The 5 Best Melbourne CBD,VIC Japanese Restaurants

It's a rock ‘n’ roll izakaya restaurant and bar, and it’s worth a visit just for the decor (think Star Wars retro meets Japanese biker gang—it works, trust us). The menu is all good but our suggestions are the DenDeke karaage and the soft shell crab tempura. The guys behind the bar are lovely here—just ask them which spirits match well with your food if you’re unsure. The founders of this diner take the art of the Japanese restaurant very, very seriously.
He’s got 30 years experience in Japanese cuisine and in preparing A-grade sashimi You get one piece at a time, made lovingly with incredible attention to detail at this top-notch sushi restaurant. We don’t throw around terms like ‘Melbourne’s best sushi’ lightly, but we’re doing it here. Perch at a dedicated yakitori table for succulent chicken skewers, all you can eat sushi or retreat to the private dining room for an omakase experience where high-end Kobe beef is the star. The menu at this new-wave Japanese diner is far from traditional, but the flavour-punching dishes stay true to the simplicity of Japanese cuisine. In a suburb full of good Japanese food, this sushi bar and eatery stands out from the pack.

All budgets welcome, whether you’re after a cheap eat or a fine dining experience, you can find it in our guide to best Japanese restaurants Melbourne has to offer for 2023. Is, without a doubt, one of the best Japanese restaurants Melbourne has to offer when it comes to efficiency and value for money in 2023—you’ll have your chicken katsu curry in your hand faster than you can order it. Don Don is a favourite with students and busy corporate types alike. Get underneath Don Don's black shutters and hectic kitchen for a bento box, and proceed to park yourself on the State Library Lawn for an al-fresco, no-fuss Japanese food. As for drinks, you can't go past the toasted sesame whisky highball—it's just one of the reasons Robata is considered some of the best Japanese Melbourne has to offer.
Enjoy a cocktail or two whilst devouring the Katori menu, or tuck into our unique drink selection which you may not have heard of, but wont forget. Katori’s master chief thoughtfully creates seasonal menus with the freshest ingredients available. Our dedicated staff will provide you with highly personalised service, creating an atmosphere that makes you feel welcomed and valued. An all-you-can-eat Japanese barbeque joint where you’ll be cooking wagyu over the coals and sipping ice-cold matcha beer. In 2018, this Euro-Japanese fine diner moved from its home in Daylesford to Carlton. The dishes here, delivered thoughtfully across several multi-course options, are a compelling argument for  fusion done the right way.

Kazuki’s is based on the tradition of ‘Omotenashi’, which refers to an intuitive, kind and distinct approach to Japanese food and hospitality, it's both one of the more unique experiences and best in Melbourne. The restaurant offers both a set tasting menu and a seasonal à la carte menu, so whether you’re ravenous or curious is irrelevant—this Japanese restaurant is sure to satisfy. Ichi Ni Na Na, treat yourself to wafu-seasoned wagyu beef tartare with pickled shallots, radish, shiso and croutons, just-out-of-the-ocean sashimi salads and charcoal-grilled king prawns with yakitori sauce. You’re in for a top-notch evening at one of Melbourne's best Japanese restaurants on Fitzroy’s bustling Brunswick Street.
The menu which has a 'Kappo' style of Japanese food, features several courses all based around seasonal ingredients and precise cooking techniques. Sake lovers can expect a diverse selection curated to highlight the different brewing styles across the various regions of Japan. Kazuki’s from its former Daylesford home to Lygon Street several years ago.
The room is sleek, the menu is fun and seafood heavy, and there’s plenty of saké . Take a seat at the stone counter for a 10-course sushi degustation, or order an assortment of sashimi, miso-marinated black cod and savoury steamed custard topped with foie gras à la carte. Izakayas are Japanese bars where the eating is just as important as the drinking. There's a selection of drinking-friendly dishes that accompany the excellent sakes and Japanese-influenced cocktails. Those craving late-night Melbourne noodle fixes head to Musashi Ramen on Russell Street in the heart of the CBD. Open from lunch to early morning, this ramen and izakaya bar draws in foodies with a...

This is the Melbourne outpost of the globally-renowned Nobu Japanese restaurant chain. Peruvian flavours are expertly combined with Japanese cuisine in dishes such as yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and black cod with miso. The hushed, reverent atmosphere here is well suited to owner-chef Koichi Minamishima's awe-inspiring knife skills. He works with both local seafood and fish flown direct from Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo to produce  his peerless sushi.
Bento, sushi and sashimi are all on the cards at Niku Ou, but you must opt in for their wagyu here, and there are at least a few reasons why. Or, have your wagyu grilled on the Japanese bbq right in front of you at your table. Whether you’re after a quick bowl of ramen; a sublime omakase or kaiseki experience; a rowdy yakitori bar; or a boozy subterranean izakaya filled with sakes and rare whiskies, there’s a Japanese restaurant here for you. Little Ramen Baris on the smaller side when it comes to Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. The menu makes decision-making easy and the $7 Sapporo Draught on tap makes it one of our top cheap eats.

Gogyo is owned by IPPUDO, a Japan-based chain that has been doing ramen back in Japan for years, so you know you're in good hands when you order a bowl of the good stuff. Departing from San Telmo's Latin American flavours, here the group focuses on yakitori and kushiyaki cooked over traditional binchotan charcoal. Also, masterfully-sliced sashimi and sake, in a fit-out that resembles a scene straight from the streets of Tokyo.
Niku Ou, Yakikami is the foremost location for quality wagyu in Melbourne. Located on Toorak Road in South Yarra, Yakikami is also an opulent escape for flame-grilled Nomad chicken Yakitori and top-shelf sake. Step into an opulent world of traditional Japanese cuisine and dining with timber-lined dining spaces reminiscent of traditional tea houses, cosy nooks for sake tastings, and a menu steeped in tender wagyu cuts. Beautifully presented in special wooden bento boxes, your Japanese food is barbecued at the tableside and served fresh onto your plate. This slice of steak paradise is tucked away in the suburbs, but it’s well worth the journey. The yield from a simple 'Japanese restaurant near me' search can be overwhelming in this city, but from sushi and ramen, to izakaya and sake bars, Melbourne has a full gamut of spots to get your Japanese food fix.

Come for impeccable seafood by an expert sushi chef, plus nostalgic bento and noodles dishes in an understated dining room. Some of the city’s finest sushi and sashimi is served at Kenzan’s intimate 12-seat counter. And in the main and private dining rooms, à la carte Japanese standards ranging from sukiyaki to shabu-shabu.
Diners at Katori enjoy the finest of Japanese BBQ experience in Melbourne Southern East. We use only the highest grade wagyu and premium seafood to guarantee this delicious experience. Best Restaurants in Melbourne’s CBD Melbourne's CBD boasts an array of fantastic restaurants, from office workers staples to exquisite fine diners.