Deciding on the best Japanese restaurant Sydney has to offer isn’t easy. The City of Sydney is stacked with excellent izakayas, omakase counters, ramen dens and fine diners.

Maybe you want to crunch over the fallen leaves of winter on your way to a kaiseki meal. Perhaps you want to slurp on a hot pot at an under-the-radar shopfront in Sydney’s Haymarket? Our guide to the absolute best Japanese restaurants in Sydney you need to try in 2026 includes everything from the splurge-worthy fine-dining experiences to innovative izakayas and everyday diners.

The shortlist

Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney for value: TokyoTaco
Best Japanese izakaya in Sydney for romance: Five
Best Japanese restaurant for romance: Luc-San
Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney for omakase: Omakase by Prefecture 48
Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney for sushi: Toko
Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney for Instagram: Nobu Sydney
Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney for group dining: Genzo
Best Japanese restaurant in Sydney with epic views: Oborozuki
Best budget-friendly Japanese buffet: Gyuniku

1. The Rocks Teppanyaki

Best for: Dinner and a show – knife-flipping, flame and all, courtesy of your own personal chef.

Step into a heritage-listed former butcher’s shop, untouched since 1901, and you’ll find one of Sydney’s most theatrical teppanyaki set-ups. The Rocks Teppanyaki seats guests around five separate hot plates, each commanded by its own chef, so the sizzle, smoke and showmanship feel reserved just for your table. Wagyu, king prawns and rock lobster get the full pyrotechnic treatment before landing on your plate, cooked to order and grounded in prime Australian produce. It’s a rowdier, more communal cousin to Sydney’s quieter sushi counters – think birthday dinners and date nights that end in applause rather than hushed reverence. Grab a cocktail in the intimate bar first to get in the mood.

Atmosphere: Sizzling, communal and full of showmanship.
Price: $$$$
Location: 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks

2. Omakase by Prefecture 48

Best for: Gunkan sushi, said to be invented at Ginza Kyubey, where chef Akira worked for 15 years.

Japanese hospitality group Azabu is behind Sydney’s most exciting new precinct. Set inside Prefecture 48 – designed by architects Bates Smart and Studio Ongarato to be the unofficial extension of Japan’s 47 prefectures – Omakase is one of the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney. Perch at one of just eight seats at the counter where sushi master Akira Horikawa (ex-Ginza Kyubey, Tokyo) will prepare an exclusive tasting of dishes such as the gunkan (battleship) and sushi topped with lobster. This fine expression of omakase includes nigiri topped with otoro (a fatty cut of tuna), where you can appreciate every individual grain of rice.

Atmosphere: Intimate, exclusive and elegant
Price: $$$$
Location: Level 2, 230 Sussex St, Sydney

3. Five

Best for: Ravioli cappelletti, a happily arranged marriage between Italian and Japanese cuisine.

‘Taste, colour, cooking, moderation and the senses’ come together in perfect harmony at Five, the sixth venue at Prefecture 48. The dramatic ikebana-inspired sculpture Supernature by Yuki Tsuji here is emblematic of the creativity that underpins Five. The venue is led by chef Hiroshi Manaka whose CV includes stints at Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy and Spain, at LuMi Dining in Sydney and a tenure in Tokyo. The intimate dining room shows the chef’s elegant approach to modern European cuisine with a Japanese accent. Start with a pink snapper crudo followed by wattle-seed tagliolini.

Atmosphere: Wabi-sabi-inspired; imperfect perfection.
Price: $$$
Location: Level 2, 230 Sussex St, Sydney

4. Garaku

Best for: Otsukuri, bluefin tuna with beetroot, buttermilk and finger lime.

Garaku channels the buzz of contemporary Tokyo with head chef Derek Kim (ex-Tetsuya’s) at the helm. While couples might head to Omakase, one of the most intimate restaurants in Sydney, Garuka is your go-to for lunch with the girls. Or an EOFY knees-up. The name Garuku is a nod to a traditional dance designed for the royal family, and the kitchen is arrayed like a central stage, set against the backdrop of the light installation Mise-en-Scene by Hiroto Yoshizoe. Start with the hassan, an exquisite arrangement of dishes including scallop with smoked eggplant and yuzu, bonito, ponzu, pink daikon, zucchini and artichokes with vanilla and truffle.

