The Five Dishes To Order at Med, Canberra’s Swish Eastern Mediterranean Restaurant

At Med, the restaurant at the base of Barton’s Burbury Hotel, it’s all about cooking quality ingredients over charcoal. The philosophy may be simple, but it’s an approach that complements the restaurant’s fusion of Lebanese, Greek and Turkish flavours.

“There’s a sweet spot you hit when you blend the flavours of these cuisines,” says restaurant manager Tomas Rodriguez.

Dishes are cooked in an enclosed charcoal Josper oven, which allows for high-temperature cooking over an open flame. “On the one hand, you have the simplicity of a dish being cooked over charcoal, and then on the other, you’re making food that’s full of flavour,” Rodriguez says.

Share plates are also at the heart of Med’s ethos, transporting diners to long lunches on the Mediterranean coast. “We want to create an environment that brings a feeling of comfort … that encourages people to come in and order everything on the menu to be shared.”

Broadsheet has partnered with NAB for Bookings With Benefits, a dining program that gives you $50 off the bill when you spend $250 or more and pay on your NAB credit or debit card at selected venues – including Med – across the country. Here, Rodriguez reveals the five dishes to order at Med.

Saganaki – haloumi, lemon, oregano

“If you’ve never tried saganaki before, this is the one dish you definitely won’t regret ordering,” Rodriguez says of the restaurant’s popular Greek-inspired entree. His version is made with haloumi, fried until it’s creamy in the middle with a golden crust on the outside. Then it’s quickly basted and served in a sweet glaze of honey, oregano, poppy seeds and chilli, with a squeeze of fresh lemon to balance out the salty-sweet combination, cutting through the rich cheese with a hit of acidity.

Charcoal roasted chicken with grilled capsicum salsa

“This chicken dish is a great example of simple comfort food cooked to perfection,” Rodriguez says. The Lebanese-style recipe starts with marinating a quarter chicken in Moroccan spices and butter overnight, then cooking it to order – first, on a charcoal barbeque, then in the Josper oven – before glazing with lashings of burnt honey.

“The charcoal cooking gives the chicken this smokiness without it being a heavy dish … I would eat this any day of the week.” On the side, there’s a tart sorrel garnish and a sweet kick from the grilled capsicum salsa. Perfect for sharing among friends, or devouring solo.

Roasted cauliflower with pomegranate and tahini dressing

Cauliflower often does the heavy lifting when it comes to vegetarian mains. But at Med, it’s the star of the show “even for meat eaters”, according to Rodriguez. For this dish, a whole head of cauliflower is slowly roasted in a spiced shawarma butter. Its magic lies in the butter, which is poured over the cauliflower incrementally throughout the cooking process, creating “a crispy outside and perfectly tender inside”, Rodriguez says. Served on a bed of tahini cream, it’s then topped with pomegranate, pine nuts and parsley for extra texture.

Pilaf with pistachio and grapes

This side dish punches well above its weight, making it the perfect accompaniment to mains like the slow-cooked lamb shoulder or charcoal roasted chicken. A secret combination of spices brings a heartiness to the fluffed rice, with a generous handful of pistachios, red grapes and herbs tossed through just before it’s dished up. “It’s the perfect dish for sharing … fun and approachable but comforting at the same time.”

Baklava ice-cream sundae

Like many of Med’s dishes, this decadent baklava ice-cream sundae is a playful take on a beloved classic. “We put it on the menu when we first opened, and we’ve never been able to take it off because people love it so much,” says Rodriguez. At the base of the dessert is a layer of buttery, deep-fried filo pastry, cracked into thick shards. On top is a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, house-made pistachio crumble, and a cinnamon honey syrup. “All the ingredients come together to form a lovely combination of crunch, freshness and sweetness.”

The Broadsheet Dining Program Special Offer of a $50 discount when you spend $250 or more is available when you dine at a Participating Restaurant between 13 January 2026 and 16 December 2026. To be eligible for the Discount Offer, you must make a booking via the NAB Exclusive Booking Link for the Participating Restaurant which is found on the Broadsheet Booking page and spend a minimum of $250 on your NAB credit card. Between 2 June 2026 and 16 December 2026, the Discount Offer will also be available on NAB debit card payments at select venues. The Discount Offer will apply at the Restaurant when you pay the final bill amount including GST and service fees and charges (if any) with your NAB credit card (includes a digital NAB credit card) or NAB debit card (includes a digital NAB debit card) at select venues. The Discount Offer is only valid once per booking and will not apply to any split bills and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. For the full Terms and Conditions of this Offer, please click here. 

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with NAB.