Best Japanese Restaurants in Melbourne for Sushi, Sake & Ramen

Melbourne is a city of international flavours, but one of our favourite cuisines has to be Japanese. Whether it’s a bustling ramen bar straight from Tokyo, a zen-filled café serving traditional breakfast or luxe fine diner slicing world-class sushi, we’ve got it all. If you can’t hop on a plane when your next craving hits, pull up a chair to one of these stellar Japanese restaurants – it’s the next best thing. So chopsticks at the ready, here’s our pick of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne.  

Izakaya Hosaku

Get ready for a premium sushi and sashimi experience in the heart of Melbourne CBD. Izakaya Hosaku serves up the likes of fresh oysters from St Helens in Tasmania topped with a yuzu verjus, wagyu bone marrow fried rice and an endless supply of the freshest sashimi, all artfully crafted by talented chefs. One of our favourite under-the-radar new restaurants in Melbourne. 

Sitchu Tip: They also have an incredible value honey teriyaki chicken lunch set you need to try for yourself; and try the matchatini to really take things to new heights. 

9 Katherine Place, Melbourne 

Komeyui

Since moving from Port Melbourne to a larger, more modern space in South Melbourne, Komeyui has further distinguished itself as a premier spot for sushi. The restaurant’s centrepiece is a gleaming, 12-seat counter from which they serve an eight course omakase menu, comprising the day’s best nigiri bookended by fancy snacks like lobster sandos and steamed crab pudding. More casual but equally delicious, the à la carte menu offers your choice of stunningly fresh sashimi, sushi and grilled meats alongside an extensive sake list.

181 Ferrars Street, South Melbourne

Tochi Deli

A friendly couple has brought traditional, ocean-fresh and affordable sushi and nigiri to the Tochi Deli stall in Brunswick Market - and it's seriously some of the best Japanese in Melbourne. Miso-salmon onigiri, agedashi tofu donburi and warming curry udon are also available, but on this menu, seasonal seafood reigns supreme. Think scallops marinated in yuzu peel, tuna belly, kingfish and salmon, as well as several kinds of sushi rolls, including salmon tartare. Miso eggplant and teriyaki mushroom rolls too, as well as plump mushroom and miso-salmon onigiri. Comforting, enjoyable and seriously good eats. 

Brunswick Market, 655-661 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Moonfishh

For some of the best, most premium seafood, sashimi and sushi in Melbourne, run, don't walk, to Albert Park's Moonfishh. Seriously, you've never had takeaway sushi like this before. Chef Haru Sonobe has spent years working as a Master Sushi chef in the world’s leading sushi restaurants. He has brought his traditional albeit inventive creations to this cosy shop in the heart of Albert Park, highlighting the absolute best of responsibly sourced Australian and New Zealand seafood. A full sensory sushi experience, every piece of sushi is hand-selected daily from the finest fish at the Melbourne Seafood Market, and is served in eco-conscious, biodegradable packaging. Simply put, it's one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. 

101 Bridport Street, Albert Park

Sushi Uokin

Raising the bar for takeaway sushi everywhere, say hello to Sushi Uokin, which is being headed up by a renowned Nobu Chef and offers high-end, elevated sushi at a modest price. ‘Uokin’, means ‘offering the best quality fish’, and it's a suitable name for the store, supplying large sharing platters of fresh sashimi, as well as colourful, well-crafted Maki and Nigiri sushi rolls. The star product is their signature roll, with fresh salmon, cooked prawns and asparagus, coated in a secret homemade sauce. But they also provide lots of fantastic vegetarian and vegan options. Spicy mushroom maki roll, anyone? 

639 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

Kenzan

A longstanding institution, Kenzan is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne – they’ve been slicing market fish and pouring sake for almost 40 years now. The years haven’t dulled their knives or their exactingly high standard of sushi, served here as nigiri by the piece, in picture perfect maki rolls, chirashi bowls or beautifully arranged sushi and sashimi plates.

