Japanese restaurants across Sydney/Eora span sushi spots, omakase counters, artful kaiseki cuisine, Tokyo-style listening bars and more.
Whether you’re salivating over sashimi, searching for sake or needing nigiri, Sydney is peppered with new-world, ultra-traditional and fusion-style Japanese restaurants to satiate your taste buds.
Here are OB真人视讯's picks for the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney.
Know what you want? Skip to
- The Best Fine Dining Japanese Restaurants In Sydney
- The Best Sydney CBD Japanese Restaurants
- The Best Japanese Bars In Sydney
- The Best Omakase Restaurants In Sydney
- More Of Sydney's Best Japanese Restaurants
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The Best Fine Dining Japanese Restaurants In Sydney
Nobu Sydney
Level 2/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Nobu Australia | Instagram
Within the glittering Crown Sydney, Sydney's very own Nobu is a spot to sample the famous Japanese restaurant concept dreamt up by legendary chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who found inspiration working in Peru, developing an entirely new spectrum of cuisine, now called “Nobu style”.
At Nobu Sydney (one of over 50 in the world), you'll get to pair water views with iconic dishes like black cod miso and yellowtail jalapeño, alongside pan-fried scallops with yuzu truffle, and lobster tempura with tamari honey, with the menu divided into Nobu Classic and Nobu Now.
Oborozuki
Level 3, 71 Macquarie Street, Sydney CBD
Instagram: Oborozuki | Instagram
Oborozuki is housed within one of Sydney's most luxurious apartment buildings, and the concept is as fancy as its address: a high-end Japanese and French fusion restaurant and bar, complete with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, private teppanyaki rooms, and a breathtaking dining room.
The multi-storey venue also features a bar where you can sip on signatures like the Smoked Oborozuki, which is a smoky mix of Japanese green tea-infused whisky, cherry herring, PX, and cherry puree. There's also a large edit of sake, Japanese whisky, and rare Japanese spirits.
Garaku At Prefecture 48
Level 1/230 Sussex Street, Sydney
Image credit: Prefecture 48 | Instagram
Sydney's six-part Japanese dining hub, Prefecture 48, hosts a range of dining experiences—but for a unique and premium culinary journey, modern kaiseki restaurant Garaku is your go-to.
The 42-seat Japanese restaurant (with a separate 16-seat chefs counter) is surrounded by a vibrant, pulsing light installation by Tokyo-based designer Hiroto Yoshizoe bringing a contemporary edge to the traditional style of hyperseasonal cuisine crafted by head chef Derek Kim (who formerly led Tetsuya's). The seven-course set menu is $330pp, with optional bougie add-ons and drinks pairings available from $120pp.
The Best Sydney CBD Japanese Restaurants
Toko
Lower Ground, 275 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Toko | Instagram
Toko was one of a handful of restaurants that really set the pace in Surry Hills way back when. After 15 years in their iconic Crown Street digs, Toko moved on to a new location in the heart of the city.
The new menu, created by owner Matt Yazbek and head chef Sunil Shrestha, features smash hits from the last 10 years like stunning sashimi platters, signature nigiri, smoked miso king salmon, and yuzu meringue cheesecake, and new creations like Toko tartare and caviar, and tempura zucchini flowers. Other additions include an ultra-comprehensive Japanese drinks offering—and Australia's first sake sommelier.
Kazan
Level 8, 25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Kazan | Instagram
Kazan is all about the theatre of Japanese cuisine, and the menu is a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese cuisine. Alongside finessed staples of top-quality sashimi, nigiri, and maki rolls, a robata grill offering covers the meatier things, with fun snacks like crispy tacos with Wagyu or salmon confit.
To drink, there's an edit of signature cocktails with Japanese flavours, top-tier sake (and a team with the knowledge to guide you to the perfect pick for your palate), and a refined mix of local and international wines.
Saké Restaurant And Bar
12 Argyle Street, The Rocks; 33 Cross Street, Double Bay; and Manly Wharf, Manly
Image credit: Sake | Instagram
Down the pebbled laneways of The Rocks, you’ll find Saké Restaurant and Bar, a fine dining option known for its unique spin on traditional Japanese flavours. Loud, bustling and always busy, Saké offers incredible sushi and nigiri, made with seafood so fresh it’s almost flipping on the plate.
Some signature dishes are an absolute must-order, like the salmon sashimi nori tacos, popcorn shrimp with yuzu and chilli mayonnaise, and iconic Dragon Egg dessert, which changes seasonally. As well as the Sydney CBD location, Saké can also be enjoyed with water views on the wharf at Manly, and at Double Bay's impressive InterContinental Hotel. .
