Sydney’s New Foodie Hotspot Teases Tableside Wagyu, Rare Japanese Whiskies, And Ex-Nobu Sushi

Eat

— 16 February 2026

WORDS

Ben Esden

WORDS BY
Ben Esden

AORI opens in Sydney’s King Street Wharf, bringing modern Japanese dining to the waterfront.
The 240-seat venue combines tableside steak service, expertly crafted sushi, and a curated Japanese whisky program.
Designed for immersive dining, AORI balances a modern menu and subtle theatrical touches for a distinctly Australian-Japanese experience.

Sydney’s restaurant scene has been booming in recent months, with a number of high-profile franchises, cult-classics and new venues popping up throughout the NSW capital.

Each, as innovative as the last, is proof of how far Sydney has come; once celebrated mainly for its beaches and early morning ice baths, it now quietly rivals Melbourne as a diverse, eclectic foodie hub.

So when a new luxury Japanese restaurant opens its doors in Sydney’s King Street Wharf, offering table-side steak selection of premium Japanese and Australian cuts, a range of limited stock Japanese whiskies from seasoned-favourites and more obscure distilleries, and a sushi menu curated by respected Nobu alumni, you know we had to look a little further.

From the team behind Alegre and Callao comes AORI, a 240-seat waterfront destination that brings the elegance and precision of Japanese craft to Sydney’s King Street Wharf.

At the heart of the dining experience is the tableside steak selection, where diners choose from premium Australian and Japanese wagyu cuts. Here, the selection isn’t paired with thick-cut chips and peppercorn sauce. AORI steaks are finished with freshly cut wasabi, black garlic purée, and yakiniki sauce to highlight the richness of each piece.

Across the venue, heavy in warming timber and stone that takes its inspiration from the luxury of traditional onsen and ryokan, you’ll find the raw bar, where Eric Lee (ex-Nobu, Sokyo, and Ibushi) has curated a menu that champions classic Japanese technique with local Australian flavours.

Here, tuna, salmon, and kingfish are the heroes of the night, expertly sliced and served at a temperature that softens the fat and maximises the flavour.

The drinks program is equally ambitious, but one that shares the same curated consideration that’s abundant throughout this newly opened Kings Wharf venue.

There are more than 50 expressions of Japanese whisky on offer (we counted). From Suntory’s legendary Hibiki 30-Year-Old – retailing for as much as AU$10,000 if you’re lucky enough to find it – and Yamazaki 18 Mizunara, to Nikka’s Yoichi and Yoichi 10-Year-Old, Chichibu’s small-batch innovations, and rare gems from Kanosuke, Fuji, Mars, Togouchi, and Shinobu, AORI has created one of the most comprehensive whisky offerings in Sydney.

Together, AORI is a celebration of Japanese culinary precision and craft, moving to the innate rhythm of Tokyo kitchens. A rare Japanese dining experience with a distinctly Australian pulse, firmly rooted in Sydney’s vibrant waterfront destination. Kanpai!

aori.com.au

WORDS by

Ben Esden

Ben joins Boss Hunting as Editorial Director after rising through the editorial ranks at DMARGE, where he progressed from writer to Editor and Social Lead, overseeing lifestyle coverage and helping shape the publication’s voice across watches, luxury, sport and men’s culture. With more than six years of senior editorial experience, he became a recognisable authority on the interests and habits of modern Australian men. Drop him a line at [email protected].