Head Chef | Babylon Brisbane

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.