Atmosphere: Dining here is a spectator sport.
Price: $$$
Address: Level 1, Prefecture 48, 230 Sussex St, Sydney

5. Ibushi

Best for: Grilled octopus with house-made teriyaki and smoked mash.

You’ll see passers-by gawping up at the ceiling installation by Filipino-Belgian wire artist Racso Jugarap and making a mental note to return. In Japanese, ibushi refers to a smoked appearance, a nod to the food kissed by fire over the charcoal robata tended to by executive chef Takashi Yamamoto and head chef Chris Kim. Expect low lighting and large honeyed timber communal tables at Ibushi, a cosy place to retreat to on a blustery night. Head here for happy hour to meet your corporate colleagues over plump skewers of prawn tsukune. Enjoy watching the wagyu chuck tail being prepared over charcoal during this flavour-driven dining experience.

Atmosphere: Expect a lot of big main-character energy from rowdy group gathos.
Price: $$$
Address: Ground Floor, Prefecture 48, 230 Sussex St, Sydney

6. Genzo

Best for: Chef’s sashimi selection.

There are new textures and patterns at every turn at Genzo, which is one of the newish neighbourhoods on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. There’s music humming in the background. Families clattering chopsticks over the perfectly crispy, crunchy chicken karaage. And couples huddled together over oysters on the banquette. Cammeray’s new cool kid on the block is certainly a contender for our list on Sydney’s best Japanese restaurants for its beautifully plated sashimi. But it’s the attentive staff and attention to detail that make Genzo a game-changer. Craving sashimi? Genzo’s got you. Dress as your favourite cosplay character to dine at the restaurant, which does a banging bottomless brunch and bento lunch.

Atmosphere: Mesmerising neon-lit Tokyo lite.
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 4/168 Walker St, North Sydney

7. Gyuniku

Best for: DIY grilled wagyu.

Gyu means cow or beef and niku means meat. And Gyuniku does what it says on the tin. The all-you-can-eat Japanese barbecue buffet includes a diverse selection of meats that diners can BBQ on the stovetops that grace each table. The dimly lit restaurant is burnished in rich, dark chocolate timbers with pops of red, like the lacquered finish of a miso bowl. It’s the perfect Haymarket hang, filled with hungry uni students sipping on sake and oohing and ahhing over the sushi on offer in the self-service bar. The chef’s selection of traditional fresh-rolled sushi draped with tuna, kingfish and salmon get our stamp of approval.  As does the price, which starts from $57.90 per adult.

Address: Price: $$$
Atmosphere:  Busy and buzzy.
Location: 34/1 Dixon St, Haymarket, Sydney

8.  JŌJI

Best for: The JŌJI burger: a wagyu patty with American cheese and pickles.

The vibes at JŌJI should be heritage listed. Chef Kihoon Kim leads the sushi offering at this sleek rooftop restaurant packed with smug office workers who live in Sydney’s CBD. Find them here scarfing down beef katsu sandos or Koji spatchcock and yuzukosho. Rethink your indifference to eggplant here, grilled on the robata until velvety and doused in black garlic. The same technical fixations apparent in the preparation of the ingredient-led dishes designed by head chef Kihoon Kim are evident with the cocktails.   Executive chef Erik Ortolani has also curated a menu of shareable dishes for every occasion and that includes late night bites. Pass the tagadoshi!

Atmosphere: Energetic rooftop boozer for basking
Price: $$$$
Location: Level 5, 388 George St, Sydney

9. Dopa Donburi & Dessert Bar

Best for: Pork katsu and shave ice kakigori.