45 Collins Street, Melbourne 

Hinoki Japanese Pantry

If you’re looking at quality for value, some of Melbourne’s best sushi is found in an unassuming little Japanese grocery on Smith Street. Hinoki’s super fresh sushi counter spins out countless rolls, bentos and sushi platters each day, with selections that go beyond your run-of-the-mill salmon and avo. Their unconventional but extremely delicious creations include seared scallops with hollandaise sauce and a girthy futomaki roll stuffed with prawn, eel, pickled radish, gourd, shiitake mushroom, cucumber, omelette and codfish flakes.

279 Smith Street, Fitzroy

Kai Dining

This little Japanese restaurant is the perfect place to head to for lunch. Bring a group of friends and feast on Kai Dining's many sushi and sashimi platters, or indulge in your own personal sushi roll, sando, or Bento box. Or if you're feeling hungry, why not try them all?

Open daily from 11.00am to 2.30pm

Also open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 4.30pm to 7.00pm

5 Commercial Road, South Yarra

Aoi Tsuki

Prepare for a seafood extravaganza at this 12-seater omakase dining experience. Sitting rather unassumingly along bustling Punt Road in Toorak, Aoi Tsuki will blow you away with its combination of service, style, and culinary credentials.

Two Korean chefs, with a wealth of previous experience from the likes of Shoya, Kisume, and Nobu, take the spotlight behind a simple timber bench. Here, twice a night, they craft 20 or more courses of some of the finest Japanese dishes in Melbourne, with added playful banter thrown in for good measure. 

Everything on the menu is of exceptional quality, featuring the likes of abalone and sea urchin, salmon roe, King George whiting, bluefin tuna, and other bounty-of-the-sea delights.

You might even luck out with their mouthwatering blowtorched wagyu dish, luscious foie gras shimmering atop.

A carefully curated sake list can also be added to proceedings, and there's a vibrant yuzu sake cocktail that we haven't been able to stop thinking about since. 

The theatricality of Aoi Tsuki is what you're paying for here - and we believe it's a thousand times worth it. One of our favourite Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. 

384 Punt Road, South Yarra

Bansho 

Hello, Art-Deco-inspired interiors and French-Japanese-inspired dishes! Born out of a love for both dining and design, Bansho is Armadale's answer to fine dining fusion - and it's a new restaurant in Melbourne that's quickly risen in the ranks to become a must-try destination. 

Taking its name from a Japanese-Buddhist term meaning 'all-encompassing,' Bansho seamlessly marries the timeless elegance of French and Japanese cuisines. Led by Executive Chef Tomotaka Ishizuka, most known for his work at Ishizuka, Koko, and Kisume, the menu at this moody bistro is a celebration of traditional techniques and modern methods. Guests can indulge in a diverse array of offerings, from small bites to mains, expertly prepared to showcase the best of both culinary traditions.

Complemented by separate sushi and sashimi menus and a thoughtfully curated drinks list featuring local drops, French wines, and Japanese sakes, Bansho provides a warm and welcoming environment for diners to savour and unwind. We can't get enough!

Sitchu Tip: Their plant-based sushi offerings will blow you away. 

960 High Street, Armadale

Minamishima

If you’ve got a pretty penny to spend, there’s arguably nowhere in Australia doing finer sushi than this luxe, intimate diner tucked away on a quiet Richmond street. Here, they only serve omakase, or ‘chef’s choice’, a daily changing procession of deftly sliced, shaped, torched and brushed nigiri, presented piece by piece. The knife skills of sushi master Koichi Minamishima have been honed for over 30 years, resulting in his ability to create tastes and textures in sushi you’re unlikely to forget. 

4 Lord Street, Richmond

Yakikami

If you want to impress a loved one to a fine dining experience, you need to treat them to the premium Niku Kappo Wagyu Omakase at South Yarra's Yakikami. This 70-seat restaurant presents two offerings: a casual yakitori-style eatery and the fine dining and moodily-lit Josper room, where you can settle in for some of the finest wagyu dishes in the world. Seating up to 10 guests, watch on in awe as true masters of the game Koji and Soichi prepare a 12-course degustation menu that's the only one of its kind here in Melbourne. Experience, education and quality are at the helm of this offering, whereby each dish is prepared, cooked and explained to guests at the counter-set dining table. Ambience, awe-inspiring eats and incredibly amiable service - it's the Japanese restaurant in Melbourne you won't soon forget. 

