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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!
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 Sunnybank self-starters to hotel hospitality, there’s a whole host of unique Japanese eats across the city to explore.
IPPIN Japanese Dining
IPPIN showcases the best of Japanese cuisine with a menu is 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.
Tenancy 2, 97 Boundary Street, West End
Tenya Japanese Restaurant
Tenya Japanese Restaurant might just beBrisbane’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.
Brisbane Quarter, Shop 1, Podium 2/300 George Street, Brisbane
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.
191-203 Wharf Street, Spring Hill
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.
Level 1, Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton
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.
Sitchu Tip: Tucked away on a mezzanine level is a private bar and dining, which seats up to eight diners in their own little world away from the venue — good to know for your next special event!
48 James Street, Fortitude Valley
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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.
49 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane City
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?
2/5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City
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.
Alden Street, Fortitude Valley
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!
TCB Centre, 1/315 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley
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 and it’s always worth the 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.
55a Florence Street, Teneriffe
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.
Various locations
Okuman
As well as serving up well-known traditional Japanese dishes, Okuman allows dishes popular in regional Japanese towns to have their moment to shine. Owner Aiko Imasaki’s goal is to feed many people and to make them feel at home, and she achieves this easily with the warm, polished timber interior and delicious menu of sushi, sashimi, ramen and much more. This Japanese restaurant in South Brisbane is a bit of a hidden gem, so surprise and delight your pals with a savvy suggestion for the next opportunity you have to plan a night out. Oh and by the way, you can BYO your favourite wine, too!
Shop 6, 220 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane
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.
Multiple locations
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.
Beginning the journey in Sunnybank after founding Chef Da Shan Wang had worked his way up the ranks from dishwasher to apprentice to sous chef, Oyama 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.
We recommend 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.
Shop 30, 115 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley
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.
27-35 Turbot Street, Brisbane
After you’ve tried and tested all of the best Japanese restaurants in Brisbane, explore our favourite Korean restaurant eats across the city. Or if you’re ready to make a more European switch, explore the best French restaurants in Brisbane for your next romantic night out.
