Akaiito
349-351 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Restaurant
•Why you'll love Akaiito
- Slick and unique interior
- Wide range of wines, beers, spirits, sakes, Japanese whiskeys and cocktails
- Delicious and beautifully presented food
Akaiito is Melbourne’s latest Japanese two-level fine diner located conveniently in the CBD, nestled within the bustling Flinders precinct. Akaiito's interior is beautifully designed with Japanese elements throughout the entirety of the restaurant. If you’re looking for that new space to impress, Akaiito’s slick and unique interior will have your guests amazed as soon as they walk through the door. It inspires a unique Japanese culinary experience.
Akaiito provides the perfect space for any size from 12 guest private dining rooms to large 140 guest functions in an underground Bar. The underground speakeasy Akaiito Bar is available for functions and events with a capacity of up to 40 guests. The space can be fully and partially booked, depending on the nature of the event. The space can be used for a variety of event types from cocktail style to full sit-down dinners. Fully equipped with a DJ system, 16 LED disco lights, microphone PA system, portable projector and altar if required. The beverage list includes an extensive range of wines, beers, spirits, sakes, Japanese whiskeys and cocktails. To accompany this list, a range of delicious Japanese-inspired canapes are served for events. The underground Akaiito bar is available to be booked during weekdays and weekends.
For smaller and more intimate events, Akaiito’s Tsukiyo Private Dining Room is one of a kind. Imagine yourself dining under the moonlight as the room’s special feature projects video imagery on the table enhancing the private dining experience. The room fits up to 12 guests and has an exclusive 8-course set menu designed by Akaiito’s head chef. This interactive visual journey challenges the senses as you watch the table come to life throughout the night’s seating.
Reviews for Akaiito
Lily Tran
Started off in the lounge for appetisers which were all very nice and then seated in the dining room for the rest of the meal. Didn’t enjoy sitting in the lounge and would’ve preferred to be seated in the dining room for the whole meal as it felt disjointed and inconvenient. Entrees were nice. Mains were hit and miss. Duck was succulent and had crispy skin. Had to pull a few bones from the toothfish but the flavour was still good. Did not enjoy the pithivier and that’s due to my personal taste. Desserts were nice too. Overall a nice meal. Nothing really stand out or wow for me.
Julie Nguyen
We recently dined here and was offered the a five-year anniversary degustation menu and unfortunately, our experience didn’t live up to expectations, particularly given the $145 per person price tag. While the ambiance was pleasant, the service left much to be desired. We frequently had to flag down waitstaff just to have water refilled or to order another round of drinks, despite ordering multiple beverages throughout the evening. At one point, after serving the canapés, a waiter accidentally dropped a hand towel and seemed flustered, resulting in none of us receiving any hand towels during the presentation. While this wasn’t a major issue, it did disrupt the flow of the evening. As for the food, the Japanese degustation was decent, but not particularly memorable compared to other similar menus we’ve tried. It also felt a bit unusual to end the meal with tiramisu, which didn’t quite fit the overall theme. Overall, I’d place this restaurant in the mid-tier of high-end dining. For the price, Melbourne has several other venues that offer more attentive service and a more cohesive dining experience.
Kristy Yu
Partner treated me to the 7-course degustation for my birthday dinner. This dinner transported me into another world. Despite the “7-courses”, plate after plate kept coming out , each dish delectable in a unique way that cannot be found at any other restaurant. I think we ended up getting about 15+ different foods. It was amazing. There was not one single dish that even mildly disappointed. Absolute favourite was the toothfish. Definitely worth every cent, and left feeling full!!
Natasha Cooper
This beautiful place is not just for the food, it's for the atmosphere, service and overall experience you get (we were in formal dining upstairs). We all really loved the fact you sit at a lounge to begin, have your canapes before moving onto the 7 course aspect. Food was absolutely phenomenal and the service was of an extremely high standard. The chef's explain each course which was a really nice touch to the evening. The photos are only some of the food, I think all up we had 5 canapes and then the 7 courses. We all left quite comfortably full!
Adorable Adventurous
I haven't been back here for a while, and I must say my expectations were low as the last visit a year ago was quite average for me. This time this place have really did their best to make the customers feel at home very attentive. I got the last-minute booking for a late session 8.30pm, and even went for the ling 7 courses menu plus oysters on top (note to self not to do this again because it finishes very late) Staffs went above and beyond, making sure we had the best time. Foods are amazing , presentations are top notch, and the food tastes like heaven. This probably sit in the top of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne now. We were offered free drinks on the house and we had a blast. Thank you team at Akaiito.
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