150 Toorak Road, South Yarra 

Leonie Upstairs

Leonie Upstairs is the new go-to Japanese restaurant in Melbourne, and it's perfect for catch-ups or no-brainer date nights over premium sake and artfully-crafted temaki sushi, balancing chill with charm. An unassuming entrance leads to a warm and cocooning space, all lounge-y sake bar vibes that provide an elevated and alternative feel to mid-week date nights. Expect an ‘omakase’ suite of twelve signature temaki sushi, or enjoy creating a do-it-yourself temaki set. Walk in for a relaxed bite, or linger for a more fine dining experience, steeped in sake and followed by something sweet. This reimagining of Japanese dining in Melbourne will have you coming back time and time again. 

Sitchu Tip: Don't forget to visit the equally impeccable Hareruya Pantry below, for bento boxes and hand-crafted gelato wrapped in mochi skin. You won't regret a trip to the sunny little spot!

Level 1, 15-17 Lincoln Square, Carlton

Kisumé

No one could ever accuse restaurateur Chris Lucas (Chin Chin, Grill Americano, Baby Pizza) of being unambitious. No where is this more apparent than at Kisume, a Japanese blockbuster that spans three levels of sleek, moody dining spaces. Each has its own vibe – the basement is a vibey casual diner with a hot kitchen while the street level sports a glowing sushi bar slicing some of the freshest fish in Melbourne. However, it’s the top floor that is Kisumé’s crown jewel. Here, just 12 seats are treated to a stunning succession of nigiri and delicate seasonal dishes that are the apex of both traditional technique and cutting-edge creativity.

175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 

Kazuki’s

Expertly melding Japanese flavours, French technique and Australian ingredients, Kazuki’s has carved out a unique place in Melbourne’s fine dining scene. Originally located in Daylesford, owners Saori and Kazuki Tsuya made the move to Carlton in late 2018. They brought with them unforgettable cooking that uses ponzu, kombu and miso in formats that range from pastas to pithiviers. The dining room radiates zen-filled comfort, while an extensive list of sakes and special occasion wines give cause to celebrate.

121 Lygon Street, Carlton

Ishizuka

High-end kaiseki dining comes to the city at Ishizuka, thanks to acclaimed Head Chef Shin Kato's sheer culinary brilliance. This is an ultra-exclusive, hidden basement Japanese restaurant in Melbourne. Seating just 16, all guests are served the 11-dish tasting menu in which luxe ingredients, exceptional technique, and art gallery-level plating shine in complex yet restrained dishes. Come here for a masterclass in Japanese perfectionism. 

139 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Akaiito

Akaiito on Flinders Lane is a bold entry into the upscale Japanese dining scene. Their contemporary menu features luxe ingredients like ootoro tartare and grilled glacier 51 toothfish treated with expert precision, while a private dining room offers an omakase experience for the most discerning of diners. The main room is awash in dark hues and black marble, but a glance above reveals a dramatic blood red sculpture – a curling figure meant to represent the thread of fate connecting destined lovers.

If you're looking for something a little more low-key, head below to Ototo. This casual but sophisticated underground speakeasy offers an Izakaya-style sharing menu of bite-sized snacks, lunch time ramen deals, and delicious Asian-inspired cocktails aplenty. 

349-351 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 

Katori

Located, very unassumingly, in Whitehorse Towers in Box Hill, Katori is a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne that is continually evolving. Each visit is bound to be different from the previous, as the kitchen regularly switches up the menu in line with the freshest and seasonal ingredients available. 

A real highlight is the Premium Yakiniku (meaning 'grilled meat') experience. You'll love being able to cook bite-size Wagyu meat on gridirons over charcoal flames - each bite more tender than the next. 

Traditional Japanese cuisine is given the modern twist at Katori - there's also plenty of sushi, sashimi and hot pot style shabu shabu to indulge in, too. Save room for their raindrop dessert - great joy can be found in both its delicate flavour and adorable wobble. All of this, alongside the venue's elegant interiors and Japanese infused cocktails, whiskies and sake? This hidden gem packs a luxurious punch! 

