Places in Sydney That Feel Like Japan: A Curated Guide to Japanese Restaurants, Cafés and Stores

For anyone who’s been to Japan, you’ll know it’s more than the food or the architecture, it’s a feeling. A certain stillness. Attention to detail. Even the simplest things feel deliberate.

Sydney doesn’t try to replicate it, but in certain corners of the city, you’ll find places that reflect it. A matcha café where the tea is whisked properly. An omakase counter where every movement is deliberate. A ramen bar where you order from a machine, slip off your shoes, and settle in.

This is a curated guide to Japanese restaurants, cafés, bars and stores in Sydney that go beyond the aesthetic, places that feel thoughtful, calm, and quietly transportive. If you’re searching for where to eat, drink, or shop like you're in Japan, start here.

Places in Sydney That Feel Like Japan:

Haco

Tempura Omakase | 102/21 Alberta St, Sydney

Haco means “theatre” in Japanese, and the name says it all. Just 12 seats, a single counter, and one chef quietly preparing and plating each course in front of you. It’s quiet, moody, and smells faintly of Le Labo Santal 26. Each dish is plated one by one in front of you, from tempura zucchini flower and prawn to John Dory and Wagyu with black truffle.

Dinner is a seasonal omakase ($180), but lunch is where the secret’s at, a more casual tempura set from $46 to $59, with veg, meat or mixed options. Every detail here is sharp, calm and considered, and overall, just a great experience.

Ramen Auru

Vending Machine Ramen | 1st Floor / 6/8 Falcon St, Crows Nest

Nothing makes you feel more like you’re in Japan than ordering from a vending machine, and at this ramen spot in Crows Nest, that’s exactly how it starts. Punch in your order, slip off your shoes, and settle into the tatami dining room with a glass of iced barley tea. The space is quiet and exact, from the low tables to the warm towel on arrival. Even the bathroom has a bidet.

The menu centres around tonkotsu, served with thick, creamy broth and slices of chashu that melt into the spoon. You can customise everything: the firmness of your noodles, the richness of the broth, even the fat level of the pork.

There’s also yuzu shio ramen, lighter, brighter, and one of the few places in Sydney that gets it right. Portions are generous, the flavours are deep, and nothing on the menu feels like an afterthought.

Provider Store

Japanese Goods Store | 381b Riley St, Surry Hills

Provider Store is a quiet little shop in Surry Hills with a focus on slow, Japanese-inspired living. Inside, you’ll find hand-poured candles, ceramics, incense, kitchenware, and textiles, all sourced or made with an eye for detail and longevity.

Owner Tara Bennett opened the store after a trip to Japan, and that influence runs through everything, from the craftsmanship to the colour palette. Owner Tara Bennett’s first trip to Japan shaped the store’s philosophy: buy less, buy better.

Bar Sumi

Cocktail Bar | Regent Place Shopping Centre, Level 9/501 George St, Sydney

Tucked behind an escalator in Regent Place, Bar Sumi feels more like a top 50 bar in Asia than something you’d stumble on in a shopping arcade. The space is dark and elegant, with incense burning quietly and a 40-year-old bonsai at its centre.

There’s no menu. Instead, bartenders talk you through what you’re in the mood for, crafting personalised cocktails based on your preferences, even using Japanese teas like sencha, oolong or hojicha.

The approach is calm, precise, and unlike anything else in the city. There’s also a tight selection of whisky, and sake poured in wine glasses. It’s an more than a cocktail bar, it's an experience. My recommendation? Ask for a chilli-infused honey cocktail, easily one of the most memorable drinks I’ve had.

Kyuu

Kastu Restaurant | RN Scott st and Artarmon rd, 1 Scott St, Willoughby

A katsu spot that gets everything right, crisp batter, juicy cuts, and a setting that feels pulled from a Tokyo counter. The menu covers five types of katsu, from Wagyu gyukatsu to a 200g pork loin egg don bowl. Each set comes with unlimited cabbage, sesame dressing, rice and pickles, plus the option to add a bowl of udon or beef curry for $6, or miso soup for $3.

