Carlisle Street in Balaclava is the beating heart of Melbourne’s kosher scene, but for years it has leaned casual: bakeries, falafel counters, pizza shops, and takeout spots. What the strip has been missing is a proper sit-down kosher restaurant built for dinner, with a real kitchen and a real bar to match. That gap now has an answer.
A Sit-Down Dinner Concept From Mr Kaduri
Bistro 277 is the evening service of Mr Kaduri, the new kosher Israeli kitchen that has already become a familiar name on Carlisle Street for its hummus, sabich, and fried chicken. By day the space runs as a casual Israeli spot with delivery, and by night the same address turns into Bistro 277, a full sit-down dinner experience under table linens and stemware. For Melbourne locals and for kosher travelers passing through, it is the kind of night-out restaurant the community has been asking for.
A Menu That Travels
The menu is where things get interesting, because it refuses to stay in one lane. This is a meat kitchen, and it travels widely. On the more refined end you will find slow-cooked short ribs in a pomegranate shiraz jus, a 300g New York steak with a choice of jus, mushroom, or peppercorn sauce, and a beef tartare plated with potato pavé, basil oil, capers, and shallot. There is a salmon and tuna carpaccio with yuzu, and a pulled lamb ravioli finished with herb oil and zest. Then the menu swings toward the Middle East with a mixed grill platter of shawarma, chicken skewers, and lamb and beef kebab, plus butter chicken served with laffa. And it keeps going, into a Mongolian sizzling stir-fry and sweet and sour chicken. Starters range from bone marrow with garlic focaccia to lamb cigars with green tahini and chicken gyoza served gyoza no tare, so the whole meal stays fully meat and dairy-free.
Pareve Desserts Worth Noting
Because it is a meat restaurant, dessert stays pareve, and the kitchen leans into it with a chocolate soufflé, a Biscoff stack with caramel, a gluten-free chocolate mousse, and tiramisu. If you have spent any time chasing a good non-dairy dessert after a kosher steak dinner, that lineup is worth noting.
A Real Cocktail Bar
The other headline here is the bar. A kosher restaurant with a genuine cocktail program is still a treat, and Bistro 277 has put together a real one: an espresso martini, a lychee mojito, and a full run of margaritas from classic to spicy to passionfruit, alongside an old fashioned and a few house creations. There is Israeli and imported beer on the list, including Maccabee, Malt Star, Shapiro, and Goldstar, plus arak and a passionfruit mojito mocktail for anyone skipping the alcohol. Prices are in Australian dollars, and given the dinner format, booking ahead is the smart move.
Location
Location-wise, you could not ask for a more central spot. This is the middle of Balaclava’s kosher corridor, steps from the bakeries, grocers, and Israeli spots that make Carlisle Street a destination, and an easy walk for the local community.
The Details
Bistro 277 operates as the dinner service of Mr Kaduri, located at 277 Carlisle Street, Balaclava VIC 3183, Melbourne. It is a meat restaurant, certified kosher by Kosher Australia (KA). Reservations are available through their website, and booking ahead is recommended for dinner service.
Looking for kosher restaurants near you? Download the KosherNearMe app at YeahThatsKosher.com/app.
