Ito

When Toko moved to the CBD, Crown Street was suddenly deprived of a glam Japanese spot. The ESCA Group (AALIA, Nour, Lilymu) has captured the gap in the market with Itō.

Filling the two-storey space that used to house their buzzy cafe brand, Cuckoo Callay, Itō is inspired by the izakayas of Japan. 

Cool, bright, and casual, here you can sip from an extensive selection of sake, quirky Japanese wines, and Japanese-inspired cocktails, while you snack on sashimi and Hiramasa kingfish.

Head chef Erik Ortolani's heritage is Italian, but his passion is in Japanese cooking, having clocked time in the kitchen at both Cho Cho San and Nobu.

You can see the crossover come through with fusion dishes like aglio e olio spaghetti with garlic shoots and togarashi or the Wagyu mafaldine with white shimeji and miso. 

Image credit: Jiwon Kim