Lead the kitchen. Celebrate Middle Eastern cuisine. Create something exceptional.
Babylon Brisbane is looking for an experienced Head Chef with a strong Middle Eastern culinary background and a passion for delivering exceptional food in a premium dining environment.
Located on the Brisbane River, Babylon brings the flavours of the Levant to life through bold spices, generous mezze, wood-fired meats, charcoal-grilled seafood and vibrant shared plates. With multiple dining spaces, terraces and a distinctive food offering, this is an opportunity to lead a kitchen where flavour, quality and creativity are at the heart of everything we do.
The Role
We’re looking for a confident, hands-on Head Chef who understands Middle Eastern cuisine and has the experience to lead a high-performing kitchen. Ideally, you’ll have worked in hatted restaurants or other high-end dining environments, bringing strong technical skills, attention to detail and a genuine passion for food.
You’ll take ownership of kitchen operations, lead and develop your team, maintain exceptional standards and continue to deliver a menu that showcases the depth and character of Middle Eastern cooking.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Lead, mentor and develop the kitchen team, creating a positive and accountable kitchen culture
- Oversee daily kitchen operations across preparation, service, stock control and ordering
- Maintain exceptional food quality, presentation and consistency across every service
- Bring a strong understanding of Middle Eastern flavours, ingredients, traditional techniques and contemporary interpretations
- Work collaboratively on menu development, seasonal specials and new culinary ideas
- Manage food costs, labour, wastage and kitchen budgets while maintaining quality
- Uphold food safety, hygiene and workplace safety standards.
- Deliver smooth, organised service in a busy, high-volume dining environment
About You
- Proven experience as a Head Chef or senior kitchen leader in a quality restaurant
- A strong Middle Eastern culinary background is essential
- Experience in hatted restaurants or premium dining establishments is highly desirable
- Extensive knowledge of Middle Eastern and Levantine cuisine, including mezze, charcoal cooking, wood-fired techniques and bold, layered flavours
- A creative approach to food with the technical ability to execute consistently at a high standard
- Strong leadership, communication and team development skills
- Commercially minded, with a solid understanding of food costing, labour management and kitchen performance
- Organised, hands-on and comfortable leading a busy kitchen through demanding services
- A genuine passion for quality ingredients, great food and delivering memorable dining experiences
Why Join Babylon Brisbane?
- Competitive salary + annual bonus of up to $20K paid quarterly
- Staff discounts across 240+ venues in Australia & NZ
- Lead the kitchen of a distinctive riverside dining destination in the heart of Brisbane
- Take ownership of kitchen operations and make a real impact on food quality, team culture and commercial performance
- Enjoy opportunities to grow your career within a broader hospitality group
If you’re a passionate culinary leader with a strong Middle Eastern background and the experience to deliver at a high level, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply now and bring your culinary vision to Babylon Brisbane.