Minamishima
3 Lord Street, Richmond
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In 2024, this one is still rightly deserving of a spot at the top. Minamishima in Richmond is the life-long work encapsulation of Chef Koichi Minamishima, he’s got over 30 years experience in Japanese cuisine and in preparing A-grade sashimi. You get one piece at a time, each made lovingly with incredible attention and utilising the highest quality ingredients its a true showcase of Japanese tradition and excellence in cuisine.
Ishizuka
139 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
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If you’ve got a penchant for the finer things in life, look no further than Ishizuka. This is one fancy restaurant dealing in the finest Japanese cuisine. The menu changes seasonally and daily with a revolving nightly set menu of eleven unbeatable dishes. And here’s the kicker: they only serve sixteen diners each evening. So, needless to say, book ahead if you’re planning to get in here in 2023—spots fill up for one of the most stunning dining rooms in town weeks in advance.
Kisumé
175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
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Kisumé translates to ‘a pure obsession with beauty’, this ethos rings true as soon as you come across the space on Flinders Lane and the food inside. There’s a hot kitchen in the basement, a sushi restaurant on the ground floor for a la carte dining and a bar/omakase space up top with a swish Chef’s Table. The team is equally impressive:—helmed by head chef Yonge Kim who essentially provides a masterclass in Japanese cuisine with every dish served.
Aoi Tsuki
384 Punt Road, South Yarra
Image credit: Aoi Tsuki | Griffin Simm
It’s a no-brainer that hatted omakase Aoi Tsuki landed on our list of best Japanese restaurants. Born as take-away sushi boxes to delight during lockdowns has grown into an intimate 12-seater lunch and dinner spot. Each day is something to behold with different dishes plated up to perfection.
Warabi
408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
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Located inside the W Melbourne, Warabi is led by Chef Hajime Horiguchi and has an Omakase-style diner with a sleek fit with a long seated bar that looks onto the kitchen— providing an inside glimpse into the preparation of Japanese cuisine. The menu which has a 'Kappo' (cut and cook) style of Japanese food, featuring several courses all based around seasonal ingredients and precise cooking techniques. Sake lovers can expect a diverse selection curated to highlight the different brewing styles across the various regions of Japan.
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Snow Monkey Ramen
180 Toorak Road, South Yarra
When two delicate cuisines collide, you get an energetic joint like Snow Monkey dishing up some of the heartest bowls of ramen around town. Taking their name from the snowy slopes of Hakuba in Japan, this South Yarra spot is fusing French and Japanese flavours into one bowl of ramen. With nothing quite like it, we felt it rightfully belongs to sit amongst some of the best Japanese Melbourne has on offer.
Izakaya Den
118 Russell Street, Melbourne CBD
Descend the stairs into the basement of Izakaya Den. This Izakaya-style (small plates and drinks) restaurant is not only aesthetically pleasing with its chic wooden bar, open grill and concrete floors, but it offers a culinary delight, with an incredible range of traditional offerings like grilled octopus, agedashi tofu and salted edamame. There’s also a new vegan menu for those less into fish dishes. We suggest booking ahead—this place packs out on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mensho
166 Russell Street, Melbourne CBD
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Originating in Tokyo in 2005, Mensho quickly exploded in popularity, eventually leading to them receiving a Michelin Star. The Japanese Melbourne restaurant carries all the prestige and legacy of their five essential components approach to creating the perfect bowl of ramen: soup, tare, noodles, toppings and oil—and all balanced perfectly. Everything from the broth to their bouncy noodles is made in-house, marrying authenticity with locality.
Sushi On
1135 Burke Road, Kew
With over 20 years of experience in his stride and cutting his teeth at establishments like Kisumè, chef Jangyong Hyun is leading the charge at Sushi On. The premium omakase Japanese restaurant is refreshingly simple, carefully dishing to just eight diners at a time. The crew release bookings one month in advance—stay tuned here.
Yakimono
80 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD
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Channeling the bright-coloured neon lights of downtown Tokyo, Yakimono brings a taste of the feverishly quick-moving city to Melbourne. The Japanese restaurant is the brainchild of owner Chris Lucas (Chin Chin, Grill Americano, Kisume) who spent three years living and working in Japan and exploring their late-night izakaya restaurants. Split over two floors with an outdoor terrace, this Japanese bbq rests high on Collins Street and packs a stylish punch—food and decor alike.
Supernormal
180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
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Supernormal is Andrew McConnell's Pan-Asian crown jewel and home to the most famous lobster roll in Melbourne. The Supernormal menu is changing all the time, but it spans across the Asia region with techniques steeped in Japanese culinary tradition. Designed to be shared, get yourselves a serving of duck bao, a whole snapper with burnt butter sauce, wild watercress and shaved kombu, some beef tartare, and whatever else you can fit in.
Robata Japanese Grill
2 Exhibition Street, Melbourne CBD
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The San Telmo Group are stepping into Japanese cuisine for the first time with their venture, Robata Japanese Grill, a playful Japanese barbecue-style restaurant in the CBD. The menu is a celebration of Japanese food, featuring fresh sashimi, grilled skewer-based dishes, pork katsu, wagyu beef, pork belly and plenty more. As for drinks, you can't go past the toasted sesame whisky highball.
