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The Best Japanese Restaurants In Brisbane for Sushi & Sake
If you’re in charge of booking the next night out, explore our list of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane. There’s nothing but crowd-pleasers here!
The best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane include Honto for a moody, concealed-entrance date night, Sono for teppanyaki with sweeping water views at Portside, IPPIN for yakitori and creative cocktails in West End, and Taro’s Ramen for the city’s most beloved cult-favourite bowl. Japanese food has a rich culinary history, both modern and historical, which makes it a tremendously nuanced cuisine to explore. Brisbane clearly agrees, offering up all kinds of Japanese joints, from dedicated donburi bars to decadent omakase experiences. Don’t even get us started on the commitment to warm hospitality.
If your next bite is bound to be Japanese, consider this edit of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane before you hit the streets. From CBD mainstays to hotel hospitality, there’s a whole host of unique Japanese eats across the city to explore.
In This Guide
Best Japanese Restaurants in Brisbane for Fine Dining
KOMEYUI
“Through exploration and imagination, we can create art.” This is the guiding philosophy behind KOMEYUI, a restaurant that exists to delight all of the senses. With a staff of highly trained chefs, this Japanese restaurant aims to foster creativity in the kitchen, so you know you’re in for a treat when you visit.
Suburb: Spring Hill
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Cultural experience
Tenya Japanese Restaurant
Tenya Japanese Restaurant might just be Brisbane’s biggest Japanese restaurant and possibly the one with the best views.
The interior is roomy with an earthen palette of natural materials such as stone and timber. With a menu stacked with Japanese-inspired eats, you can level up your experience to VIP status by booking in for a luxurious kaiseki-style dinner service.
Tenya also offers a premium buffet experience that has become a bit of a cult favourite in Brisbane. Feast on Alaska king crabs, Moreton Bay bugs, spanner crabs, fresh Australian prawns, seasonal sashimi and more.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Special occasion, Group dining, Families
Sushi Room
As if the siren song of the stunning urban oasis, the Calile Hotel, wasn’t strong enough, Sushi Room has entered the chat.
As the name suggests, sushi and sashimi are prominent on the menu here, along with a variety of seafood dishes. The venue is intimate, minimalist and considered, with a mix of bar seating, booths or tables to occupy as you enjoy nuanced and harmonious plates that will perfectly satisfy your palate.
Suburb: Fortitude Valley
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Best For: Special occasion, Date night, Business lunch
Sono
Secreted away upstairs at Portside, this is one secret that’s too good to keep! Sono exemplifies fine dining and traditional Japanese cuisine via a teppanyaki bar and sushi bar. Enjoy the ambience set by water features and bamboo, whilst you soak in sweeping water views.
Suburb: Hamilton
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Waterfront
Best Japanese Restaurants in Brisbane for Date Night
IPPIN Japanese Dining
IPPIN showcases the best of Japanese cuisine with a menu packed with yakitori grill specialty dishes featuring wagyu beef or chicken. For the seafood lover, the recommendation here is their signature toothfish or tempura cuttlefish. For the foodie who’s tried it all, we recommend the lobster popcorn for a flavour sensation.
Make the most of your relaxing and romantic night out at IPPIN by ordering a cocktail from their creative menu of signature cocktails, mocktails or Japanese whisky.
Suburb: West End
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Group dining
Honto
Tucked behind a concealed entrance, once you make your way through the matte black walls of Honto you’ll discover an open dining space where you can watch the chefs at work preparing your meals.
Honto has a mysterious allure, which makes it one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Brisbane for special occasions or date nights.
It’s the perfect spot for food enthusiasts, or perhaps your visiting pals from Sydney or Melbourne, so you can show off what the Brisbane dining scene has tucked up its sleeve! With unusual Japanese whisky and sake to choose from, expect to eat and drink well at Honto.
Suburb: Fortitude Valley
Price Guide: $$$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Date night, Late night, Cocktail lovers
Yoko Dining
Yoko has brought beautiful plating and bright, flavourful food to Brisbane’s foodie scene at the ever-popular Howard Smith Wharves.
The vibrant menu at Yoko spans snacks, a sashimi raw bar, izakaya plates to share and hibachi grill mains. They also serve up some mean cocktails — Yuzu Slushie, anyone?
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Date night, Cocktail lovers, Waterfront
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Best Japanese Restaurants in Brisbane for Group Dining
Boom Boom Room
Head underground in Brisbane’s CBD and discover one of the best Japanese restaurants in town, Boom Boom Room! With an enviable Japanese whisky list, sip on some incredible spirits and cocktails while you dine on authentic sashimi and yakitori plates.
This inner-city restaurant is also the perfect place for events or group dinners, as you can book a private dining experience in one of the old bank vaults for a unique night of top-tier food and drinks in an elegant setting.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Group dining, Cocktail lovers, Special occasion
Wagaya
Tucked into the Chinatown Mall, Wagaya is a long-time favourite for quality Japanese meals in Brisbane. Take the stairs or elevator and arrive in a traditional izakaya, hued in mahogany with touches of red, gold and pink to colour the space.
Your meals and drinks are ordered via a touchscreen at your table, giving you the option to slowly order plates to share, or to keep the drinks coming!
Suburb: Fortitude Valley
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Group dining, Late night, Locals
Oyama
A hidden gem in the heart of the Valley, Oyama has a long-standing reputation as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane.
Chef Da Shan Wang began his journey in Sunnybank, working his way up from dishwasher to apprentice to sous chef before founding Oyama, which quickly grew in popularity and soon had a loyal base of regulars.