The Best Japanese Bars In Sydney
Nomidokoro Indigo
393 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst
Image credit: Nomidokoro Indogo | Instagram
Nomidokoro Indigo might be Sydney's smallest Japanese restaurant, but it brings some serious A-game to the fore. From the team behind Darling Square's buzzy Nakano Darling, Nomidokoro Indigo is a teeny sake bar and izakaya that'll transport you directly to the backstreets of Tokyo, with a wall of sake and an 11-seat counter found behind deep blue noren (traditional Japanese curtains).
The menu covers simple snacks, side dishes, and heartier items, each made from scratch from the dashi to the miso. While you sip sake from traditional tokkuri bottles, you can sample ika shiokara (fermented squid), miso-marinated cream cheese, grilled Wagyu tongue, karaage school prawns, and deep-fried scallops.
Jōji
Level 5/388 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Jōji | Supplied
Slick Sydney CBD joint Jōji should be at the top of your list for a night out in our sparkly city. From the trusty ESCA Group (behind AALIA, Nour, Ito and Henrietta), Jōji is a modern rooftop bar and Japanese restaurant perched above the glitzy Cartier flagship store on George Street.
On the menu, you’ll find raw plates and sashimi sitting next to robata grilled bits and top-tier dishes like a drool-worthy scallop and bug sando with kimchi mayo—the perfect late-night snack. The cocktails are also a hit, with a big fave being the citrusy yuzu gin-based Geisha cocktail.
Amuro
2/255 Crown Street, Darlinghurst
Image credit: Amuro | Instagram
An ode to the foundational ingredient of some of Japan’s most loved creations (sushi, sake, mochi… we could go on), Amuro is a sake room all about exalting the possibilities of rice. The 20-seat venue's menu of Japanese dishes (incorporating contemporary Chinese and American influences) changes almost daily and might look like simply dressed sashimi, tempura snacks, rice bowls including warming ochazuke, and one-bite seasonal desserts combining Japanese and European techniques.
While there’s no drinks list—with the goal of starting genuine, enlightening conversations between staff and patrons—there are typically around 20 types of Nihon-shu (Japanese liquor) including hand-picked boutique and premium sake, umeshu and shochu available. Amuro is walk-in-only, and often has a short wait for a seat.
Whisky Thief At Prefecture 48
230 Sussex St, Sydney
Image credit: Prefecture 48 | Instagram
Also inside Sydney's huge Japanese dining precinct Prefecture 48, stylish cocktail bar Whisky Thief serves a massive range of Japanese spirits, plus cocktails by the team from Maybe Sammy. We loved the mandarin kosho margarita (Patrón Silver Tequila, ES Plum Distillate, mandarin kosho and Elisa Gelato white sesame ice cream) and The Forbidden Flask with Angel's Envy bourbon, artichoke vin amaro, fino sherry, mastiha and genmaicha.
Yakitori skewers and bar snacks, rice crackers with ikura dip, and a pork katsu sando are available to pair with your drinks, and everything can be enjoyed in the moodily lit bar or outside in the internal courtyard space.
Ante
146 King Street, Newtown
Image credit: Ante | Instagram
Sake bar Ante is styled after the vinyl listening rooms which are popular in Tokyo, with a back bar lined with vinyl records and prized bottles. Food isn't an afterthought here; the Japanese-influenced menu might offer torched bonito with ponzo; beef tongue katsu sandos; and fried potato mochi with everything bagel sprinkles.
Pair your order with picks from the 65-bottle sake selection from 21 makers across Japan, a beer, or a cocktail using Japanese spirits. Ante is walk-in-only, so plan to get in early or swing by to join the list and head for a drink while you wait for a table.
The Best Omakase Restaurants In Sydney
Kisuke
50 Llankelly Place, Potts Point
Chef Yusuke Morita opened the six-seat omakase restaurant in 2020. Run with his wife, the hyper-seasonal and intimate omakase dining experience ($220pp) showcases a lifetime of passion for and experience with traditional Japanese cuisine.
Expect soups, sashimi, grilled and steamed dishes, as well as plenty of sushi to pair with sake and whisky. Keep an eye on their for availability and
Yoshii's Omakase
Crown Sydney, Level 2/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Yoshii's Omakase
Tucked inside Nobu at Crown Sydney, chef Ryuichi Yoshii serves an ultra-premium omakase experience for 10 guests at a time. Yoshii's experience has seen him master sushi and seafood over an almost-40-year career, and it's an unforgettable experience to see him working away to present each bite-sized delight.
At $380pp, this Sydney omakase is worth saving for a really special occasion.
