No. 32 Restaurant & Bar

Walking down Falcon Street, you might miss Restaurant No. 32. The fine diner’s stone facade is unassuming during the day, and blends seamlessly into the surrounding neighbourhood at night. But if you come here for dinner, the fit-out and flavours you’ll find inside are anything but discreet.

Dishes by Persian-born head chef Hesam Nourifard (ex-Aria, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar) tell the story of his journey as a chef, having worked in kitchens across Asia, Europe and now Australia. He’s fascinated with the similarities between Japanese and Middle Eastern cuisines, but is adamant his cooking isn’t fusion.

The menu is seasonal and changes often – you might order anything from sourdough miche served with a leek ash-dusted butter, to hibachi-grilled prawns with miso mayo, Aleppo pepper and cured egg yolk. While the star of the menu is the star anise lamb shoulder (served half or whole) with tzatziki, just about everything here sings – including the crispy kipfler potatoes. (Nourifard says if you can’t hear the potatoes sing, there’s something wrong with either them, or you.)

As you enter, an illuminated onyx bar stocked by sommelier Shun Eto (ex-Ovolo, QT Sydney) glows in the corner. Otherwise the space is a flurry of textures: stone tables, sumptuous banquette seats and velvet menus.