After thirteen years of success here, Da Shan decided to take his popular Japanese eats to Fortitude Valley, where Oyama has continued to succeed and remain a favourite among locals and visitors alike.
Sitchu Tip: Try the Chef’s daily selection of assorted sashimi, but you can dine teppanyaki-style or banquet-style to make the very most of your visit to Oyama.
Suburb: Fortitude Valley
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Group dining, Special occasion, Locals
Izakaya Publico
Izakaya Publico is one of the best-kept secrets on the Brisbane Japanese dining scene. Located within Hotel Indigo, this restaurant promises superior hospitality, elevated mood lighting across two levels and a visually exciting interior.
Large murals and art pieces span the high walls, overlooking the tables and cosy booths. Blending local and seasonal produce with traditional cooking methods and a zensai (share plate) philosophy, we recommend starting your visit with the Superior Set for a feast of kingfish, oyster mushroom, pork belly and tempura vegetables.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Group dining, Date night, Special occasion
Best Japanese Restaurants in Brisbane for Casual Dinners
Hikari
A bustling little spot on breezy, tree-lined Vernon Terrace, Hikari is well-loved by Teneriffe locals. It’s a local favourite to stop in for a meal after a stroll along the river walk. With warm service that makes you feel right at home and a menu that never disappoints — the crowds alone can testify to this!
This is the place to order up some of the freshest sashimi Brisbane has to offer and pair it with a beautiful crisp wine.
Suburb: Teneriffe
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Best For: Locals, Wine lovers, Quick bite
Taro’s Ramen
This ramen shop has a cult following thanks to its simple and comfortable atmosphere, combined with delicious and authentic food. It’s also led to four locations across Brisbane!
There are plenty of à la carte options on the menu, but if you’re heading to Taro’s you simply must order a ramen.
Each part of your dish is expertly crafted from scratch and contains no MSG or artificial flavours. Taro’s is committed to sourcing local, sustainable and ethical ingredients, so everyone’s best interests are kept at heart.
Suburb: Various locations
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Japanese, Ramen
Best For: Quick bite, Budget-friendly, Locals
Uncle Don
Uncle Don in Paddington has taken the humble donburi bowl and given it an ‘epicurean glow-up’ and has elevated it into their speciality.
Fusing traditional inspiration with modern cooking methods and house-made ingredients to take things to the next level, Uncle Don is a great spot to take your pal who thinks they have tried it all.
Suburb: Various locations
Price Guide: $
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Quick bite, Budget-friendly, Locals
Honto, Sono, IPPIN and Taro’s Ramen are the standout picks across Brisbane’s Japanese dining scene. Honto draws diners through a concealed entrance into an open dining space with unusual Japanese whisky and sake, perfect for a special occasion or date night. Sono, secreted away upstairs at Portside, pairs teppanyaki and sushi with sweeping water views. IPPIN in West End specialises in yakitori grill dishes featuring wagyu beef or chicken, best paired with a creative cocktail. Taro’s Ramen rounds things out with a cult following across four Brisbane locations, built on simple, authentic bowls made from scratch.
KOMEYUI, Tenya, Sushi Room and Sono cover Brisbane’s Japanese fine dining scene. KOMEYUI in Spring Hill treats the kitchen like an art gallery, with highly-trained chefs crafting dishes designed to delight every sense. Tenya, inside Brisbane Quarter, offers a luxurious kaiseki-style dinner service alongside a premium buffet piled with Alaska king crab, Moreton Bay bugs and seasonal sashimi. Sushi Room, tucked inside the Calile Hotel, serves nuanced sushi and sashimi in an intimate, minimalist setting. Sono rounds things out with teppanyaki, a sushi bar and water views at Portside.
IPPIN, Honto and Yoko Dining are Brisbane’s top picks for a Japanese date night. IPPIN in West End pairs yakitori specialties with a creative menu of signature cocktails, mocktails and Japanese whisky for a relaxing, romantic night out. Honto’s concealed entrance and matte black walls set a moody, mysterious tone, with chefs preparing meals in full view. Yoko Dining at Howard Smith Wharves brings beautiful plating and bright, flavourful food to the table, spanning a sashimi raw bar, izakaya share plates and hibachi grill mains, finished off with a Yuzu Slushie cocktail.
Boom Boom Room, Wagaya, Oyama and Izakaya Publico are built for a crowd. Boom Boom Room, set underground in the CBD, offers private dining in an old bank vault for events and group dinners, alongside sashimi, yakitori and an enviable whisky list. Wagaya in Chinatown Mall lets groups order plates to share via a table-side touchscreen in a traditional izakaya setting. Oyama offers teppanyaki-style or banquet-style dining for a feast among friends. Izakaya Publico, inside Hotel Indigo, recommends starting with its Superior Set, a shared feast of kingfish, oyster mushroom, pork belly and tempura vegetables.
Hikari, Taro’s Ramen and Uncle Don are Brisbane’s go-to casual Japanese spots. Hikari on Teneriffe’s Vernon Terrace is a local favourite for fresh sashimi paired with a crisp wine after a stroll along the river walk. Taro’s Ramen has built a cult following across four Brisbane locations, with every bowl crafted from scratch using no MSG or artificial flavours. Uncle Don in Paddington has turned the humble donburi bowl into its signature dish, fusing traditional inspiration with modern cooking methods and house-made ingredients for an elevated but still casual feed.
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