Nobu

Nobu has always been one of our favourite restaurants, and our recent anniversary dinner there was no exception. From the moment we were seated, the service was attentive and seamless—the staff really know how to make a night feel special. While the initial greeting at the front desk wasn’t the warmest (we were met with a “how can I help you?” as though we weren’t meant to be there—even though we dine here regularly), we were still given a lovely table to celebrate our anniversary, which we appreciated. Our server was fantastic—always attentive without being overbearing and tuned in to what we needed throughout the evening. The food, as always, was phenomenal—flavours, presentation, everything was top-tier. Cocktails were spot on too. To top it all off, they surprised us with a small “Happy Anniversary” dessert, which was a thoughtful touch and made the evening feel truly memorable. Nobu never fails to deliver on quality, and we can’t wait to be back again soon!

I had high expectations for today, and I’m happy to say they were met. The service was professional and attentive, and the food was excellent. My top picks: the black cod miso and prawn salad—both are must-orders. Dessert wasn’t quite to my taste, but thank you for the lovely anniversary gesture! 😊

We had an exceptional experience trying their omakase. Each dish was beautifully presented, showcasing subtle yet exquisite flavors. Every bite was a delight, and by the time we reached dessert, we were completely satisfied. This is truly a fantastic spot for a special occasion. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for an unforgettable dining experience 🥰

Special food for a special day!! All dishes tasted great with good presentation too. Made my special day even more special. Lovely environment and good customer service. Recommended!!

Delish Japanese fusion food. For those who eat meat and fish, this restaurant has delectable dishes on hand! While indeed fantastic, as always there is always room for improvement: catering for vegetarians/vegans. While dietary requirements were noted, the creativity and dedication to catering for diverse needs was lacklustre. Someone on my table got a full broccoli head steamed with minimal seasoning. The only substitute for meat was veggies and tofu, in this day and age I think it’s fair to expect more from a high end restaurant! The restaurant was dimly lit, so all my photos were poor quality. My table had the 7 course $198/pp set menu.!’

Dated interior wih uncomfortable dipped and old seating. Pub like atmosphere. Poor service. Quality of food and drinks was 1/5. Service was very slow, took ages to put in a drink order and even longer to receive it. Picture of 'cocktail' attached. Left the food and drinks unhappy but payment was happily taken. So many other Japanese / Asian restaurants Melbourne has to offer with contemporary interiors and delicious food, proper cocktails and attentive service.

I had a very disappointing experience. I had high expectations because the place is so well-known, and I even made a reservation at the sushi bar. However, the FOH staff told us that since it was close to closing time, all the chefs at the bar would just be cleaning, so we had no choice but to sit elsewhere. If that’s the case, I don’t understand why the sushi bar reservation option was available on the website. We also had to wait quite a while just to place an order. No matter how many times I looked, the staff didn’t pay attention to our table. After all that waiting, the quality of the food was shocking. The salad was overdressed and way too salty. The chopsticks had old grains of rice stuck on them. The seaweed on the hand roll was torn, and the salmon nigiri had shredded pieces of salmon falling apart. It was not a meal worth the price. If you’re going to charge that much, shouldn’t you at least pay attention to quality — or at the very least, provide decent customer service? I’m leaving this feedback sincerely, hoping things will improve.

The staff were attentive and great with menu and food information! Dim light wasn’t offensive. The food that we did have were the prawns along with salt and pepper squid, yellowtail and Toro Sashimi were a treat. Unfortunately the rest was a let down as number of things was just not up to par. A lot of dishes had alcohol, even the soy sauce. For an upscale posh restaurant that serves halal meat it was a bit disappointing that it couldn’t be catered for or alternative provided. The drinks were mainly full of ice and the little rest was the actual drink. The chicken was dry and the potatoes sad to say were horrible! I had to cleanse my palate from it. The toilet floor was wet and dirty in one. The 2nd one had someone’s glasses left in there. I was looking forward to this but only a few dishes were a hit from what we got to try and the price you pay you expect much more.

Best Nobu restaurant & experience to date! Quality/Quantity - We got the Melbourne Seven Course Nobu Omakase. See pictures. Looks like my 7th course, dessert, picture got deleted or is missing, sorry. Well this has been my favorite Nobu to date, and we have been to a few. This was not on our list to visit and we weren't even hungry, but we saw it and made the impulse decision to go. Plus we did NOT expect so much food, especially since all our other Nobu restaurants were not as generous. We left so full. his experience exceeded out expectations. I also got a glass of white (NZ Sauvignon Blanc) and red, sorry, I can not remember which red I got. Also available - Happy hour from 3pm to 6pm from Monday to Thursday. Atmosphere - Good size, 2 story location. Beautiful decor, including the bathrooms. Table, booth, and bar seating available. Open 7 days a week from noon to 10:30pm or 11pm. Events available, see website. We also got seated next to the window by the fire show. Again, sorry my pictures are missing; I guess it did not get uploaded. Service - Excellent. Friendly, nice, and proactive. Price - $440AUD. FYI, by the time of this review, the Melbourne Seven Course Nobu Omakase is now only $190AUD, a $5 savings; lol. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your successes and successful partnership with Robert De Niro and Meir Teper. Congrats on your 13 hotels and 50 restaurants. Lastly, congrats on your 2015 valuation of $500M with the 20% sale to James Packer.

