Saké | Flinders Lane

The Verdict

Saké, one of our favourite Japanese restaurants in Melbourne, has branched out to open a sibling venue in the city's gastronomic hotspot, Flinders Lane. Saké's new venue is definitely a crowd pleaser: split over two levels, the venue delivers standard dining on the top floor, a moody bar and open courtyard on the bottom floor—and even a dining room with a private garden. Think delicious Japanese fare paired with a sake degustation, and you're getting pretty close to the perfect private dining experience...

If you're looking for some late-night fun, head downstairs and you'll find Saké's bar extraordinaires whipping up the signature Japanese cocktails for which they've become so well known—and if you're a sake fan, you'll find some of the best in the city here too. Try the infused shochu offerings for the ultimate night-starter. 

When we popped in, we tried their signature sushi nigiri, paired with a smooth and delicate blue label sake. The beef tataki was a curious highlight—paired with salted and dried plums, and crispy flakes coated in a Japanese spice mix called shichimi togarashi. The roast chicken dashi was moorish, with a 63deg egg completing what could become the ultimate winter pick-me-up, and the crispy-skinned Barramundi was subtly accented with a hint of lemongrass and citrus leaf in a light broth.

In more good news, they've just launched what could be the city's most luxe bento box. We're talking miso soup with sansho pepper, a few nori-powdered edamame to get you going, salmon sashimi, grilled miso eggplant, crispy popcorn shrimp (with a killer chilli bean mayonnaise), ginger garlic chicken, fluffy white rice and a green tea ice-cream to finish. Phew. If your pants' top button is still standing after all that, we'll be amazed. You can grab the bento boxes at both Flinders Lane and the old Hamer Hall restaurant. Lunchtime vibes looking up...

Image credit: Sake