The Middle East through fire, written for modern Sydney

In Sydney’s CBD, Aalia has become one of the city’s most distinctive restaurants, not by chasing trends, but by building a clear identity around Middle Eastern cooking and open fire. Located at 25 Martin Place, it brings the flavours and techniques of the Levant and North Africa into a contemporary setting, with a level of precision that makes the experience feel cohesive rather than themed. It is a restaurant that does not borrow mood or style from elsewhere. It earns its identity through taste and through a clear point of view.

Aalia has been led by Executive Chef Paul Farag, whose approach is shaped by study as much as instinct. The cooking draws on historical sources, including early Arabic manuscripts and medieval cookbooks, not as a story to tell at the table, but as a foundation for technique and flavour. The result is food that feels rooted and confident, with tradition treated as something living rather than nostalgic. What makes this approach credible is that it shows on the plate: dishes feel composed, intentional and built around balance rather than volume.

Fire sits at the centre of the kitchen. Aalia cooks over ironbark wood and charcoal, sourced from the Blue Mountains, using smoke and heat as a form of structure rather than decoration. Marinades, spices and finishing oils are handled with control, keeping balance as the priority: depth without heaviness, fragrance without excess. The grill is not used to flatten flavour into one note, but to shape it and give it definition.

What has consistently impressed us is that Aalia approaches flavour in a way that is not comparable with any other restaurant in the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. The composition of dishes, the layering and combination of spices and the overall sense of direction feel entirely its own, and that difference has remained the restaurant’s signature. Even when beef is part of the experience, the restaurant does not behave like a steak restaurant in the traditional sense. It behaves like a fire-led kitchen with a distinct culinary identity, where meat is treated as one element within a broader language of flavour.

The experience in the room supports that clarity. Service is calm and well prepared, helping guests navigate a style of food that can be bold while still precise. Pacing matters here, as does explanation, because the food often carries unfamiliar references and combinations. Wine is chosen to sit comfortably alongside smoke, spice and the weight of the grill, and the pairing logic is most convincing when it supports the dish without trying to compete with it.

We have only just learned of Paul Farag’s departure. This review is therefore based on his leadership and the restaurant as it has operated under his direction. At the same time, we are genuinely curious to see how Aalia develops without him and how the kitchen builds on what has already been established. Aalia has earned its position through difference and conviction. The next chapter will show how that identity holds when the founding hand steps away.