Not much one for "chain" restaurants, it's taken me forever to get to Nobu here in Melbourne, as I figured it would be fairly overrated ... and it is a little. The menu is nice and extensive and the food is really good and fresh, but ever so slightly overpriced. Presentation is great and the staff are helpful in answering any questions you may have. I must say I never like in any restaurant that food comes out all at various times. Three out of the four of us were eating and the fourth was waiting forever for their main. We went to eat out together to EAT TOGETHER. It's a little frustrating, though I know it's the "trend" in many Japanese restaurants. Parts of the meal were incredibly rushed, and they take your plate away before you've even finished your mouthful at times, and that's a little overpowering; not a fan of that kind of speed service. It wasn't a relaxing meal. However ... the food itself is really good. We all enjoyed what we ordered They specifically asked if it was a special occasion when booking, and even made mention of it again at the front desk, but why, I don't know, as they didn't even offer a piece of fruit with a candle in it. Would I return? Probably. But I do know of other Japanese restaurants in Melbourne that I personally love more and are more reasonably priced and enjoyable.

Black cod was excellent and a large portion. Service was great and servers were super nice.

1/10... what was supposed to be a romantic/enjoyable dining experience was soured, by the misleading drinks menu. We ordered a $80 bottle of Reisling wine which was never denoted anywhere on the menu that was only 6% alcohol compared to a usual 14% and paying for a premium price left us very disappointed. When we raised our feeling of being cheated as it tasted nothing but apple juice, we were told it was our mistake and nothing could be done, as the bottle was opened for us (which was going to happen anyway). No where on the menu does it state it was a half strength wine, which we thought was very sneaky. When we raised our disappointment with the manager she stated the wine wouldn't be taken off the bill, but we could be compensated with "a taco"... which felt like a poor excuse to resurrect our dining mishap. She was not helpful at all, nor tried to alleviate our feeling of being mislead. Trying not to harp on the wine fiasco, we decided to put that behind us and it being my boyfriend's first Nobu experience, which I had talked up, having previously dined there. It was lackluster at best. The decor was outdated, tables scratched, paint peeling off the walls, the once " premium crown restaurant" is no longer. The food wasn't anything to rave about, my boyfriend likened it too, a glorified food court with fancy napkins. Which I could end help but laugh and agree. We wouldn't return anytime soon, there are far more superior restaurants which the experience would be more enjoyable. And if you were wondering... our "compensation taco" never came, and nothing was comped on the bill... which we didn't raise at the end of the night, as to not spur the night. Nobu do better....

Too loud to have a nice conversation especially if you have hearing impairments. The food wasn't great either. We ordered a Scallops with Spicy Garlic or Wasabi Pepper $36, and a Baby Spinach Salad Dry Miso $ 25. The Scallops with Spicy Garlic had no taste and the salad barely had any dressing. Overall not a pleasant experience. I give it 2 stars for the service: the first person who help us was very nice and lowered the music volume to accommodate us. And I gave it 2 stars for the food.

Love there miso soup! And the spicy tuna roll. Service not that great. Takes too long to take a order. Way understaffed.!

Every Nobu I have been to has been excellent and this was no exception. We had never been to Melbourne or this location before so they gave us free edamame and welcomed us so nicely. It is located in an upscale mall/casino/hotel.

First time in Australia. Been to many nobu's. In other locations before. This one beats them all - to the bottom that is. Service was not enthusiastic. Check in was poor. Portions we're obscenely big, mushroom soup was not fully cooked. See Bass was very good and actually would convince me to try again. But I'm leaving tonight thus thankfully will not need to contemplate.

I have been to Nobu globally and I felt that the service is very rushed and I had the world's smallest piece of miso black cod here. I think you would be better off having the 8 course omasake as you would have a better range of dishes. I was travelling and had organised the booking ahead of time. I have a cold and hence couldn't taste much and opted for the shorter course. Quality wide is comparable to NYC, Miami, London and Milan. The service here was not great and they kept on wanting to take dishes away when it's not finished when the restaurant was not full so it was not like they needed the table.