Zacharay Tan is the founder of Devon Hospitality Group, home to cult Sydney venues like Devon Cafe, Dopa Donburi and Bistro Nido. Dopa Donburi is a modern Japanese fast-casual restaurant that specialises in donburi (Japanese rice bowls) and decadent desserts. Increase your average stride length when you’re being shown to your table so you can dial up the dopamine, which was the inspiration behind the name of the brand. Tan believes food should be about happiness and indulgence and says Dopa’s menu “evokes nostalgia". Fans of food grounded in authentic Japanese flavours will appreciate the karaage chicken or Japanese golden curry.

Atmosphere: Sleek and minimalist
Price: $$
Location: Dopa Donburi has 11 locations across Sydney, including Darling Square, Regent Place, Sydney Place, Macquarie Centre and Darling Quarter.

10. Bistro Nido

Best for: Steak frites with umami salt.

Nido means ‘twice cooked’ in Japanese, which is a nod to executive chef Zachary Tan’s modus operandi at Bistro Nido. This modern bistro is where to go to enjoy Tan’s modern take on French-Japanese fare. There are plenty of great French restaurants in Sydney serving classics like bouillabaisse and escargot. But there’s now a lot more on the horizon thanks to venues like Bistro Nido. Expect vibes to be elevated over southern bluefin tuna crudo with kohlrabi, umibudo, white soy ponzu and citrus salt with a bump of Imperial Kaluga caviar. The dry-aged roasted duck breast with pickled Kyoho grapes with duck jus will also hit you between the eyes with flavour. Enter this buzzy new bistro with a bouncing fist pump for its excellent French technique and Japanese flavours.

Atmosphere: Elegant and edgy.
Price: $$$
Location: 501 George St, Regent Place

11. Itō

Best for: Prawn and scallop ravioli

Skip the gym and sprint up the down escalator at Central a few times to burn off a few calories in preparation for a feast at Itō. Izakaya translates to a ‘stay-and-drink place’ in Japan. But what sets Itō apart are the Italian accents. Head chef Erik Ortolani trained in Italy before honing his craft in Sydney. Expect everything from the food to the vibe to be the picture of orchestrated elegance. See Japan’s dedication to seasonality on show along with Ortolani’s Italian heritage in key dishes like aglio e olio spaghetti with togarashi and spanner crab, white onion and black truffle.

Atmosphere: Elegant and edgy.
Price: $$$
Location: 413-415 Crown St, Surry Hills

12.  Kazan

Best for: Black Angus beef tenderloin with French foie gras and honey onion soy.

Bring your Hello Kitty backpack to stuff with leftovers in case you can’t find space for the indulgent tasting menu on offer created by head chef Shinya Nakano (ex-Nobu) at  Kazan. The chefs at this sleek, moody Japanese fine diner fuse French technique with premium Australian produce and Japanese flavours. Kazan is in the newly dubbed MP District above the Theatre Royal and is an ideal spot for a pre- or post-theatre meal. Start at the Panorama Bar at The International for pre-dinner drinks, followed by wagyu and creamy yuzu kosho tacos, bug tempura and kinoko (grilled mushroom and spinach) salad. Nakano’s menu is an innovative take on Japanese cuisine.

Atmosphere: All warm woods and moody lighting.
Price: $$$
Location: Level 8.01, 25 Martin Place, Sydney

13.  R by Raita Noda

Best for: Individually prepared Edomae nigiri.

Enter through the chain curtains at R by Raita Noda in Wunderlich Lane to find father and son Raita and Momo Noda presiding over the counter, as dark and brooding as a cumulus nimbus. This exclusive dining experience is open to just 15 guests who sit in a circle around the kitchen for a three-hour, 10-course set menu. It’s like watching a beautifully choreographed duet. From the kitchen comes crispy fried soft-shell crab inside a dumpling taco shell that is as soft as a kaki-buton (quilt). The robata-grilled wagyu is another highlight, relying on audience participation to assemble. The closing act is a Tasmanian pepper-spiced cream shortcake with freeze-dried strawberry.

Atmosphere: Rainy night in Tokyo around midnight.
Price: $$$$
Location: 2 Baptist St, Redfern

14. Izy.Aki

Best for: Give ‘The Egg’ a crack, a free-range hen egg filled with a velvety white onion purée, foie gras, smoked eel and topped with golden trout roe.

