If the name Nobu sounds incredibly familiar, it's no surprise; the international restaurant's flagship Manhattan incarnation is a renowned hang-out for A-list stars, earning it perpetual mentions in celebrity gossip circles, with everyone from Paris and Nicole to Robert De Niro photographed stepping through its doors. The latter's regular appearance is inevitable - De Niro is in fact part-owner of the global chain, which was launched in 1994 when he formed a partnership with innovative Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Today there are several Nobu branches across the US, as well as in London, Tokyo, Milan, the Bahamas, Hong Kong and elsewhere.
Nobu Melbourne, situated within Southbank's upmarket Crown Entertainment Complex, is the 18th base to open and is already set to attract the creme de la creme of Melbourne society diners, eager to sample Matsuhisa's unlikely fusion of Peruvian and Japanese flavours for themselves. This cultural fusion is reflected in the restaurant's atmosphere too, with Latin music piping into a separate upstairs area, where the lengthy bar is backlit with rice paper-style patterning.
No matter where the restaurant is situated, Matsuhisa's is a cuisine that incorporates local ingredients and influences into basic Japanese food. Signature dishes include tiradito (a Peruvian dish of marinated, thin-sliced fish); yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno; and the famed black cod with miso - all produced with fresh local Australian seafood.
Maya Linden
Open
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Breakfast
Lunch
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Dinner
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Late
Mon-Fri noon-3pm, Mon-Sat 6pm-10.30pm
Japanese and Peruvian
Signature dish: Black cod with miso
All dishes are designed to share with an estimated cost of $100 per person
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club and American Express
Licensed with bar. Wine is available by the glass.
This venue accepts bookings. Group bookings are supported.
All reviews and ratings are the expressed opinions of our users, and in no way reflects the opinions of yourRestaurants, its staff and its affiliates.
Posted by:
shyraz
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1 August 2011, 3.23am
Much better third try
Had an awful experience when we first dined here but admittedly it was when they first opened. Food was ok but expensive but servicecwas atrocious. Got better second time and last month we gave it one more try and this time everyting was good
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Visit: Mon 11 July 2011
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
kagurazaka
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23 April 2010, 12.54pm
keep it in perspective
Just a bit of perspective... Nobu is an American restaurant with a Japanese theme, rather than being a Japanese restaurant per se. They tried to open in Tokyo but it just didn't work. If you have a lot of experience dining in Japan, it is worth keeping this in mind.
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Visit: Fri 23 April 2010
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Posted by:
vy00
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20 January 2010, 8.35am
Ticked it off the list
First dining experience at Nobu. We ordered the 5-course dinner set as we were largely overwhelmed by the menu and hoped that the chef's selection would ensure that we try something new. Each of the dishes was extremely well presented and excellent in quality. However, Nobu's signature dishes fail to leave a lasting.
Service was wonderful, a credit to our very attentive, friendly and spritely waitress. Nobu was very accommodating as we arrived quite some time before dinner was to be served and they managed to secure our party of four a table the night before the start of the Australian Open .
Nobu has a refreshing atmosphere that was lively and energetic, a nice change from other fine dining experiences. I can understand that other patrons may find this noisy and chaotic, not the best setting if you are seeking a quiet and intimate dinner.
Overall, we were able to tick Nobu of the must-eat places in Melbourne. Unlikely to return, I think there are better Japanese options in the city at a more reasonable price. It the very least, if you are not wanting to fork out the $$ for dinner, head to Nobu for their cocktails...I recommend the white chocolate and passionfruit. *BLISS*
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Visit: Sun 17 January 2010
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
Elphaba
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25 April 2009, 6.12pm
Lucky service and Great food
I say 'lucky service' because our table was pretty lucky to get a waiter that was incredibly polite and service orientated. He spoke clearly, seemed genuine and took initiative to change the dishes when I told him I couldn't eat raw beef on the omakase menu. I realised that many waiters/waitresses differed in standard. Some were incredibly good and others were horrible.
Otherwise, the food was great. I reckon the price was worth it. The black cod with miso was mmmmmmm.
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Visit: Fri 17 April 2009
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
jesswah
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6 January 2009, 8.27pm
Impressive
Thoroughly enjoyed Nobu. Went with medium to low expectation hoping to be surprised and definitely was. Food while expensive was very flavoursome and we got to try a lot of exciting dishes we hadn't had previously. Wine list was above average and I would say it's a good place for a special occasion.