Nobu serves among the most luxurious Japanese food Melbourne has to offer. That is to say: you get what you pay for. Great ambiance, quality service and fresh ingredients are the basic foundations of this restaurant. However, it can be very busy so it's not exactly a quiet or 'private' dining experience. I was seated on the lower ground floor so your experience may vary if you were seated elsewhere. The food is not your standard traditional Japanese cuisine, as some dishes have a slight twist or modern approach that makes it more unique with some fusion vibes. They offer variations to traditional sashimi where it's flavored with various sauces and garnishes which are uncommon for such a traditional Japanese dish. They are still scrumptious; though it may be more suited for those who are adventurous with their Japanese dining. All in all a very satisfying experience. We paid roughly $450 for a meal for 3 with some alcohol.

It's Nobu, so this review is less a matter of 'is it good?' than 'how good is it?!" We went for a lunch special, available Mon-Fri, which I recommend to those on a budget but who still want to try some fine dining. For $50 my other half got an entree (we got a large bowl of prawns which she said were the best she had ever had), a main (the salmon was a decent size and delicious), dessert (that whisky crumbed coffee thing is out of this world!!!) and a glass of wine. Not bad at all for $50. For the same price I got a sashimi platter. Much like I judge an Italian place by their pizza (what's pasta?) I judge Japanese by their sashimi quality, which was of course excellent here. You don't get much bang for your buck serving size wise though, and to be honest I've had just as good sashimi elsewhere at a third of the price. Not a complaint, just a comment. Worth a visit just for that whiskey coffee dessert thing even if Japanese isn't your thing!

I have to say the food was definitely delicious. Found bones in the black cod, maybe busy but eater beware I suppose. My only criticism was being downstairs when I requested an outdoor setting, they kept saying were very busy, yet plenty of empty tables upstairs and downstairs. The lighting was way too dim downstairs, I simply could read the menu and the menu is very confusing for a first timer. Not as clean downstairs as it looked upstairs. another wait staff members took our plate before asking if we were done. I wanted to keep the wasabi and ginger for the next dish. But I will try again and definitely not downstairs or when they are less busy.

Very expensive, but absolutely awesome food! Went with a group and didn't know what to order so the waiter ordered for us. It was all great. And a lot of food. Great for people watching along South Bank.

If you want a great Japanese place, then this is the right place to go. The service was fantastic, had a memorable night that I have shared my stories with many. Food was delicious as always, will definitely be back again. The beautiful design of this cafe makes this place a pleasant one. Sushi Bento is my love. Everything was delicious! Do not hesitate to visit this place.

Ever since eating my way around Tokyo, Australia's version of Japanese food just hasn't tasted as good as I remembered. That was until I tried Nobu, a fantastic Japanese option. For me, The miso cod was a stand out. I have never before had fish prepared to that degree of flakey tenderness. The Japanese tacos were a real treat too as was the crisp tempura. What also really impressed me is that the bar can make a seriously decent cocktail. Each guest at my table was particularly taken by their order. No cocktail envy here!

We went here for my partners birthday last night and it was just awesome. I didn't expect anything other than great. I had been to the Nobu in New York years ago and I am glad to say that both experiences were equally enjoyable. Nice to see that a highly renowned chain is holding up impeccable standards. We started with a 'bamboo' of cold sake. Nothing bad to say about that. As our server explained the menu for us, we decided on a whole mixture of things. I ordered the Kelp Salad, Mushroom Tabon Yaki, Vegetable sushi roll, (all vegan) and my partner ordered oysters (which he ordered another round of them he loved them so much) Tiger prawn tempura in creamy jalapeño sauce, 2 Nobu tacos (lobster & yellowtail) and Black Cod butter lettuce. I also had a Nobu signature cocktail with gin which was delicious. All the dishes came as they were made and all had the most incredible clean flavours. So delicious. As it was my partners birthday, the meal was topped off with a complimentary scoop of coconut and ice-cream & Yuzu sorbet. (Both vegan so I could enjoy as well) It was so sweet of them to do that for us. I really love Nobu, and would highly advise people to take a loved one there.

Last night my friends and I ate at the hyped-up and famously renowned Japanese restaurant, Nobu. We were immediately seated downstairs, near the bar area. The interior of Nobu is very 'New Style' & simply contemporary Japanese, with dim lighting, wooden floors and natural textures. We started the night with some edamame beans and cocktails - first was the Lychee Coco Ice, which was wondrous, however a bit deceiving with a giant ball of ice in the middle of the glass meaning the drink itself was probably only filled one third of the way but still delicious. Our other drinks were the White Chocolate & passionfruit martini, peach & mint margarita and the mango & coconut daiquiri, all of which were phenomenal. We decided to move upstairs to begin our self-made degustation meal. Four sashimi tacos filled with yellowtail, salmon, lobster and snow crab were our starters and they were TO DIE FOR! Next up was the lobster with wasabi pepper sauce and the wagyu gyoza with goma ponzu. The melt in your mouth lobster, topped with the sauce was outstanding, but the favourite dish of the night had to be the wagyu gyoza...there was so much taste packed into these little dumplings and the accompanying goma ponzu is a match made in heaven! Next course was the abalone with a light garlic sauce, again also superb and then came the final round of gourmet sushi rolls: Unagi shrimp, salmon tataki, Squid uni and their signature Hot Spicy Tuna. All were exceptionally beautifully presented. To finish the night we had to try their famous dessert the Bento Box with hot chocolate fondant and green tea ice cream. It came in a square box shape bowl and honestly...come here just to try this dessert. Every bite full was intoxicatingly extraordinary. Nobu is by far the best Japanese food in Melbourne.