Chef and owner Darren Templeman (ex-Restaurant Atelier, O Bar and Dining) designs his omakase-style menus each day depending on what produce is in season. The chef recently upped sticks from The Rocks to Oxford St, in premises that once housed Saint Peter. The chef-led dining experience on offer at Izy.Aki is seasonal and ever-evolving with six or 10 courses tailored to guests’ preferences. It’s the city’s first-ever kappo yakiniku omakase, which centres around yakiniku-style grilled meats and a diverse array of culinary influences. Take a seat at the 18-seat counter at Izy. Aki, where interaction with the chef and bartender is part of the theatre.

Atmosphere: Think refined izakaya in the backstreets of Osaka.
Price: $$$
Location: 362 Oxford St, Paddington

15. Cho Cho San

Best for: Chicken karaage; it has a cult following.

Chō-chō is the Japanese word for butterfly, a nod to the heroine of Madame Butterfly. The space designed by George Livissianis embodies both Japanese architecture and Australian design and hospitality with its minimal palette of brick and birch ply. Cho Cho San is in a prime spot in Potts Point. And it’s one of the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney for its nourishing bowls of spicy chicken and tofu with udon or gyoza stuffed with chicken and sesame rayu. The menu plays with Japanese flavours in innovative ways, with everything from grilled lamb cutlets with wasabi, mint and pickled daikon to the unctuous beef tataki.

Atmosphere: A prime spot for people-watching that has a spare, izakaya aesthetic.
Price: $$$
Location: 73 Macleay St, Potts Point

16. Rekōdo

Best for: Dinner and a disco.

This bar and restaurant is the katsu in the sando between House Bar on the ground level and Smoke on the rooftop at Barangaroo House. Rekōdo taps into Japan’s love of a listening room, or jazz kissaten, spinning vinyl with the understanding that it’s one of the ingredients that is integral to the vibe here. The room hums with warm analogue sound while the waiters wheel plates of sashimi, smoky robata and clever cocktails around the space. The vibe at Rekōdo, which means record in Japanese, shifts from low-lit lounge to late-night energy as the DJs take over. Eat, drink, dance, discover.

Atmosphere: Immersive, vibrant audiophile vibes.
Price: $$$
Location: Level 1/35 Barangaroo Avenue.

17. Besuto Omakase & Bar

Sydney Place may as well be considered another theatre precinct, with chefs Joel Best and Michiaki Miyazaki presenting multi-course omakase with artistry and theatrical precision at Besuto Omakase. The chefs bring the Japanese dining experience to life at Besuto Omakase using the very best ingredients. The restaurant is known for its focus on exquisite Japanese food and sake pairings. The carefully curated menu features favourites like steak tartare with caviar, whisky gelato and miso-glazed Glacier 51 toothfish. There’s also sushi, nigiri and sashimi prepared in front of diners. Cap off the night with a dram of whisky at dinky sister venue Bar Besuto upstairs.

Atmosphere: Moodily lit omakase eatery that feels like a hidden gem.
Price: $$$
Location: 3 Underwood St, Sydney

18.  Zushi Barangaroo

Best for: The inside-out sushi roll with soft-shell crab

The chefs at Zushi Barangaroo showcase the incredible diversity of sushi, which is rolled by hand and is uniformly neat and pretty. Pump up your tyres with a hit of wasabi here, and you’ll feel like you’ve won it big in the sushi sweepstakes. The sushi is so fresh, the rice is still warm, and they look like miniature flavour bombs. Watch the chefs scoring the fish with precise knife work, which excites those who believe the sushi at Zushi Barangaroo to be the best in Sydney. The sake here is like God’s nectar. The meal is served at the counter and is one of our favourite bare-bones kind of slap-up sushi places in Sydney.  Zushi Barangaroo is also one of the best waterfront restaurants in Sydney for sushi.

Atmosphere: Think refined izakaya in the backstreets of Osaka.
Price: $$$
Location: 10/33 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo

19. Torotoro Ramen Bar

Best for: Ramen, obvs. But specifically the dirty shoyu with chicken chashu.

