Eating Out: Byblos Portside

The day after my birthday I went with my mum to see a screening of the National Theatre Live production of Hamlet at a theatre over in the Portside complex. The screening started at 1pm, so it seemed sensible to have lunch first. Initially I wanted to go to a Japanese place there, but they opened a bit too late, so instead we went to Byblos, a great Mediterranean restaurant that has vegan options.

I opted for the vegetarian platter made vegan ($33, Mum had the vegetarian platter which is $32, but they add an extra dollar for the vegan upgrade... it's OK though, it is actually an upgrade!). To make it vegan, they take out a couple of the non-vegan pastries and give you extra vine leaves and falafel (with a tahini sauce), but you also get a delicious pile of Batata Harra, lemon and garlic potatoes. On the menu these say they are made with butter, but they do it in oil for vegans. Honestly, I think the vegan version is definitely an improvement on the vegetarian version, I wasn't sad to be missing out on the pastries at all!



It also comes with some great hummus and a fresh tabbouleh, as well as some pita bread. This is a delicious and hefty meal, I could tell I was getting full but could not stop eating. The potatoes were definitely my favourite, but it was all good, and I dunked everything in hummus and ate so much pita bread. Glorious! If you eat here I would definitely recommend this, or if you are eating with a group you can get most of these in larger servings as well.

We had a booking for 11.30 on a Sunday, and there were quite a few other bookings coming in that time as well. I had asked about vegan options when I booked, and when we got there they had made a note and went through everything on the menu with me without my having to ask. We ate in the dining area, but it also has a lounge and bar area and an outside area that overlooks the river (which was empty that day as it was pouring rain!). There are bathrooms inside the restaurant itself (down by the bar). It is a pretty atmosphere, which would be nice for fancy meal or for a fun party in the lounge area (the first time I went here was for a friend's goodbye party on a Saturday night).

Byblos Portside - Portside Wharf, Hamilton, Brisbane - 07 3268 2223

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



This little guy came in to get castrated, and when he woke up he made himself this adorable little nest under his blankets.