The Best Japanese Food in Melbourne
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The best Japanese food in Melbourne, according to the experts: the Australian Good Food Guide and The 50 have both weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Minamishima comes out on top.
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Ishizuka and Kazuki's hold the next two places. The Australian Good Food Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with The 50 next.
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Rank 1. Minamishima
Omakase Japanese
Twelve seats at a glossy wooden counter, and every one of them faces Koichi Minamishima like front row at a recital. This is an omakase sushi restaurant in a Richmond backstreet that has no interest in announcing itself. The chef trained through Japan's rigid kitchen hierarchy before bringing his shokunin philosophy, that relentless pursuit of craft, south. The room is quiet and focused in the way that tends to make people lower their voices without being asked.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 18/20 · Four Chef Hats
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 2. Ishizuka
Kaiseki Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 17/20 · Three Chef Hats
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Rank 2. Kazuki's
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 16/20 · Three Chef Hats
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Rank 4. Akaiito
Japanese
A red thread of light twists across the ceiling of this moody Japanese fine dining room on Flinders Lane, its glow picked up by red plates below. Black marble, dark granite, and plush banquettes set the tone for a seasonal Kojin menu that moves between small plates and larger composed dishes. The Australian Good Food Guide gave it two chef hats, and the room feels like it was designed with that ambition in mind from the start.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 4. AOI.TSUKI.
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 4. Kisume
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 15/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 4. Warabi
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 14/20 · Two Chef Hats
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Rank 8. Komeyui Restaurant
Japanese
The charcoal Josper grill does a lot of the heavy lifting at this sleek Japanese restaurant in South Melbourne, where the kitchen leans on technique rather than theatrics. Black leather, potted greenery, and quiet minimalist bones make it feel composed without trying too hard. The chef is from a fishing village in Hokkaido, and that background shows in cooking that takes handmade Japanese food seriously. An Australian Good Food Guide Hat is on the record.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 8. MATSU
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 8. Ronin Omakase
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 8. Sachi Japanese Restaurant
Japanese
Dry-aged seafood sits at the center of everything here, a Japanese restaurant on Queen Street where the counter omakase and chirashi bowls draw a quiet, loyal lunch crowd from the surrounding offices. The menu runs from quick sashimi plates to a full omakase sitting, so the room works for both a grabbed weekday meal and something slower. The Australian Good Food Guide gave it a Chef Hat, which tracks with the precision on the plate.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 8. SUSHI ON
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Hand rolls you build yourself, from platters of seafood and Wagyu laid out at your own pace, served on ceramics the kitchen threw in its own pottery studio. Temaki Sushi is an intimate omakase-style hand roll restaurant on Little Collins Street, running a seasonal menu tied to produce from the team's farm in the Dandenong Ranges. The Australian Good Food Guide gave it a Chef Hat, which feels about right for a place this quietly sure of itself.
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 12/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 8. Tomo-An
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat
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Rank 8. UMINONO
Japanese
The awards
- Australian Good Food Guide Australian Good Food Guide: 13/20 · One Chef Hat