Is it weird to call Nobu a chain restaurant? It sounds weird, but I guess its kind of true to some extent. A very high end chain, but a chain nonetheless. I think a huge part of its appeal lies in its famous name, which developed not only because of the chef, food and service, but also because it is so often inhabited by celebrities in Las Vegas, New York, London. The thing is,I do think Nobu has great food, and great service. It is undoubtably an enjoyable restaurant to dine at, and I would be happy to go back. It is pricey, but you do of course have on overall great experience. However, do I think its better than every other Japanese restaurant in Melbourne? No. I think that there are amazing Japanese chefs here in Melbourne, and amazing Japanese restaurants that deserve the same recognition - and Nobu is one of many great Japanese restaurants in this city.

Great, personalised service; fresh fish; lovely decor; expensive. This pretty much sums up Nobu, doesn't it? If you're going for the new style sashimi, I highly encourage you to select what fish you'd like instead of leaving it up to the chef -- it seems like when you leave it to them you end up just getting the standard: salmon, a few types of tuna, etc. Also give the marinated black cod miso a try: it's the signature dish, and it's been marinated for three days! And of course, don't forget to sign your Crown Signature Membership card to earn points when you're trying to avoid looking at the price on the bill.

Nobu, fine dining? I'm not so sure. The food was adventurous in terms of flavours and textures, and commensurately priced, but the atmosphere and the sheer size of the menu made it difficult to settle in and really enjoy the food. I guess it boils down to your definition of "fine dining", really. For me this is not a fine ding inexperience, a popular and rowdy bar with fancy expensive food yes. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good bar as much as the next person, but the menu's size and the noise levels didn't really allow me to get a feel for what was on on. We had the 6 course banquet. I guess if I wanted to impress out-of-towners this could be a good place to go? we wont be rushing back thats for sure.

(This is my 100th Yelp review! Yay!) I had mixed feelings going into Nobu. It's a chain now, and often that means there's some element that's lost. A bit too commercialised, a bit too common, it's hard to explain. But at the same time, surely all those rave reviews can't be wrong right? Well. It was a mixed bag. It wasn't an utter letdown, and the overall experience was enjoyable, but would I go back? Maybe. It seems to be a hit and miss kind of place. We ordered, the yellowtail with Jalepeno, the beef tataki, and the toro tartare for cold items, the chawanmushi which was a daily special, the black cod miso (of course), the duo of duck, and the pork kakuni. Hits and misses my fellow Yelpers, hits and misses. The hits: The Black Cod Miso. This dish was actually worth the price of admission. If you'd like to imagine what it tastes like, imagine buttery cod fish, market fresh, done like char siew. Yup. The miso was this umami-sweet coating that was just amazing. I honestly didn't expect to like this, I've had miso cod at 4-5 other places when it was all the rage and quickly gave up because I never liked it. But this... this was miso cod on another level altogether. The Chawanmushi. A very very large portion (since it's for sharing), with tomato... relish/fondant of sorts, morel mushrooms, and one slice of black truffle. The truffle, egg, and tomato combination really works, and it was such a great palate cleanser as the dish that bridged our cold and hot courses. Also a hit, the cocktail I had. Nobu has seasonal cocktail menus, and many many many choices look delicious (but I only had one as I had to drive). The cocktails here are legit my friends, and also worth checking out when you dine. The service was also excellent. Friendly and accommodating. Our waitress actually handed us the wrong menu for drinks (giving us one with the autumn list even though we were squarely in winter). I noticed that it said autumn, but figured oh, maybe they haven't released the winter list yet, and ordered something off that menu. She apologetically came back later and told me I had to order off the winter menu instead... and while I was perusing, the bartender came with my original order anyway. I liked that they made it anyway, though maybe they could have explained things clearer since he just plopped it down without saying anything. The misses? The Yellowtail. It was... sashimi, with a slice of Jalapeno. It didn't not work, flavour wise, but it didn't wow us either. The beef tartaki was just smothered in ponzu sauce and we had real problems tasting the beef over the sauce and the onions and deep fried garlic. The duo of duck was a bit hard to chew, and felt a little directionless in terms of taste and texture. The pork was... well it was melt in your mouth, but it was a bit overwhelmingly porky. There was some attempt to diversify the flavour with some spicy miso, but even that dab of sauce was lost in the strong pork taste. Now, I like pork. And it was good pork. But it was JUST pork and it got kinda boring kinda quickly. The toro tartare wasn't a miss. But it wasn't a hit. It was an interesting dish that... well. Was a tuna tartare. I've had similar for cheaper. So overall, it feels like Nobu is the kind of place where the menu is so wide that you kind of need to know what to order. Some of the items are definitely winners... but some of them are really off target. And while variety is great on a menu... leaving diners the chance to choose something NOT amazing is generally a bad idea. My last thought is that I'd definitely not describe the cuisine here as Japanese. There're just too many heavy handed dishes and not enough craft and subtlety that really defines Japanese cuisine. Maybe international with Japanese influences, or South American with Japanese influences... but definitely not how they describe themselves: 'Japanese with South American influenecs'. Nah-uh.