Ichi Ni Na Na
127 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
At Ichi Ni Na Na, treat yourself to wafu-seasoned wagyu beef tartare with pickled shallots, radish, shiso and croutons, just-out-of-the-ocean sashimi salads and charcoal-grilled king prawns with yakitori sauce. Wash it all down with a cocktail up on the Rooftop Bar. You’re in for a top-notch evening at one of Melbourne's best Japanese restaurants on Fitzroy’s bustling Brunswick Street.
Yakikami
150 Toorak Road, South Yarra
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Located on Toorak Road in South Yarra, Yakikami is also an opulent escape for premium cuts of wagyu beef, flame-grilled Nomad chicken Yakitori and top-shelf sake. The 70-seat diner, focusing on Japanese barbecue, is spread out across 350sqm of sleek marble flooring and features a dedicated Yakitori bar with charcoal Josper (Hibachi) grills that churn out skewers of chicken, seafood and vegetables. There's also a chef's table option, an intimate 10-seat dining experience with a selection of dishes prepared in front of you at the bar.
Teppanyaki Inn
182 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD
For over four decades, Teppanyaki Inn has been Melbourne’s go-to for theatrical dining. As the first Japanese teppanyaki restaurant to ever open in Australia, they've mastered the art of the open grill and you can expect the freshest, most mouth-watering nosh this side of the hemisphere. If you're in the mood for Moreton Bay Bugs and freshly cooked fried rice, book a seat at Teppanyaki Inn.
Niku Ou
Various Locations
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Bento, sushi and sashimi are all on the cards at Niku Ou, but you must opt in for their wagyu here, and there are at least a few reasons why. Several of their premium cuts are exclusive to the restaurant, like the Japanese Kobe beef, which is the world's number one wagyu. If you feel like going all out, opt for their $228 gold leaf wagyu sandwich—or have your wagyu grilled on the Japanese barbecue right at your table.
Kazuki's
121 Lygon Street, Carlton
Chef Kazuki Tsuya and his partner Saori transported Kazuki’s from its former Daylesford home to Lygon Street several years ago. Kazuki’s is based on the tradition of ‘Omotenashi’, which refers to an intuitive, kind and distinct approach to Japanese food and hospitality, it's both one of the more unique experiences and best in Melbourne.
IPPUDO
18 Artemis Lane, Melbourne CBD
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IPPUDO is the epitome of ramen spots and it’s one you have to add to, then subsequently check off Melbourne's best Japanese list. Ramen is in no short supply, but they’ve also got a veggie soba which is topped with sauteed tomato and fried mushrooms. Find IPPUDO on Artemis lane in QV—just follow the ramen aromas or the crowds of people that flock to this Japanese dining institution.
Gogyo
413 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
As far as Japanese restaurants north of Melbourne go, Gogyo is one of the best. Their signature charred miso ramen dish is like nothing else found here, and their spicier dishes pack some heat (try the karaka-men bowl for a real punch in the tastebuds). Gogyo is owned by IPPUDO, a Japan-based chain that has been doing ramen back in Japan for years, so you know you're in good hands when you order a bowl of the good stuff.
Shujinko
Various Locations
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Located up on Russell Street, Shunjinko is the specialty ramen bar with a penchant for late nights—serving colossal-sized bowls until 11.50pm on weekends. Go for the classic Shujinko ramen—a pork broth with grilled pork belly, spring onion, bok choy, marinated egg and bean sprouts. Try the Black Ramen if you’re after an added chilli kick.
Ichi Ni Izakaya
12 The Esplanade, St Kilda
The OG Izakaya, St Kilda's Ichi Ni Na Na is a little fancier than most Japanese offerings in Melbourne—think traditional motifs and red cloth decorating the walls—it sticks with the traditional bar-snack approach, making it a great optiong for a solo dining session. Grab a stool and some chopsticks, and get ready for some of the freshest sashimi and crispest beers around.
Marble Yakiniku
52 - 54 Osullivan Road, Glen Waverley
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As the name suggests, Marble Yakiniku (grilled meat) is all about steak. Step into an opulent world of traditional Japanese cuisine and dining with timber-lined dining room reminiscent of traditional tea houses, cosy nooks for sake tastings, and a menu steeped in tender wagyu beef cuts. Beautifully presented in special wooden bento boxes, your Japanese food is barbecued at the tableside and served fresh onto your plate.
Little Ramen Bar
369 Little Collins Street, Melbourne CBD
What was once a poky-sized ramen shop on Little Bourke had blossomed into a well-spaced diner on Little Collins. Although the address has changed the name remains the same as does the selection of classic Japanese dishes. The menu makes decision-making easy (you can have ramen, edamame, kimchi, seaweed salad or gyoza, and not much else) and the $7 Sapporo Draught on tap makes it one of our top cheap eats.
Aoba
279 Glenferrie Road, Malvern
A longstanding Japanese restaurant in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Aoba Sushi restaurant captures the ambience of a typical family-run eatery in Tokyo's backstreets. Like many traditional eateries in Japan, Aoba seats around fifteen people, Chef Shingo and the staff will make you feel right at home with Japanese food that is very, very fresh—think premium fresh sashimi and sushi.
Make a day of it and hit up some of Melbourne's best spots to eat and drink no matter the time: