Sono Japanese Restaurant

The verdict

Known as one of Brisbane’s best Japanese eateries, Sono Portside should be high on your to-try list if you’ve never done so. An atmospheric, elegant restaurant, its low lighting, neutral tones, sleek sweeping bars and a magical view out to the sparkling Brisbane River is a sight to behold.

Sono offers a choice of dining experiences, with a teppanyaki bar, a la carte or wine-matched degustation menus, and sake tasting available in the open dining area or intimate Japanese-style rooms.

From melt-in-your-mouth sashimi platters to crispy-skinned snapper, each dish combines traditional methods with a modern edge, resulting in a refined and contemporary Japanese menu full of clean, authentic flavours. Chef theatrics at the teppanyaki bar provide a dinner and a show in one, while the impeccable table service, artistic presentation and view of CityCats gliding up and down the river make dining at Sono a truly phenomenal experience.

With their famous bento boxes only available on their lunch menu, Sono is the ultimate destination for daytime dining, from quick work lunches to long leisurely meals. The range of bento options—from classic through to deluxe boxes—brim with generous portions of soft shell crab, crunchy tempura, prawn salad and more, and definitely get our vote for Brisbane’s most impressive!

With Sono Portside’s sister venue in the CBD now closed for refurbishment until mid-2018, many of the chefs and some of the CBD menu’s favourite dishes have joined the Portside location (the best of both worlds!). With its multiple dining locations in one, Sono is an amazing choice for large groups, or you can even hire the whole venue—a seriously impressive location for a Christmas party or summer soiree.

Sono Portside is easily one of the city’s most special spots that brings a new beauty and simplicity to high end Japanese dining in Brisbane.

Image credit: Hayley Williamson