One of the worlds most recognized Japanese restaurant and most undeniable recognised for its innovative Japanese cuisine. An expensive night out but well worth the adventure. Nobu has an exceptional price tag, which also implies exceptional service and this is by far the case. Its lavish surroundings all but add to the intimate dining experience and leave you wanting to soak up more of its rich atmosphere and delve further into the culinary world that Nobu promotes. Nobus special hot dishes include Tempura baby tiger prawns with a creamy spicy sauce. Abalone with shitake ,enoki and abalone mushrooms in a light garlic sauce. You can expect to pay around $35-$45 for these dishes. White chocolate passion fruit. Martini highly recommended.

Outstanding from the moment we arrived. Service was excellent, our waiter spending time with us to go through the menu to explain both the Nobu signature dishes and how to structure our food experience. Every dish is deliberately understated, allowing the quality of the ingredients to shine through. Definitely worth a visit.

Finally delicious sushi! If you want to eat real sushi and not the typical fastfood sushi that you find all over Australia, that really isn't sushi to me, this is the place to go. The tuna and yellow tail melt In your mouth like butter. The service is great but be prepared to pay for it... Try the desert too. I had the special of the day, white chocolate and tea cheese cake with green tea crumble topped with pork jelly and tea ice cream... Very creative and delicious. The pork jelly was sweet and unexpectedly delicious.

Nobu is a high reputable restaurant in crown. Its cuisine is a modern East meets West, with strong Japanese influences. When you enter, you are lead down a flight of stairs into their dimly lit dining area, where all the staff greet you at once by saying 'irasshaimase' (Welcome). The ambience of the place feels intimate and up class, and staff appear very professional. This isn't a place you go expecting a big hearty meal, instead- it's an experience of different flavors and textures. Be sure to try out their signature 'Black Cod Miso' dish. This is a very popular menu item for good reason. The fish is basted in a miso sauce and cooked to perfection. We usually order 1 each! The food here is exotic and exciting, it's a must try restaurant for those who consider food as art.

My son & I visiting Melbourne for his work assessment in summer internship program. We had the cerviche, salmon skin salad and jalepeno yellow tail. It was his first time and he really enjoyed it. I found the tataki with garlic flakes strongly flavored. Very noisy restaurant but part of the experience. Much larger than the Nobu in Perth. We ate at the sushi bar as we didn't want to wait. The black cod miso was sublime. Must try..The salmon skin salad was fiery.

In conclusion, Nobu does not disappoint. It still has it's grip on me after all this time and it still remain one of the best Japanese fine dining in Melbourne.

I never stopped talking. My meal left me speechless the whole time i was eating. Best Japanese food ever! A must if in Melbourne! Im also vegetarian so i had no meat and can only imagine how great that would have been! My friends got meat dishes and were also in love! A MUST!

Excellent food as usual as fresh seafood is Australia's treasure ! Love the sushi bento box on Saturday lunch ! Great hot sake but a little pricey for house sake ! Salmon roe on rice is delicious and add a roll what more do you need

Another city, Another Nobu. No, that's not a bad thing - it's just that this point we are on something like a third or fourth generation copy of the original. Not at all the worst of the copies (that distinction belongs to the Dubai branch in my personal experience...) but certainly not vying for the best either. My greatest disappointment was somewhat surprising; it was the quality of the fish itself. Melbourne is an excellent city to dine on seafood from the very highest to the most modest varieties and I would have expected a lot better quality from Nobu. The ambiance of the room, the service and the overall experience were excellent. My hold back on the stars lies squarely with the lack of innovation and quality of ingredients. For this price point I typically want a combination of excellent ingredients, stellar composition, and top class ingredients with a liberal dose of originality. I've been fortunate enough to have dined in 7 different Nobu restaurants including the original. The Melbourne version was just not up to the level I expected. If you've never been to any other Nobu, it's certainly worth a try. Just don't think that you've experienced the best Japanese cuisine or even the best Nobu has to offer.