The menu at Torotoro Ramen Bar reads like a playlist of hits. There’s the tonkotsu special with pork broth, slices of pork chachu, shallot, nori, seasoned egg and black fungus. And the What the Duck: miso and chicken broth, five-spiced sous vide duck breast, tempura enoki with kale, sautéed shimeji mushrooms and a 63-degree egg. Make no bones about it: this is not fast food, despite the time it takes to deliver the ramen to your table. The broths are made using a master stock delivered over days and revved up with cloves, ginger and garlic and fortified with mushrooms. Expect generous portions and chewy noodles that taste better when slurped.

Atmosphere: Neon-lit fast-casual diner.
Price: $$$
Location: 3/300 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo and Victoria Cross (North Sydney)

20. Miji Bar & Grill

Best for: Kingfish crudo

North Sydney has a new standout izakaya specialising in seafood and sake and everyone on the other side of the bridge is rightfully jealous. Thankfully, the new Metro can whiz you to the door of Miji Bar & Grill on Miller St. The handsome-looking space is composed of distinct drinking and dining areas with signage imported from Japan, a replica Shinjuku Arch and a menu featuring favourites like seafood rice and king crab. Chef Jacob Lee’s CV includes a stint at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and South Korea. Arrive early for an aperitif at the self-serve wine bar over casual bar bites. Or settle in for a parade of dishes designed to share.

Atmosphere: Channelling the backstreet alleyways that run like arteries through Tokyo and come alive at night.
Price: $$$
Location: 125/100 Miller St, North Sydney

21. Toki Bistro & Bar

Best for: The Tasting Menu, comprising eight courses including marron with the option of caviar on top.

Chronoptimists need to set an alarm to ensure they make it to Toki Bistro & Bar in time for their booking. The bistro in North Sydney is named after the word for time. But rather than feeling like you’re on the clock, Toki invites guests to slow down and savour each course. Michelin-trained Miller Collective Group head chef Jacob Lee blends modern Asian flavours with French technique at the bar and bistro where hand-crafted cocktails and small share plates dominate the menu. Scroll through the Toki Bistro & Bar Instagram account, which showcases standouts such as tuna and smoked bonito with tomato ponzu and yuzu gel with jalapeño kosho ponzu.

Atmosphere: Parisian bistro meets sophisticated Osaka eatery.
Price: $$$$
Location: 100 Miller St, North Sydney

22. Luc-San

Best for: Prawns in a seaweed beurre blanc, which marries French butter sauce with Japanese umami.

Luke Mangan’s favourite places to eat in the world are France and Japan, and the chef celebrates both cuisines together at this lively Potts Point venue. Luc-San is more bar than restaurant, although you can push the boat out with an eight-course set menu. Luc-San is tucked away down Penny Lane behind the iconic Coca-Cola sign in Kings Cross, and it’s the perfect locale for a raucous celebration. We’re thinking tonkatsu, pickled and glazed heirloom carrots and tomato bearnaise. Or the market-fish sashimi with sesame, pickled leek, house ponzu and chilli oil. Tuck in.

Atmosphere: Casual French izakaya in Potts Point.
Price: $$$
Location: Cnr Pennys Lane and Kings Cross Rd, Potts Point

23. Nobu Sydney

Best for: Black cod, which is marinated for days in miso.

Nobu Matsuhisa opened the first Nobu in New York City in 1994. Since then, the eponymous brand has had more than 50 restaurants pop up in 40 cities worldwide. That includes Australia’s first Nobu at Crown Melbourne, which opened in 2007, and Nobu Sydney, which debuted within Crown Sydney in 2020. Moreover, if there’s one thing food-obsessed Sydneysiders agree on is that sampling the culinary wizardry at the Japanese fine diner is a must. You’ll be served faster than the Shinkansen bullet train at top speed when you take your seat within the 350-seat venue. It’s giving Brooklyn, but make it Barangaroo.

