knew I was going out for lunch but even so there is no way we could eat the generous servings presented to us.

I imagine it isn't traditional Middle Eastern food (or maybe it is) but the flavours, presentation and serving size were perfect.

Would I return, YES. Would I recommend, YES.

If there was anything to fault it would have been that twice I had to look to the drink waiter to have our wine replenished. Is that that end of the world, NO

I thought the little extra touches were delightful. The bill was delivered in a box that looked like an old book and it contained a little complimentary glass vial of spice. The waiter came and asked if we would like a little squirt of refreshing lemon hand spray. A lovely finish to an enjoyable day!

Food:			Visit: Sun 30 October 2011 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: strawberryflour | 9 May 2010, 9.56pm

My partner made our booking for dinner a month in advance. He said the great service started the day he walked in and made the booking. A few days prior to dinner they called to confirm and asked if there was anything we couldn't eat/that we were allergic to.
8.30pm - On arrival on Saturday the great service continued. Our coats were taken and we sat at the bar and had a drink while we waited for our table, it was no time at all.
We ordered the four course soufra menu.
We eat out a lot and we enjoy great food and we both have worked for five star hotels so we know great customer service too, on this night we experienced some of the best food, flavours and service we've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.
If we singled out any dishes that were outstanding they were the salmon with saffron and muscle doughnut and the butter fish; I didn't want to eat the last mouthful because then it would be all gone, I wanted more; oh wow the flavours! I could just see Gary Mehigan high 5'ing the chef. Everything we ate was just lovely, coupled with the sensational cocktails; the pomegranate sour that people simply must try and the arabian coffee martini; you won't need a coffee to finish off the night!
We found the team at Maha to be professional, nothing was too much trouble, they worked as team and they were efficient and we know it's not easy to get a team working that well together. If there was anything we would ask them to review, it was the spot light over the table, it was a little strong and also in the bar area.
But overall it was a sensational night. "more butter fish please"!

Food:			Visit: Sat 8 May 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: vy00 | 21 February 2010, 1.52pm

I was extremely sceptical about going to Maha. Not being a real fan of Middle Eastern food (I didn't think there is much more you can do with tabouleh and lamb) and I was a bit hesitant with it's Maltese fusion concept.

We went for the 4-course soufra at $75pp. The food was exceptional and really shut-down my negative attitude. Prepared to perfection with an excellent blend of subtle flavours...our party of 6 was kept guessing an gushing over the multi-dimensional layer of flavours that chef Shane Delia had put together (and yes unlike many other 'celebrity restaurants' we saw Shane working hard in the kitchen). I'm not sure if Maha offers authentic Middle Eastern cuisine but nonetheless you MUST experience the food!!

The service could be improved. Young, dishevelled and slightly unprofessional waiters could benefit from some training and a sharper appearance. However the meals were timed well and the service by no means spoils the experience.

Dim lighting, lots of leather and dark wood add to the trendiness of Maha. It seems that it is THE place to be dining in Melbourne....a reputation that is well deserved. We really enjoyed the little touches..the Turkish lemon hand cleanser, the Seisha, the incense.

I think Maha is great and will definitely be back....especially for the Pomegranate Sour Cocktail!!!

Food:			Visit: Thu 18 February 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Dobson73 | 21 November 2009, 11.20am

What an extraordinary experience. From the impeccable service to the soufra menu (2 dishes was more than enough with our table of 6) and everything in between, an afternoon to be remembered for a very long time.

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Posted by: zoroisalive | 18 November 2009, 9.51am

food is quite good and tasty.service is very amateur.

Food:			Visit: Wed 18 November 2009 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: Anna-Louise | 28 May 2009, 6.24pm

I love Middle Eastern food which is a good headstart.

The food is absolutely gorgeous and puts a great twist on Middle Eastern food.

What is really nice is that you can ask to avoid certain ingredients on the tasting menu, (which is sensational value).

For example, although lots of people may love them, I find the turkish delight donuts too heavy. They replaced it with the most beautifully subtle syllabub, (a light mousse).

We have been twice and the first time the service was excellent. The second time was not quite so good, but good humoured.

Other diners tend to be good looking and well presented which makes it good for table watching!

This is a place not to miss.

Food:			Visit: Wed 4 March 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: 5Senses | 8 June 2008, 12.19pm

What is all the hype about, seriously...this place needs a team workshop to the Middle East to learn how you "should" operate a Middle Eastern restaurant. My partner and I have spent many years in Dubai and the Middle East and heard of Maha as a venue that was on the money...what currency! I am sure the night we went, a Friday night, was trainee night for all the staff. The service was absolutely shocking...it must of been a full moon of something. We literally had to beg for a drink and then when we asked for food from the bar and off the main menu...apparently this is not allowed, the issues this caused, ridiculous to say the least. The food was mediorce and I we felt missed the essence of Middle Eastern cuisine. The turkish delight dessert was fine, after we were told the kitchen was closed by one waiter, then advised by another it was still open. And we nearly forgot my partner did not receive all that she ordered...nice one. It would not have been a Middle Eastern experience without the shisha, which was a great traditional addition to the venue...one of the main reasons we visited Maha. After a considerable wait at around 11.00pm for an hour we finally sat down for some shisha. We had apple flavour, which was nice and grape. The grape was shocking. The young waiter had no idea about how to maintain shisha and keeping the whole thing running smooth to the palate. Adding to the experience was a group of "drunk" Gen Y's so loud in the smoking area, knocking down tequila shots more concerned about how they looked smoking than the enjoyment of shisha.

We know this is a harsh review, but Maha did not by any stretch of the imagination life up to its hype or Rah Rah!

Food:			Visit: Fri 30 May 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Merlin222 | 5 June 2008, 4.17pm

Awesome experience all round. I disagree with with the below review. Every detail was taken care of. We started with an Arabic spiced martini which was brilliant. We ordered the soufra menu with a few dietary issues which were looked after. We had quail, chicken liver pate which was to die for, ravioli, lamb, snapper and a huge dessert board with turkish delight doughnuts! We were so full so decided to sit in the courtyard and have a shisha pipe which was grape flavoured (I've never had one before). And to top it off when we got the bill it was in a bible box and with rose water to wash our hands.
I would thouroughly recommend this venue, so much so that I have already booked for next week.

Food:			Visit: Wed 4 June 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: jaleh | 23 May 2008, 4.35pm

We had dinner here last night. Ordered their four course dinner and was told the chef will take care of everything. For appetizer, they had sausages! The rest of the stuff were, at best mediocre. We had requested the john dory fish, it came so bad that we could not even cut it with the knife. We asked for the bill and the host (who was very nice) did not charge us for the whole thing. We left, stunned! Was probably the worst restaurant we have been to (except, once we tried an Indian restaurant in Rome, don't ever do that!). This place tries to experiment with new things, oh boy! We have been to Malta, and we eat Middle Eastern food all the time, we could not figure what they were trying to do.

Food:			Visit: Thu 22 May 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: HRL | 17 March 2008, 2.45pm

Very impressive. Heard about Maha by chance so went along on Saturday with some friends. Without a reservation we sat in the casual 'open' area at the front just below street level. Staff extremely friendly & knowledgable although the service dropped off a little the busier they got but still pretty good. Food & wine was sensational. Not cheap (but if that's your game then stick to Maccas), although tapas-style bar menu seems well priced for the quality. Finished off with some star spotting as some of the Ferrari F1 team complete with Kimi Raikkonen entered just before we left. Kimi might have enjoyed himself a bit too much if his driving on Sunday was anything to go by! Overall a very good time was had by all.

Food:			Visit: Sat 15 March 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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