Over the last five years, I can count the amount of times that I have returned to Nobu Melbourne on one hand. Once I had planned to eat there after a very long relaxing afternoon at Walter's Wine Bar but I was too intoxicated and instead opted to visit Maccas. There was another failed attempt to enjoy a relaxing lunch there a few months ago however I arrived too late for service and instead retreated to the Meat & Wine Co. However I did finally get my act together recently, made a dinner booking for two and only enjoyed three beverages from The Den before presenting myself 45 minutes early for my reservation at the restaurant. We were escorted to seats at the bar by a very attractive and vivacious hostess and informed that our table would be ready shortly. I stated that there was no rush especially since we were so early and I was confident that the barman would look after us. After walking 20 metres from The Den to Nobu, we had developed quite a thirst, so a carafe of Hokusetsu Daiginjo cold sake was ordered and delivered in hollowed out piece of bamboo. Later we were led downstairs to our table by yet another attractive hostess. This is where the experience becomes conflicting. Nobu Malibu was dark and intimate. Downstairs at Nobu Melbourne is a larger busy room that can get loud and it isn't just the patrons that one must contend with that creates the noise. Strangely they play music through wall mounted speakers and at times you feel like you have to talk over the tunes which doesn't nicely integrate into the ambiance. It works well at Izakaya Den but it serves as an annoyance here. This is what I remembered primarily after my first visit in 2007 and things have not changed as of this writing. With such beautiful and sometimes delicate food, I find the ambiance a bit of a turn off and it distracts from the great fish. On my last visit I experienced a nine course set degustation menu and the restaurant managed to present all of the courses to us within one hour. Although I left full, after paying the bill I thought that it was not a relaxing experience and felt very rushed. I was looking forward to ordering individual items this time around with the hope that the routine would be drawn out a bit. The first dish that was delivered was the Tuna Tatake with Tozasu. It looked and tasted great. I thought it was a perfect start and was ready to forgive them for playing the music as because the dining room was not packed, it was not that loud. Like magic, as soon as the six pieces of tuna were devoured, one of the two Nobu signature dishes, Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapenos arrived. It was truly a work of art and polarising tastes fought to be noticed in my mouth. I wanted to lick the plate clean however at this point I still had not drank enough sake to begin acting like a fool. After finishing the amazing Yellowtail, a minute later the Sashimi Tacos arrived. There were four mini tacos, each filled with a different variant of sashimi: yellowtail, lobster, crab and salmon. Sadly the taco shell overwhelms the taste of the fish and you are left wondering what it is you ate after adding some of the salsa that was provided. I really wanted to like this dish because of my love affair with Mexican fish tacos, but I just couldn't. Before taking on the last three highly anticipated dishes, we enjoyed a Nobu Shooter of Uni, which was delightful. The most expensive ($45) cold dish, the Toro Tartare with Wasabi, Soy and Cavier then arrived. This dish, like all of the others was presented beautifully. The first taste transports you to a happy place where thoughts of gridlock, social media, sin and vice literally disappear from your being as you savour this delectable tartare. As it is delivered in a small bowl of soy, to enjoy the last remaining morsels you are forced to be rude and drink from the bowl, or should I say slurp up the last bits up like a heathen. Sometimes being rude and exhibiting a table manner related crime is acceptable and in the case of this dish, it really is. The Swordfish with Grape Spicy Shiso Ponzu then arrived. I looked at my watch and only 45 minutes had lapsed since we sat down. Once again, I started feeling rushed but then again, I could not wait to start deconstructing the last of the cold dishes that we ordered. This was the best presented dish and if there was ever one that I wanted to take a photo of and post on this blog, it would be this one. Another stunning dish, both visually and on your palette. You are left wanting more. There are two "signature" Nobu dishes. The first being the aforementioned Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalepeno. The other is the only warm dish that we ordered, the Black Cod Miso. Although it is not visually stunning, the fish literally melts in your mouth and resembles dealing with soft butter in a hot pan. It was perfect. This is an excerpt of a very long blog post, but I think you get the point.