Atmosphere: Big, bold Barangaroo venue.
Price: $$$$
Location: Level 2, 1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo.

24. TokyoTaco

Best for: Tokyo tostada.

Idea: an izakaya chef from Tokyo hooks up with a taco-slinger from Mexico City and has a love child named TokyoTaco. Those looking for one of the cheapest and most cheerful Japanese feeds in Sydney also live happily ever after at TokyoTaco. As its website states, it’s where ‘sashimi meets salsa’, ‘tequila meets tempura’ and ‘Japanese meets Mexican’. Since launching in 2022, the brand has built a loyal following for its fast and furiously fresh menu. Break out of the doldrums with stupidly delicious miso-baked salmon tacos with caramelised chilli sauce, beef ‘nacho-su’ slow-braised to perfection and the extraordinary taco fries.

Atmosphere: Fast and fun.
Price: $$
Location: 172 King St, Newtown

25. Oborozuki

Best for: Glacier 51 toothfish served in a sake kasu with barley, tsukudani, cos heart, vermouth, and uni foam.

The best Japanese restaurants in Sydney are up there with some of the best in the world. Exhibit A: Oborozuki. The venue combines clean lines with timber accents, beautiful banquette seating, and views of the harbour that feature more sailboats than a Ken Done coverlet. Those looking for a premium Japanese kaiseki experience will appreciate all that Oborozuki offers, from the soft lighting to the elegant environment. There’s also an intimate teppanyaki experience. It’s fitting that the Sydney Opera House is just a short walk away as head chef Daeun Kang approaches each dish like a performance artist. Order the wagyu stock loin served with pencil leek, salt-baked celeriac, horseradish, tarragon and shimeji with a salad on the side.

Atmosphere: Elegant and exciting.
Price: $$$$
Location: Level 3, 5/71 Macquarie St, Sydney

26. Nakano Darling

Best for: Chicken karaage.

We went fishing around Sydney for affordable Japanese restaurants and landed on this popular Haymarket haunt. Nakano Darling is filled with international students looking for a laid-back night with new friends. It’s got the effortless cool of a Tokyo dive bar with the culinary chops to match. Best of all: you won’t have to shell out too much for a decent feed. Order the gyoza, which are folded up like little origami parcels and stuffed with pork. Or the fried udon, which will warm the cockles. Nakano Darling is part of the Hatena Group. Check out sister hole-in-the-wall Nomidokoro Indigo in Darlinghurst, which is always packed to the gills with Eastern Suburbs luvvies and nepo babies.

Atmosphere: Neon-lit Midnight in Tokyo feels.
Price: $
Address: 14 Steam Mill La, Haymarket, Sydney

27. Sokyo

Best for: Pushing the boat out and milestone moments with the indulgent Sokyo Omakase menu.

Sokyo is the sort of place that is especially gratifying to take your mate visiting from Melbourne. It’s sleek and sophisticated and buzzing with high rollers who’ve won big. We’d wager half our winnings on the fact that the omakase served at this fine diner is one of Sydney’s best. Head here with your mum for a pre-theatre special or impress your boss by suggesting a luxe business lunch of expertly crafted bento for just $49 per person. Executive chef Daniel Kwak was born and raised in Korea and has worked at Sokyo at The Star for more than a decade, rising through the ranks from junior sous chef to lead Sokyo.

Atmosphere: Expect a lot of main-character energy.
Price: $$$$
Address: The Star, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont

28. Ante

Best for: Audiophiles who like their music loud and their snacks approachable and eclectic.

Sake importer Matt Young and chef Jemma Whiteman are plugged into the zeitgeist with this bold jazu kissa (listening bar). Ante is otherwise known as a slick sake bar that is small, unpretentious and focused on a seductive list of Japanese beverages. Sip your way through the serious sake list while enjoying light bites such as torched benito, sugar plum and ponzu or more heftier mains such as blue mackerel, with fennel and bergamot kosho. The eel croquettes resting on a dollop of herby aioli are crunchy and salty with a lick of umami. The cumin-spiced lamb arrosticini with confit lemon is perennially popular.