It’s casual, bright and fast-moving, with the kind of precision and consistency that keeps locals returning. The crumb is light, the meat stays tender, and the house-made sauce is rich without overpowering. A go-to for a no-fuss, flavour-first spot that delivers every time.

Chaco Bar

Yakitori Izakaya | 186-188 Victora Street, Potts Point

This cozy, authentic yakitori gem is one I keep coming back to, low lighting, flags strung across the ceiling, and that unmistakable smell of charcoal smoke in the air.

The best seat is at the bar, where you can watch the chefs at work, grilling skewers over charcoal. All the classics are here: chicken thigh, pork belly, okra. Alongside the charcoal-grilled skewers, the starters, like sashimi, wagyu gyoza and hakata pig trotter, more than hold their own.

The room feels warm and alive, chaotic and calm at the same time. The service is kind, the sake is unmatched, and everything hits just as it should.

Ante

Sake Bar and Vinyl | 146 King St, Newtown

Ante feels like a Tokyo listening bar dropped into the middle of Newtown. The lights are low, vinyl’s always spinning, and the sake list runs deep, over 60 bottles from small Japanese producers, carefully chosen and poured with purpose.

There are no bookings here. Just leave your name and come back when it’s your turn.

The food is unexpected but spot on, fried potato mochi with a crispy shell, beef tartare crostini, curried egg, or a side of everything bagel seasoning where you least expect it. Each plate is built to match the sake, not distract from it.

Simply Native

Matcha Tastings and Insense Making | 1/148 Goulburn St, Surry Hills

Simply Native is a small Japanese homewares and tea shop on Goulburn Street. Inside, the space is thoughtfully arranged with delicate pottery, incense, homewares, and matcha tools, all sourced from Japan. You’ll find Marukyu Koyamaen matcha, herbal teas, condiments, and Japanese sweets alongside ceramics that are as beautiful as they are functional.

Upstairs, they host workshops, from blind matcha tasting classes that cover flavour, sourcing, and technique, to incense-making using traditional methods. Each item feels unique, and it’s the kind of place you’ll want to take your time in.

Moku

Japanese Restaurant | 163 Crown Street, Darlinghurst

Moku sits quietly behind a red noren curtain on Crown Street, tucked inside a heritage sandstone building. It’s the kind of space you could miss if you weren’t looking for it, small, low-lit, and softly detailed. Downstairs offers an à la carte menu, while upstairs hosts a six-seat omakase a few nights a week.

The cooking blends Japanese technique with native Australian ingredients. Oysters come with finger lime and ponzu. Chicken tsukune arrives with a smoked chilli miso and raw yolk. Duck breast is smoked over hojicha and served with tomato dashi. The drinks list leans toward sake, Japanese whisky, and cocktails built around matcha or native botanicals. Moku feels calm and composed, the kind of place that rewards attention, without ever demanding it.

Tento

Ramen and Brothy Bowls | 3/8 Hill St, Surry Hills

Tucked inside a quiet courtyard off Hill Street, Tento feels like a small escape, calm, intimate, and carefully done. From the warm greeting at the door to the hand-thrown ceramics on the table, every detail lands just right. Service is kind, and the food is sharp without being overdesigned.

The menu centres around ochazuke, rice steeped in green tea dashi, with toppings like eel, snapper and scallop, or salmon sashimi with yuzu kosho and ikura. There’s also ramen, matcha served in a stunning pottery vessel, and a few plates that feel both inventive and familiar. A spot that does quiet excellence really well.

Parami

Onigiri and Matcha Cafe | Shop 101/21 Alberta St, Sydney

Tucked into a laneway off Alberta Street, (right next to Haco) Parami is a small Japanese café with a singular focus: onigiri. These rice balls are made fresh daily using koshihikari rice, shaped by hand, and filled with options like salted salmon, yakitori chicken, chilli chasu or braised beef.

Beyond onigiri, there are soft Japanese bread rolls filled with prawn cocktail or strawberries and cream, plus mochi cookies. Drinks include Single O coffee and the matcha here is one of the best in Sydney (check out Smash'd Syd's Matcha Matrix where Parami won #1). Served in wide, round bowls you hold with both hands, it’s earthy, balanced, and never too sweet.

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