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Visit: Tue 6 January 2009
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Posted by:
Adam_F
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3 November 2008, 9.21am
Impressed
Before I went to Nobu I saw the previous reviews and was a bit nervous about going. But I must say even though it is pricey, the meals and service i could not fault.I had a 9 course dinner and every dish tasted amazing..Wagyu was cooked to perfection, scallops were bursting with flavour, topped with a great red wine. Really good meal. The only thing I didn't like was the noise of everyone talking. But all in all a great night!
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Visit: Sun 2 November 2008
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
PaulineW
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22 October 2008, 4.56pm
Overpriced
Agree with most reviews on Nobu. It is definitely over-rated and overpriced! Food was not extra ordinary but the price you pay is extraordinary! Service was quite good though, the staff was friendly and explained to us each and every dishes. I thought their signature COD tasted bland. Softshell crab is good though.
Another let down is that we actually planned to revisit this restaurant. We initially made a reservation for 5 so we were allocated about 60-90 mins (I can't remember), but when we call back to reduce the people to 3, they only allowed us 30-45 mins to dine!!! We cancelled our booking!
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Visit: Wed 22 October 2008
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
NM123
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9 October 2008, 9.32pm
Overrated
For a fine dining restaurant, the atmosphere was certainly not there. The light was dim and it could be a poor design that somewhat cause a great deal of echoing around the room. The place was crowded and noisy, it's almost like a cheap chinese dining place.
Service was acceptable, different waitress would circle around us to present the food and explain what each was. They filled our cups every now and then, only when my friend's wife asked for a glass of warm water, she needed to request it 2-3 times.
We also chose the $120 omakase menu, with a special request to have only seafood because I don't eat meat.
If I return here again, I'd go for a-la carte and be more selective with the mains.
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Visit: Thu 9 October 2008
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Posted by:
FatBelly
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27 May 2008, 11.24pm
Nobu no class
This is my first experience at Nobu. Definitely a disappointment! Ordered the omakase menu - an 8-course dinner set at A$120 per person. It comprised of dishes to be designed by the chef. Dishes were good, especially the cold ones but the sauces of the hot dishes may be a little too heady for some.
Staff were unprofessional and not service-orientated, definitely not worthy of the such a highly regarded chain.
Overall verdict: classy food and ambience but not so classy staff.
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Visit: Sun 25 May 2008
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
Mzy
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24 April 2008, 10.09pm
Nobu Nobuzz
First time at a fancy restaurant with a celebrity tag and status so we thought why not. The decor and atmosphere was average - it seemed like they were trying hard to pack in a crowd and making the most out of the label. Service was pretty good as our waitress was quite helpful and friendly though some could have perceived it as being a bit over the top. We had the degustation menu which was very tasting and as with all tasting menus deceptively filling despite the small portions. It did not differ exceptionally from other Japanese restaurants in terms of taste but presentation and some of the mixture of flavours was quite unique. Definitely overpriced but thats what one pays with dining with De Niro. Only worth it if you have some cash to spare and don't mind going for the experience.
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Visit: Fri 1 February 2008
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
I_LIKEA_TO_EATA
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23 April 2008, 12.33pm
What a let down
I invited a few friends to come to Nobu to help me celebrate my birthday. What an embarrassment. There is no atmosphere, it is a stark loud room, the service is lacking signifcantly, and the food (degustation menu all around) was average and certainly not what I would expect given the prices.
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Visit: Thu 11 October 2007
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
pdogdyl
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8 April 2008, 5.35pm
Severely disappointing experience...
Felt like a Japanese-esque Planet Hollywood. Sucks out all the beautiful fresh flavours of Japanese food and coats it in batter or pastry or an overpowering sauce. The most overpriced meal I have had in years.
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Visit: Sat 5 April 2008
Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by:
jlee
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17 February 2008, 5.03pm
My partner took me to Nobu for our one-year anniversary.
I was very excited to see what the food was like because I did have the opportunity to visit the Hong Kong Nobu when it was still open and was hoping dining at the Melbourne Nobu would be a better experience.
Our waitress left me stunned. She introduced herself, gave us our menus and then began a 10 minute rant on "nobu sun". And then began the very pushy sale "suggesting" that she design our menu for us since it was our first time at Nobu. I however felt I could somehow design my own menu.
The food was stock standard Japanese. Nothing I found exceptional or outstanding. It was good, it is what you can get at any of the good Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. What I did find exceptional was the portion sizes, which were tiny. Now I understand why all the celebrities go to Nobu and still manage to stay so thin!
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Visit: Sun 17 February 2008
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