Making the most of the Mediterranean vibe

Our booking was for inside but there's no trouble moving us to the outdoor space. There's a large raised communal table which could be fun with a large group, but we grab a little table in the corner and make the most of what could well be the Mediterranean sun.

Or at least that's the idea. The space, which used to be Lilotang, was completely reworked by architects and interior designers Luchetti Krelle, it's now full of texture and muted colours, transporting you to exotic places.

And so, too, does the menu, "serving a fusion of Greek, Lebanese and Turkish cuisine", it says. We might be a stone's throw from the Parliamentary Triangle, but tonight we could be somewhere like Athens or Istanbul, somewhere with a view of the Aegean Sea.

It's a menu built for sharing, too, which is what we decide to do. Some small plates, a couple of bigger ones, always saving room for dessert.

Our waiter is a little pushy, he suggests a few times that we order the banquet (which for $75pp is pretty good value, and there's a vegetarian option, too) but there are few things on the a la carte we want to try.

First up we go with a couple of the cheese and spinach boreks, with a dollop of tzatziki ($7 each). They're neat parcels of filo pastry, generously filled with the traditional combination. I'd suggest they were a little under-seasoned, nice enough but not so moreish.

We have higher expectations of the seafood: barbecue octopus with harissa dressing ($25) and barbecue king prawns with chilli and garlic butter ($12 each).

Octopus can be a bit hit and miss, but it's worth the risk, I say. There's nothing better than tender tentacles with crispy edges, it is a dish that can instantly transport you somewhere coastal. But alas, this plate was not that. It was a generous serve, with a good kick from the harissa, but these ones were overcooked and chewy.

The prawns redeemed things, however. We didn't realise it was price per prawn as we might have ordered two or three each; instead two came to the table. I've seen different iterations of this simple dish in a few places, can't go too wrong with prawns and butter. The prawns were a good size, well-cooked and meaty. It was a little off-putting that they seemed to have been already beheaded in the kitchen and then served with the loose head reattached, but they were delicious.

For our larger plates we went for meat and one veg. A whole roast cauliflower with preserved lemon and yogurt ($26) and grilled lamb cutlets with lemon pepper and spiced eggplant ($42).

I'm always keen to try cauliflower these days. Who knew you could roast it, rather than just boil the bejeebers out of it like it was 1979. I'd go as far as saying roasted cauliflower is a revelation. But it has to have some bite and be a little more golden brown. The flavours were great here, depth from the spices, offset by the yogurt, freshness from the herbs, but the hero vegetable was underwhelming, too soft by far.

Four lamb cutlets made up the meat plate, crispy, the fat well-rendered. A quick look around the restaurant revealed several people chewing the meat off the bone to finish the dish so no one cared when we did too. I would have liked mine to be a little pinker, but my companion preferred them cooked as they were. They were served on a tiny portion of smoked eggplant with tomato and herbs and this "garnish" was delicious. It would have been great to have a larger serve of that for some extra flavour.

The drinks list at Med Barton is short and sweet. There are some cocktails which change up regularly, beers and ciders, and a wine list that features wines from France, Lebanon, Austria, Spain and the United States, alongside Australia.

There are only five wines by the glass (and some fortifieds), there's also the option of a 500ml carafe. We ordered a carafe of "Hilltops riesling" and it arrives in the carafe. We forget to ask what it actually was but perhaps pouring at the table would be a nice touch.

There's three choices for dessert. We go for the Malabi custard with mango, lemon sorbet and yogurt mousse ($14) and the baklava ice cream sundae ($14) which just sounds like fun.

And it is. All the components of the Mediterranean dessert are there, crispy pastry, pistachios, honey, sugar, lemon and cinnamon, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to allow the other flavours to shine.

The malabi custard makes us forget a few earlier shortcomings. I have to Google what a malabi is - a traditional milk pudding common in Turkey and parts of the Middle East. It kind of reminds me of old-school junket and it's great. Not that you can see it. All the layers are buried under a generous dome of yogurt mousse, hiding not only the pudding, but tangy lemon sorbet and finely diced mango. It's like those last days of summer in a dish.

When we interviewed the recently appointed DOMA Group culinary director Ben Willis back in late 2023 when Med first opened he promised some fun and a sense of generosity to his latest venture. It might not have totally hit the mark tonight, but the place is full and there's a great feel to it.

I'll definitely return, for Med offers some of my favourite flavours and it's the way I like to eat. Plates in the middle of the table, friends, and no one caring if you're chewing on a little lamb bone.

Address: 1 Burbury Close, Barton

Phone: 6188 3444

Website: medbarton.com.au

Hours: Lunch, Tuesday to Friday, noon-2.30pm; dinner, Tuesday to Saturday, 5.30pm-late.

Chef: Tommy Park

Noise: There's a vibe

Dietary: Plenty of options