Whitehorse Towers, G01/850 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill

Sushi Baby

Sushi Baby is any pastel lover's dream. Combine the soft blue and pink hues with the vibrant food, hand-crafted to perfection, and you've entered paradise. Watch in awe as colourful plates of sushi rolls, sashimi and other plates are laid out in front of you, and savour every bite as the flavours dance on your tongue. You can't leave without trying the nori tacos - the salmon one is so fresh and tasty!

414 New Street, Brighton

279

You won’t find anywhere more calming and wholesome to have breakfast than Japanese café 279 in West Melbourne. This is a Japanese food experience to truly savour. Here they serve musubi, triangular rice balls wrapped in nori and served with a variety of toppings, which veer both traditional (pickled plum, shiso leaf, bonito flakes, salmon and cured cod roe) and modern (bacon, dukkah, or even smashed avo). The calm, minimalist space invokes instant relaxation, with considerate touches like hot hand towels and blankets making you feel at home. Pair your musubi with exactingly made coffee, customisable miso soup made to order and desserts like matcha tiramisu, mochi donuts and sesame ice cream parfait. 

279 Victoria Street, West Melbourne

ima Asa Yoru

A Japanese-inspired restaurant located in the Nightingale Village, in the heart of Brunswick, ima Asa Yoru is serving up traditional Japanese breakfast and lunch during the day (asa) and modern Izakaya dishes at night (yoru). All paired perfectly with sake, ice cold beer and jazzy tunes.

Attached is ima Pantry, a sustainably focused and Japanese inspired grocery store and takeaway café stocking a range of grocery essentials, local artisanal products and unique Japanese pantry items. They also do a takeaway offering here, which includes housemade baked goods, pastries, toasties, Japanese okazu and onigiri, coffee, matcha and much more.

1 Duckett Street, Brunswick

Tempura Hajime

Hajime is Melbourne’s only restaurant specialising in the art of tempura – battered and fried morsels of food that are crisp yet airy light. The intimate, 12-seater counter restaurant serves a ‘chef’s choice’ menu that puts you in safe hands, with a daily changing selection that can include sweet potato, juicy corn, plump scallops and bouncy prawn all fried to perfection in front of you. The tempura courses are sandwiched between fresh sashimi, salad and appetisers to create a balanced meal that’s incredibly satisfying.

60 Park Street, South Melbourne

Papirica

This homey diner is a Smith Street sanctuary that’s popular with locals and a well-kept secret by everyone else. Undeniably of Melbourne’s finest Japanese restaurants, they’re known for their okonomiyaki, a Japanese savoury pancake packed with veg and drizzled with a cross-hatch of sauces. Papirica is run by a super-friendly Osaka expat who's always happy to guide you through the comforting menu of bowls, curries, sandwiches and cakes, with vegan options aplenty. You can even pick up some cute homewares to take home as a souvenir.

22 Smith Street, Collingwood  

Robata

This glitzy Japanese restaurant in Melbourne CBD captures the fun side of dining out. The menu is centered around robatayaki, a style of cooking in which different cuts of meat and vegetables are skewered, grilled over charcoal and paired with a dressing to enhance their flavours. Snacky and interactive, you’ll love washing down bite-sized pieces of pork belly, wagyu and chicken with Japanese beers and fruity cocktails.  Robata's venue seats over 100 guests, but the most sought after spots are at the kitchen bar, where you’ll get a close-up view of chefs working the grills.

2 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

Yakimono

One of the most hyped openings of the past couple of years has been Yakimono, a futuristic Japanese grill restaurant from Chris Lucas (Chin Chin, Society). Decked out in neon lamps and iridescent glass walls, the two-storey venue evokes both Blade Runner 2049 and busy Shinjuku nights while serving an izakaya-inspired menu. The fiery open kitchen grills yakitori over charcoal to go with snacks like diced kingfish on shiso leaf and mini wagyu hotdogs, while the bar spins out bubble-tea cocktails and saké.

