Japanese Restaurant & Sake Bar In Melbourne

To place an order, please visit the Reservations page of our website and select the day that suits you best. “Service here is an art form as finely calibrated as the kaiseki itself. At Ishizuka, we delicately design a Kaiseki course to incorporate the freshest ingredients of that day.
Andrew McConnell translates his Asian adventures into this one great culinary adventure at Supernormal. We were keen to try out a broad spectrum of the menu and should have gone for the great value set Sashimi menu, but we opted to choose our own dishes, ordering several of each proving more expensive. My mother in law is fastidious about kimchi having travelled much to Asia and won't rave unless she has to.

Andrew McConells take on this New York snack was developed for his Golden Fields restaurant in St Kilda and he sold 60,000 of them there. And he says he's sold 18,000 more of them since opening Supernormal. If you’re looking for a hidden Japanese suburban gem, Akita in North Melbourne is a no-frills venue that serves traditional dishes in a minimal space. You’ll find everything from single servings of sashimi to flavourful hotpots, all of which are incredibly reasonably priced.
We only work with the best ingredients available in Melbourne to offer our unrivalled Kaiseki Menu from Wednesday through to Monday. While Kaiseki might have once been experienced beside a traditional Japanese courtyard, contemporary Kaiseki restaurants are often private spaces hidden below ground or on the upper floors of Tokyo high rises. Kaiseki represents the absolute pinnacle of Japanese haute cuisine and counts among the world’s finest food experiences. Cap off the night with sake and snacks at Japanese bar Robot, or get a taste of Japanese culture at karaoke bars around Little Bourke Street. Sample heart-warming Japanese breakfasts and lunch at Collingwood's Cibi cafe, and slurp a bowl of handmade ramen at Smith Street's Shop Ramen. Pick your favourite soup and noodle combination at Shizuku Ramen in Abbotsford.

Emporium's new sushi train and barbecue has a little something for every taste. Australia’s own masters of contemporary Japanese dining have welcomed a new culinary hotspot to their growing brood. This little Richmond eatery is slinging meatball katsu-sandos, donburi bowls, cocktails and rare Japanese sake. An all-day eatery serving up $33 all-you-can-eat Japanese feasts and vibrant Asian-inspired brunches.
The slow cooked lamb was delectable but it was the sauce that arrested attention. Smoked beef, mustard leaf, clam mayonaisse was a triumph of taste and texture with cream, crunch and silky beef. By now our Canadian friends and my mother in law were impressed with the class and broad taste profile at Supernormal.
It's moreish, and as comforting and understated as Ito's quiet restaurant. Behind a nondescript door, chef Shigeo Yoshihara-san prepares and plates delicious morsels in measured progression to a 12-seat counter. Courses may be as simple as a spear of asparagus or a perfect prawn, lightly battered, judiciously fried and coaxed to magnificence. The arc of each meal also includes multi-faceted dishes, perhaps tuna wrapped around avocado and sheathed in nori or scallop stuffed with sea urchin. In every case, the produce is the main story, the restaurant its reverent stage. Delicate zensai , simple but beautiful sashimi and elegant desserts – perhaps yoghurt jelly dressed with Cointreau – are part of the parade.

Melburnians sure can’t get enough of high-end Japanese dining and Hanabishi fits right into that insatiable demand. Hajime is unapologetically high-end, with a price tag to match. It is, after all, the only traditional tempura house in Melbourne. Chef-owner Shigeo Yoshihara got his start in Osaka during the mid-90’s, so you’re in very experienced hands as the 8 or 10-piece tempura and sushi omakase unfolds along with a wide-ranging list of sake and wine. In fact, without Kenzan, many of the other restaurants on this list simply wouldn’t exist.
Peruvian flavours are expertly combined with Japanese cuisine in dishes such as yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and black cod with miso. A centuries-old culinary artform derived from the ceremonial cooking practices of Zen monasteries, kaiseki is guided by a formal, multi-course structure, with a continually evolving menu that emulates the change of seasons. Relocating to Australia in 2017 to broaden his knowledge of the international culinary landscape, Hitoshi accepted the role of head chef at Melbourne’s two-hatted, refined kaiseki venue, Ishizuka, in June, 2018. Delving into the culinary world at the age of 18, Miyazawa began an apprenticeship with esteemed chef Mamoru Sakamoto, from whom he learned the ancient art of kaiseki cuisine.

Shimbashi is known for serving up ramen's lighter and lesser-known sibling, soba. The noodles are made from buckwheat and often served cold, and their menu has just gone entirely gluten-free with several vegetarian and vegan options, too. You’ve already seen its sibling Ichi Ni Na Na make the cut, but why not visit the whole family? If you dream of dining in an open sushi kitchen but can’t afford the flights, St Kilda’s Ichi Ni Izakaya might just be able to make that fantasy a reality. While it’s a little fancier than most—think traditional motifs and red cloth decorating the walls—it sticks with the traditional bar-snack approach, making it one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne for a solo sushi session. Grab a stool, some chopsticks, and get ready for some of the freshest sashimi and crispest beers around.
Robata also offers an extensive drink menu, including sweet potato amber ale, sparkling sake, cider, a large selection of Japanese whiskey, beer, wine and some very creative cocktails. For the perfect ending to your meal, don’t forget to try their mouthwatering sparkling sake and sakura sorbet. Providing a very intimate atmosphere and seating up to 12 diners, Tempura Hajime is a one-man operation headed by sushi chef Shigeo. Winning a Chef’s Hat each year from 2008 to 2020, every dish is prepared and cooked right in front of you, showcasing Shigeo’s mastery of Japanese cooking and filling the air with tantalising aromas. Aside from Izakaya Den 2029’s tasting dishes, imported Japanese beers and traditional sake, their underground restaurant has an intimate yet futuristic atmosphere.
Guests will enjoy the wide range of superb cocktails, sake and wine from the bar, overlooking stunning river views. Nobu restaurants continue with unprecedented praise and rave reviews from such notable publications as the New York Times, the Zagat Surveys, and the Michelin Guide. The restaurants' perennial popularity and devoted following are a tribute to the personal spin that Nobu has put on traditional Japanese cooking.

Home to the largest selection of the world’s purest expression of Chardonnay. We also serve cocktails, a range of wine varieties, sake, whisky and more. Gaijin is open for dinner seven days a week, and is developing a presence in the CBD serving lunch. Supernormal served up rewarding Prawn and chicken dumplings, chilli and vinegar sauce, with 6 in a serving.
At Kumo Izakaya, you will find a varied and extensive range of local and imported wine, spirits, sake, shochu, umeshu and beer. Our in-house wine and sake experts will be on hand to offer recommendations and information. Enjoy a range of small gourmet izakaya-style platters between friends while opening up a bottle of wine or sake to match, or sip a house signature cocktail or fine Japanese whisky at the bar. Izakayas have a great range of small and large dishes ordered as-you-like-it as the night unfolds. You don’t have to choose between sashimi, deep fried, meat, vegetarian or other copious choices of food with beer, sake or other drinks – just have a bit of everything and share.