Atmosphere: Midnight in Tokyo feels.
Price: $$$
Address: 146 King St, Newtown

29. Saké Restaurant & Bar

Best for: Upscale Japanese dining and a vibrant bar scene.

Saké Restaurant & Bar has long been regarded as one of the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney, nailing that delicate dance between being a lively bar and an elegant dining room. Scroll through the account of micro fashion influencer @fizzylight for inspo before swanning into contemporary chic Saké in the right ‘fit. It’s a portal that will transport you to Japan with everything from hot and cold starters to sushi and binchoyaki. There’s a rich soy tonkotsu with pork chashu, soft egg and a touch of yuzu; a spicy miso version built on house-made tare and gochujang; and an aburamen – a soup-less style tossed with chicken oil and topped with sukiyaki wagyu. Props for the pasture-to-plate menu.

Atmosphere: Serene.
Price: $$$$
Address: 12 Argyle St, The Rocks

30. Toko

Best for: A nori-dasu tasting which includes unagi nigiri.

The Toko Dining Experience is next level, which is one of many reasons this Japanese fine diner has been going strong in Sydney for two decades. Less is indeed more at Toko, where restraint and control are on show as the chefs and waiters work together to orchestrate a superior dining experience. The nigiri is an ode to texture and seasoning at Toko, where the sensual pleasure of eating a pillow of rice draped under a luminous piece of kingfish is perfection. Toko breaks a few rules when it comes to tradition, but is considered a trailblazer when it comes to contemporary Japanese-Australian cuisine. Expect flavour fireworks at the innovative izakaya.

Atmosphere: Moody and energetic. Acres of warm wood and soft pendant lighting.
Price: $$$
Address: 275 George St, Sydney

31. Goros

Best for: New cocktail happy hour with all cocktails for $15 every Saturday from 5-7pm.

Goros earns its place among the best Japanese restaurants in Sydney thanks to its high-energy collision of food, cocktails and Japanese culture. The iconic Surry Hills haunt has been going strong in Sydney for more than a decade, blending izakaya-style snacks, street food, neon-lit chaos and karaoke into one lively package. Tuna onigiri, karaage, katsu sandos and bento plates anchor the menu, while the cocktails are built around yuzu, Japanese whisky and sake. Retro arcade games, themed photo moments and a crowd primed for a good time shape the rhythm.

Atmosphere: Quirky and chaotic.
Price: $$
Address: 84/86 Mary St, Surry Hills

32. Yayoi

Best for: Visitors to Sydney who want to enjoy a vibrant dining experience in a hip, happening hub.

Darling Square houses some of the top contenders for ‘best Japanese restaurants in Sydney’ thanks to the recent addition of three new venues: Yaiyo, Moyashi and Don’to. Take a moment to admire the fit-out at Yaiyo before your head is turned by the menu. The international teishoku restaurant brand originated in Tokyo in 1886 and revolves around a menu of more than 30 dishes, including signature sukiyaki, limited-edition chicken hitsumabushi and an array of matcha desserts.

Atmosphere: Sleek and contemporary, pared-back Japanese aesthetic.
Price: $$
Address: Darling Square, 16E Tumbalong Boulevard, Haymarket  

33. Kuon Sushi Sei

Best for:  Fish cake stew.

This temple to tempura is a welcome addition in the Darling Square precinct, which is a popular place to go for cheap and cheerful eats in Sydney. See the chef’s dedication to seasonality in minuscule bite-sized arrangements of nigiri, sushi and sashimi presented like glistening jewels on pretty platters. The air in the dinky sushi den is perfumed with miso and seafood, and the staff seem to savour our enjoyment as if it were their own. Expect audible hums of pleasure emanating from diners who appreciate food they couldn’t cook at home. Kuon Sushi Sei seats just 12 guests at a time in a discreet location in Darling Square. Reservations are essential. It’s the sister venue to nearby Kuon Omakase.

Atmosphere: Intimate and lively.
Price: $$
Location: Shop NE 20/2 Little Hay St, Sydney

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