$$$$ • Mediterranean • Brunswick
Rumi is one of Melbourne’s most beloved Middle Eastern restaurants, founded in 2006 by chef-owner Joseph Abboud and originally on Lygon Street before moving to East Brunswick Village. For nearly two decades, Rumi has defined soulful and generous Middle Eastern dining in Melbourne.The menu blends Lebanese roots with regional influences, celebrating handmade breads, vibrant mezze and charcoal-grilled dishes. Signature favourites include quail kebabs, Persian meatballs, fried cauliflower with currants and pine nuts, and the iconic sigara boregi. Every plate is designed to share — generous, warm and rich with flavour, with a wine list highlighting Victorian and international producers.Rumi’s contemporary dining room is welcoming and relaxed, ideal for date nights, family dinners and group celebrations, with a private dining room for corporate events, weddings and milestones. A neighbourhood restaurant at heart, Rumi is a place people return to and pass on like a story worth sharing.
