Melbourne is home to some amazing restaurants serving up stellar cuisine from around the world, and amongst those, the best Japanese restaurants await all over the city, from the CBD to the coastline.
Spend an afternoon trying house-made gyoza at an adorable Showa-style restaurant, or indulge in ramen and sake at a Brunswick hotspot. Find relaxed, izakaya-style restaurants in St Kilda, Fitzroy and Brunswick, while the CBD boasts a MICHELIN-star experience. The city centre is also home to a stunning sushi restaurant and a masterful ramen chef with decades of experience.
With so many stellar restaurants, it’s easy to find Japanese classics like chicken karaage, onigiri and tempura. Wagyu beef frequents most menus, including premium quality cuts for an unforgettable meal. From family restaurants that encourage large groups to cosy counters perfect for solo diners, these are the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne that you can book right now.
Read on for the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne and book your seat on OpenTable today.
The best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne – keep scrolling
For one of the best sushi restaurants in Melbourne – book at Chocolate Buddha in the CBD
With an unbeatable Fed Square location, Chocolate Buddha offers one of Melbourne’s most unique dining experiences. The jewel in its crown is the sushi train in the centre of the restaurant. Grab one of the seats around it and pick up any plate that suits your fancy. Alternatively, browse the menu on a tablet and order à la carte via the express track. The sushi train is perfect for solo diners, while large groups can book one of the long wooden tables, indoors or outdoors. Along with sushi, the menu includes a wide range of Japanese dishes. Ramen lovers should try the spicy pork ramen, flavoured with shichimi, a unique Japanese spice blend. The beef tataki is another popular favourite, prepared rare and served with jalapeno and an onion yuzu dressing.
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For a memorable izakaya experience – visit Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya in Fitzroy
Cocktails, comfort and community are always on the menu at Ichi Ni Nana, a neighbourhood gem nestled in Fitzroy. Inspired by traditional Japanese izakayas, this local hotspot offers an unbeatable atmosphere with booths and tables packed together. For the most traditional experience, book a seat at Ichi Ni Nana’s sushi bar counter and watch the chefs prepare your meal. With an extensive menu of gyoza, tempura, sushi and much more, it’s easy to find something to pair with one of the restaurant’s signature cocktails. The chicken ribs, chargrilled in a sweet and spicy glaze, are a particular highlight. If the choice is overwhelming, try the banquet menu and get a little taste of everything.
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For a great night out with friends – gather at Kumo Izakaya in Brunswick
Kumo Izakaya is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne for group get-togethers. Dark decor and warm lighting create an intimate atmosphere, with booth options for extra privacy and counter seating at the bar. The menu focuses on small dishes, and groups of seven or more can access the enkai banquet menu. Enkais are a type of office party in Japan, and this menu helps keep the drinks and food flowing for large groups. The blue swimmer crab served with krill fried rice is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes and the flavourful steamed pork gyoza is a popular favourite. Younger diners can dig into the kids’ bento, which includes crispy karaage chicken, gyoza and salad. There are plenty of options for vegan and vegetarian diners too, including a creamy shiitake sushi rice risotto. Alternatively, try one of the omakase experiences; these include eight or nine courses of the restaurant’s top dishes.
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For one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne for gyozas – try Chotto Motto in Collingwood
With an intricately patterned black and white exterior, Chotto Motto Collingwood is hard to miss. Step inside and take in the unique, eccentrically cluttered, Showa-era decor that makes this gem so special. The focus here is on the hand-made gyoza, and the top dish is the classic pork gyoza served with Chotto Motto’s famous crispy chilli oil (which you can purchase by the jar). The chefs make each dumpling fresh every day, whether boiled or pan-fried. On the ‘Not Gyoza’ section of the menu, try unique dishes like creamy miso mac and cheese and smoky charred corn served with Thai basil mayo. Pair your gyoza with a fun cocktail like the sakura sour, which combines cherry blossom liqueur with Toki whisky and a hint of lemon. For diners who prefer something non-alcoholic, Chotto Motto offers some classic Japanese soft drinks including Pocari Sweat, ramune and house-made yuzu soda.