Haco
102/21 Alberta Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Haco | Instagram
From the same team behind Chaco Bar and Chaco Ramen (chef Keita Abe and ex-Sasaki head chef Kensuke Yada), Haco is a 12-seat omakase-style experience dedicated to textbook tempura. Housed within a concrete cube, the sheer theatre of deep-fried deliciousness takes centre stage, presented at dinner time over a $180pp, omakase-style tempura banquet, or a lunch set from $46 (available on Fridays and Saturdays).
With the dinner option you're in for around 20 seasonal bites, with the menu kept vague because chef Yada likes to really move with what's in season. Expect to sample lightly battered king prawn, lotus root, and even tempura banana for dessert while you sip sake, Japanese beer, and house-made umeshu and yuzushu. .
Besuto
3 Underwood Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Besuto | Website
Besuto serves a 15-course omakase experience by chef Michiaki Miyazaki in a sleek, underground space that provides the perfect moody backdrop for a full-on feast.
The miso-glazed toothfish is a highlight on the $250pp menu, as well as the masterfully prepared sushi and sashimi courses. There's always Bar Besuto for an after-dinner Japanese whisky, too...
See more of the best omakase restaurants in Sydney.
More Of The Best Japanese Restaurants In Sydney
Tanuki
37 Bay Street, Double Bay
Image credit: Tanuki | Instagram
Tanuki is a modern Japanese restaurant by the owner of Double Bay fave Matteo, with several dining spaces and a beautiful bar centred around a 30-year-old tree.
There’s snacks like scallop and prawn toast with yuzu mayo and tobiko; a range of sushi and sashimi; a bougie Wagyu sando with mushroom duxelles and truffle (check out our video of it), and larger dishes including Australian and Japanese steaks and whole fish, plus desserts flavoured with matcha, yuzu and miso.
The bar serves cocktails like a sake-tini, the Geisha with Ink Gin, passionfruit, falernum and sparkling sake, and a natural-leaning wine list including some little-seen makers from Japan.
Cho Cho San
73 Macleay Street, Potts Point
Image credit: Cho Cho San | Instagram
Inspired by the lively drinking culture they witnessed on a trip, Cho Cho San owners Jonathan Barthelmess and Sam Christie seek to emulate Japan's izakaya style of dining. While the interior is minimal, the menu at this always-buzzing Japanese restaurant packs a punch with small snacks, raw bites, share plates, substantial proteins like the golden tonkatsu, and cute mochi desserts.
If in doubt, opt for the generous banquet menus to try a sample of the greatest hits including miso eggplant skewers, kingfish sashimi in an addictive sesame dressing, and grilled prawns in kombu butter.
Nakano Darling
4 Steam Mill Lane, Haymarket
Image credit: Nakano Darling | Instagram
Perfectly emulating a Japanese laneway izakaya, Nakano Darling is a casual and fast-paced Japanese restaurant focusing on two of the best snacks to pair with beers and Japanese whisky: karaage and gyoza.
This Japanese restaurant stays open late (until 2am, Thursday–Saturday) and has a succinct menu offering favourite snacks, substantial dishes like fried udon, and matcha- and yuzu- flavoured desserts. Really, it's more about the drinks, with various Japanese whisky highballs, Chu-Hi cans, Nihonshu including sake and umeshu, and a bunch of Japanese beers available by the can, off tap, or as a tower.
Chaco Bar
186-188 Victoria Street, Potts Point
Image credit: Chaco Bar | Instagram
Chaco Bar Potts Point doesn't serve broth like its sister venue Chaco Ramen. Instead, the Potts Point Japanese restaurant specialises in yakitori, meaning char-grilled skewers are the main event. You’ll find everything from chicken, lamb and pork, to ox tongue, hearts and gizzards.
Dishes are cooked over cherry wood charcoal and basted in Japanese seasonings giving them a rich, smoky flavour, and the sake here is bought from an endless rotation of small, family-run makers in Japan, packing out their extensive drinks list of shochu and whisky.
Ora
8 Danks Street, Waterloo
Image credit: Ora | Instagram
Behind a revolving door on Danks Street in Waterloo, Ora is three venues in one enormous warehouse space. In the centre, a long stretch of marble makes up the sushi and raw bar; towards the back, a Japanese cocktail bar with velvet lounges and a canopy of twinkling lights; and to the right, a 10-seat omakase helmed by former Sushi E chef, Nobuyuki Ura.
Over at the sushi bar, you're able to order a la carte from starters like Balmain bug tempura san choi bao and Wagyu beef tataki before you go deep on sashimi, sushi, and nigiri prepared by Ora's team of talented sushi chefs. There's also yakitori prepared on the charcoal grill. For dessert? Matcha tiramisu and cherry blossom ice cream both make an appearance.
For more memorable dining experiences, check out
Main image credit: Nomidokoro Indigo | Instagram
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