This was my first time at Nobu! I had an unlimited budget, as I won a gift card with quite a hefty limit! Suffice to say, it was one of those rare occasions where looking at the right hand side of the menu (ie prices) was not necessary at all! FOOD: Think high quality Japanese ingredients and produce, cooked with a modern twist and then served Spanish tapas style (so good for sharing). The menu has a good range of Japanese cold and warm dishes. But i can only talk about what we ordered: 1. EDAMAME SOY BEANS WITH CHARRED SALT: That charred salt makes it taste like the beans were grilled over charcoal! Was munching on these the whole night. 2. YELLOW TAIL SASHIMI WITH JALAPENO - excellent piece fish! You get about 5 slices that is encompassed by an acidic juice (almost ceviche like). The Jalapeno gives it that spice flavor but hardly any kick at all - overall the dish was good enough to make non-raw eaters wanting more! 3. SUSHI DINNER (PLATTER) - This was an assortment of your stock standard sushis (tuna, salmon, roe, uni, unagi, octopus, calamari, yellow tail, omellete ...) you get about 20 pieces. Overall very fresh - but nothing spectacular or memorable. 4. SQUID PASTA WITH LIGHT GARLIC SAUCE - Spectacular! the squid is so delicate and soft, not chewy at all. The squid ink flavor is amazing and the vegetables are so well cooked, they tasted like meat when blended with that garlic and squid ink jus! 5. BLACK COD MISO - Undoubtedly the most memorable dish of the night for me! Simply Amazing. I think this was the one dish which was truly a reflection of the technique that Nobu imposes on its cuisine. The fish is immaculate prepared and cooked to absolute perfection (unlike any fish i ever tried before) its marinated overnight in a Miso based black sauce and i think i could have eaten that cod raw it was so flavorsome! The sauce on the corners are also sweet, but it complimented the fish (which was also somewhat on the sweet side) so well! Save the pickeled ginger stalk for yourself - its a great way to cleanse the pallet afterward. 6. CRISPY OYSTERS WITH CREAMY WASABI AND CAVIAR - Even if you dont like Oysters - you WILL love this dish! Great textures, the oyster is wrapped in a hair thin glass noodles and deep fried, topped with a creamy wasabi mayo and some caviar. Its crunch, then soft, rich then light. So good we ordered it twice more!!! 7. BABY TIGER PRAWN TEMPURA WITH CREAMY SPICE SAUCE AND BUTTER PONZU - The sauce on this dish was so banging that i even ate the lettuce leaf that served the prawns were served on. Its sweet with a good hint of spicyness which went well with the tempura prawns! 8. FREE RANGE PORK BELLY W/ HONEY MUSTARD & APPLE GINGER AIOLI - second best dish of the night for me! Every layer of that belly was AMAZING! Crunchy skin, then creamy fat intertwined with salty meat of pork! And with the sauce - oh man! 9. DUCK BREAST W/ SPICY SANCHO SPICE AND CHERY TERIYAKI - This dish reminded me of a french style of serving duck. The sauce is reminiscent of an orange sauce that Parisians often used to accompany this delicate protein. 10. WAGYU - We went for the most expensive slice on the menu. 6 slices for $100! HAHA. If you have never tasted wagyu - then this should be your first! Everything they say about this cow will come to light once you taste this piece of meat! Is it worth $100 - well if you want a steak dinner go to Rockpool! LOL The sauces are an after thought - though they still do a good job of enhancing the flavor. 11. TEMPURA - Stock standard! (still fresh and well cooked) but not much difference from what you would order at any other reasonably established Jap joint! DESSERTS: -SIGNATURE BENTO - Warm Choc. Fondant with Green Tea Ice cream -WHISKY CAPPUCINO with CREME BRULEE, -JAPANESE DONUT - chocolate filled with berry coulis and almond ice cream. -SPICED POACHED PAIR on vanilla creme brulee and raisin ice cream and soy caramel sauce. ---- OVERALL AMAZING ------ Desserts are my thing and Im just lost for words! SERVICE: - Hot blonde hostesses working the front then delivering you to; - Japanese waitresses who know how the food works and taste! (dont be afraid to ask them for advice they are very helpful) DIshes were served surprisingly quick. You can request that they all come at the same time, but they can't promise this. Nonetheless, once one dish came out, i dont think we waited longer then 7 minutes for the next one - we were often caught lacking space on the table as the dishes just kept on coming!!! AMBIANCE: Its a hot place for dates and mates! They have intimate booths. Coporate type four seaters. And the joyous big round table for up to 10 people (i think) - so good for groups of friends. PRICE: Its fine dining so you should know what you are getting into from the start. I dined with 3 other people and we spent just over $700 with all the drinks and about 20 dishes were served to our table. So a big bill (to me anyway).

I've been here six times to this location and once in San Diego location every single time I have never been disappointed the service is excellent and the food....... ohh the food :-) I order the same dishes every time and always get something I haven't tried but let me tell you their tempura shrimp with spicy sauce and black cod with miso oh my gosh so bomb I could literally have it everyday lol that's how good it is trust me give it a try you won't be disappointed!

Great ambiance, amazing food, reasonably priced... Definitely will be coming back! Recommend to sit at the sushi bar to watch how the magic is created!

The restaurant bucketlist is getting smaller, after finally getting to Nobu last night! I eat a lot of Japanese, I mean a LOT! The sashimi came close to the best I've ever had (best Sashimi scallops & kingfish that's for sure), and the Wagyu Tataki w/garlic chips & ponzu was easily the best Tataki I've ever had (again, I've had a lot of it). For someone who eats quite a bit of seafood, I rarely order a cooked fish dish. The black cod miso (Dennis' choice), was A-MAZING. I want to go back right now just for that. The wagyu gyoza I could probably pass on, the mushroom toban yaki I'd definitely pass on (there was an odd fragrant taste I wasn't a fan of). Big thumbs overall up for the food though. Drinks are another story. Ordered Jack & Coke. Didn't think anything of it till I got the bill. Apparently I was drinking JD single barrel. And for $17 a pop! If I had've realised, I would've sat on it for longer without the cola! Anyway, rant over, I'll be back (just without the Jack!)