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For some of the best sake bar in Melbourne – head to Misoya Sake Bar in Brunswick
Come for the sake, stay for the ramen at this welcoming restaurant on Sydney Road. Misoya Sake Bar’s speciality is ramen served in a unique thick miso soup. Try the Misoya special ramen and enjoy tender slow-cooked pork belly in a chicken-based miso soup with soft egg noodles. In warm weather, order the cold miso tsukemen or savour creamy ice cream served with a unique miso caramel sauce. Sake tends to be the drink of choice, and there’s a wide selection to choose from. Plus, when the temperature drops, the restaurant offers hot sake to help diners warm up. If you can’t choose, consider ordering a sake flight to taste-test a few options. The vibe here is casual and relaxed, with exposed brick walls and large windows that look out onto the busy street outside. The majority of diners will sit at one main table indoors, creating a fun communal atmosphere.
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For one of Melbourne’s best Japanese restaurants for grilled yakitoris – book a table at Eazy Peazy in Richmond
The smoky flavours of the hibachi grill infuse the menu at Eazy Peazy. Start with some spicy braised pork doughnuts before digging into a juicy braised boneless beef rib served with seaweed polenta. Skewers of tuna, Wagyu beef and king mushrooms are perfect for sharing, and the creamy panacotta with a matcha crumb is an ideal dessert. For large groups, the ‘Feed Me’ menus let diners relax and try the most popular items on the menu, from the quick ‘Feed Me Express’ to the indulgent ‘Feed Me Premium’. On the drinks menu, choose from local wines and Japanese spirits. With an atmosphere inspired by the calm of Kyoto and the bustle of Tokyo, Eazy Peazy is the perfect place to relax. The long dining space packs tables together along one end and counter seating along the other, all with minimal decor and a monochromatic aesthetic.
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For Japanese seafood by the sea – book a table at Kicho Japanese Restaurant in Black Rock
Kicho Japanese Restaurant welcomes you into a warmly lit, wood-panelled dining room that easily blends Japanese and beachside Australian vibes. The friendly staff and the intimate space create a familial atmosphere that makes it easy to relax. Situated moments from Black Rock Beach, seafood is naturally a highlight of the menu. The signature dish here is temaki sushi. This hand-rolled burrito-style sushi is packed with unique fillings like blow-torched salmon and fried enoki mushrooms. The marinated karaage chicken served with truffle aioli is a particular highlight (pair it with the okonomi fries served with Japanese mayo). Wrap up the meal with a yuzu cheesecake served with a miso sable crumb. Wine and sake dominate the drinks menu, but there’s always beer on tap, cocktails (plus a signature mocktail) and soft drinks available. The ‘Feed Me’ menu includes six courses, carefully chosen to highlight the best of Kicho’s menu.
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For transportative Japanese fusion dishes – book at Ichiro Izakaya Bar in Burwood
Ichiro Izakaya Bar offers a unique menu that combines Australian flavours with traditional izakaya-style dishes. Head here at lunch to try the Ichiro signature chasu ramen made with house-made BBQ pork, or the salmon nori taco wrap with roe and mashed avocado in crispy nori for a unique texture and flavour experience. For an after-dinner treat, try the soft and chewy daifuku (filled mochi) or the creamy matcha cheesecake. The brightly lit dining area is spacious and ideally located in the Burwood Brickworks. Following the shopping centre’s sustainable ethos, Ichiro Izakaya is operated almost entirely from sustainable and recycled materials. With dishes served in straw baskets and pottery, each plate delivered to your table offers something new to love.
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For one of the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne for ramen – book a table at Musashi Ramen in the CBD
Chef Rikisai Miyajima brings 25 years of experience, experimentation and expertise to the menu at Musashi Ramen. Creating dishes rooted in his family’s recipe, the unique broth at this restaurant keeps diners returning again and again. The hakata original is a classic option made with tender pork belly in a robust pork broth, flavoured with black fungus and spring onion. The restaurant’s unique karaage dry ramen is a must-try for any ramen-lover, coated in caramelised soy sauce and topped with Kewpie mayo, cured egg and fried chicken. While ramen is a must-try here, there are plenty of other izakaya-style dishes on the menu, from smoky robata skewers to ‘Musashi-style’ onigiri. Musashi Ramen is also a great choice for late-night dining on the weekend, as it’s open from 5 pm to 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
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From sushi to sake, the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne offer traditional Japanese flavours with unique modern twists. Some specialise in a particular dish such as ramen or yakitori, while others stand out due to their unique fusion style. Most restaurants have plenty of variety on the menu, so finding something to suit group get-togethers is easy.
