AORI
The team behind Alegre and Callao bring modern Japanese cooking and quiet tableside theatre — including a sushi ferris wheel — to King Street Wharf.
Overview
There's no shortage of Japanese restaurants in Sydney, but Barangaroo's AORI takes a slightly different approach. From the team behind Alegre and Callao, the 240-seat King Street Wharf venue marks a natural evolution for the group, leaning into traditional Japanese craft with contemporary touches, including a nod or two along the way to the Nikkei flavours that put Callao on the map.
Head Chef Kim Chi (Saké Restaurant & Bar) and Head Sushi Chef Eric Lee (Nobu, Sokyo) oversee a menu built around raw seafood, premium meats and charcoal cooking. Expect dishes like koji-marinated Glacier 51 toothfish with ponzu, daikon oroshi and wasabi, Tasmanian lamb rack with miso eggplant and black garlic butter, and Australian and Japanese wagyu served simply with jus, freshly grated wasabi and black garlic purée, with the option to add house chimichurri.
The raw bar balances classic technique and subtle creativity. Local tuna, kingfish and salmon headline the sashimi offering, sitting alongside more composed plates like wagyu beef tartare with iburigakko, macadamia, smoked almond and chilli oil, and tuna nigiri topped with egg yolk purée and sesame oil powder.
Japanese whisky and saké lead a drinks program by Bar Manager Owen Glover (ex-Merivale), while an international wine list and guided tasting flights play a strong support role. Cocktails follow the same ingredient-led approach as the kitchen, with highlights like the Yamazaki 12-based Aori Old Fashioned, smoked tableside with applewood and shiitake, and a shared frozen Roku gin and prosecco cocktail finished in front of guests.
While there's a neat throughline of restraint and precision, AORI leans into moments of quiet theatre: a sushi ferris wheel presents the raw bar selection, a roaming trolley offers tableside steak service, and ceviche arrives with a flourish of dry ice. It all takes place in an expansive, open-plan dining room that draws on ryokan and onsen design, combining timber, stone, warm lighting, and sculptural finishes with impressive views of Darling Harbour. In addition to the main dining area, arranged around an open kitchen, AORI also boasts a balcony and bar spaces, private and semi-private dining rooms and a resident DJ who shifts the mood from relaxed daytime dining to a more energetic evening service.
Information
- The 25 Best Pubs in Sydney
- CP Picks: Aussie Summer Essentials — The Things We're Packing, Wearing and Using All Season Long
- CP Picks: The Editor's Gift Guide —What the CP Team Is Giving (and Hoping to Receive)
- CP Picks: The Best Gifts for Arts Lovers — From Gallery Prints to Music Gigs
- CP Picks: The Best Gifts for People Who Are Never Home — According to Travel Writers
- CP Picks: From Hot Sauce to Handblown Glasses — Small-Batch Gifts for Big Foodies