80 Collins Street, Melbourne

Izakaya Den 

This long running CBD favourite is slinging out simple yet exacting dishes that let ingredients sing. Snack on delicate slices of snapper sashimi, crunchy carrot tempura and skewers of kiritanpo (marinated, grilled rice). The moody basement bar is perfect for after work drinks, offering a quality selection of sake, wine and imported beers to imbibe well into the night. 

114 Russell Street, Melbourne

Ramen Ramen 

Step into Ramen Ramen, where every bowl tells a story of passion and innovation. Founded by Geoff San, a former automotive engineer turned ramen aficionado, this isn't just your average noodle joint. Get ready to embark on a tasty journey through meticulously crafted broths and signature offerings that blend traditional Japanese flavors with creative twists.

At Ramen Ramen, it's all about the broth! A 24-hour simmered bone broth that's been aged for three days to perfection, to be exact. Each sip will leave you craving for more, which is why it's one of our cosy picks for best new restaurants in Melbourne. 

The Glen Food Court, Shop G51/235 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley 

Yoku Ono Ramen + Sake

On hot summer days we make a beeline for Yoku Ono, where they make refreshing chilled ramens that won’t make you break out in a sweat. Noodles are soaked in broth to imbue them with flavour, then left to cool before being served with fresh tuna sashimi, miso scorched tofu or soft pork slices. Light, wholesome and delicious, they’re one of our top cravings during the warmer months, paired with crispy gyoza and pillowy bao.

6A Anchor Place, Prahran

Hakata Gensuke

This Japanese Melbourne institution is a steadfast shoo-in for the city’s best ramen, and their expansion into Hawthorn and Carlton hasn’t quelled the lines snaking out in front of their original CBD outpost each day.  Devotees wait patiently for bowls of their signature tonkotsu, a thick, collagen-rich pork bone soup cooked for hours to concentrate flavour. Served with springy thin noodles, tender pork chashu, wood ear mushrooms and spring onions, these are hefty bowls that’ll conquer even the most ravenous of hungers.

168 Russell Street, Melbourne

Mr Ramen San

Tucked away inside Bourke Street’s unassuming Midcity Arcade, this cosy ramen shop will transport you instantly to the alleyways of Tokyo. It’s a given that the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne are well versed in the world of ramen. And Mr Ramen San is the real deal. Vintage posters on the wall, Sapporo on tap and warm service aren’t the only authentically Japanese things about Mr Ramen San – the noodles here are the real deal. Made in-house daily, these thin, springy wheat noodles are the perfect vehicle for their silky, aromatic tonkotsu soups. Toppings range from miso-simmered beef to fresh seafood, and even vegans are looked after with a meat-free chashu.

12a/200 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Neko Neko

This homey diner at the end of busy Smith Street has won a loyal following for its wholesome pescatarian and vegan fare. Their ramen soups are completely plant based yet offer a superb depth of flavour. They do three varieties including a soy sauce-based broth, a spicy tofu number and our favourite, the creamy tan tan ramen enriched with sesame and soy milk. Every bowl comes topped with a dainty assortment of mashed tofu, pickles and wood ear mushrooms, while gluten-free diners are looked after with the option of swapping wheat for rice noodles.

83A Smith Street, Fitzroy

Shop Ramen

This Inner-North hipster magnet has won the hearts of Melbourne’s ramen lovers with unconventional bowls spiked with everything from yuzu oil and melted cheese to hot jalapeños. In this vegetarian-friendly neck of the woods, it also stands to reason that their meatless ramen is a standout  – sunk in creamy sesame broth topped with a wholesome medley of tofu, kale, pickles, pea shoots, edamame and marinated egg. Shop Ramen is probably also the only ramen bar in Melbourne where you can order a boozy umeshu and whisky milkshake or finish your meal with a matcha ice cream pie. Now if that doesn’t win you over as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne, we don’t know what will!

329 Smith Street, Fitzroy

143 Plenty Road, Preston 

Hungry for more? It’s not just the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne that are currently curbing our food cravings. Be among the first to discover the best new restaurants in Melbourne, or feast on our guides to the best dumplings, pasta and pizza in town. If you’re feeling a little stuffed after all that, then dial it back to basics with these healthy dining spots.