I have been to Nobu in Los Angeles , so was hoping for something similar... Alas not quite as good. I have been doing sushi for a while; globally - so not a novice... Ordered: edayame , seafood ceviche, dry miso spinach salad, Sashimi;o-toro, yellowtail, and red snapper. Results- Edamame was a bit overcooked and several pieces brown. No keysabe available ( why not?) Yellowtail, snapper, ceviche, and toro -/were just ok. Best part was spinach salad- delightful blend of flavors. Overall a bit disappointed. Service was good, however why they refused to let me have 2 glasses of water is a bit of a mystery..

The tuna rice poppers are to die for. The miso cod was orgasmic. All nigiri was great except the yellowtail belly... the raw Wagyu and toro rolls were my fav! Oh and who could forget the earl grey Mochi! Yum :)

My wife and I love having random spectacular foodie encounters, and our first trip to Nobu truly delivered on this. We'd spent a few hours at our favourite cocktail bar, The Waiting Room, just around the corner in the lobby of the Crown Casino hotel area, and were hoping to get in to Rockpool, but, Australian Open meant that the wait was at least 1.5 hours so we decided to look for a plan B. Nobu had a 15 minute wait and we opted to have some sake in the bar area upstairs. There was a live DJ playing (ugh, ick) which detracted significantly from the ambiance, but we're just not into that kind of thing. Once seated, we made a selection of dishes, and the staff, knowing that certain tastes may clash with one another, brought things out in the order that would be the best on the palate. It was a fantastic touch that allowed us to truly enjoy a "flight" of Japanese style delicacies for a few hours. The red snapper with dried miso started us off, but the beef tataki and baby calamari were our favourites. Staff was extremely friendly, the food very fresh and we had a truly fantastic time. Since we had NO expectations, and hadn't read up on the other Nobu experiences, we went in open to anything. Update: After way too long, we went back for a second visit, and it was even better! The waitress was incredibly knowledgeable and noticed what we were enjoying the most and made some phenomenal suggestions. We ended up having a whole-fried (Tempura) snapper and Wagyu cooked on a hot salty stone -- O M G. Both were astounding. Having this sort of interaction with the staff really makes the experience that much better. One downside: I really don't like the music. It sounds like one continuous Euro-dance type track and was a bit too loud, made having a conversation just a bit tricky. Other than that, the food and drink and service were spectacular!

I've been to other Nobu's in the U.S. and while there is a high level of sophistication, both with clientele and the overall atmosphere, the food has always been decent, not amazing. This Nobu, nestled in the Crown casino, had a much more relaxed, intimate feel, but the sushi and sashimi were incredibly fresh - I'm still raving about it, and I'm not even a big seafood eater! If you need a "one night splurge", I highly recommend.

Sorry to disappoint with 3 stars, but I think Nobu is a little overrated. It probab;ly intrigues people who watch too much Iron Chef... (I did at one point of my life, and that's why I tried Nobu...) Tried the omakase package for $120 and the fish was OK, the sauces were nice but slightly on the salty side (I'm also a soya sauce on everything type of person so...). My friend ordered the cod with miso sauce, nice sauce also, but fish was just OK. I don't know why the fish weren't so fresh...maybe because we went on a weeknight where it was quieter than Fridays.. Overally..overpriced for too little satisfaction.

My Nobu experience was completely unplanned. We were in Melbourne for a long weekend, couldn't decide where to eat and went with Nobu almost as a joke. At risk of sounding cliched, it was a magical night... amazing food and wine, five star personalised service, dark and slightly mysterious lighting, the hum of people thoroughly enjoying themselves around you... someone else picking up the tab. Maybe I was under the spell of being treated to an exotic fine dining experience while on holiday... but for me everything was wonderful. The food was so delicious and looked so tempting that I even tasted beef... for the first time... ever. Yes, this 28 year old, lifelong vegetarian had a bite of a beef carpaccio dish (uh huh... RAW beef) because it looked so flavourful. I don't frequent restaurants with the standard of service provided at Nobu very often. Partly this is because I'm not entirely comfortable being waited on so intensely and feel it's wasteful to be so decadent. The service was beautiful though... and while it's not something I need/want too often, it was genuinely a pleasure to experience the knowledge and skill of the ninja-like wait staff (try dropping a chop stick... just for fun... it's amazing how fast that thing is retrieved, replaced and suddenly accompanied by a fork!).

Nobu is one of those top notch restaurants that you'll probably only visit for those special occasions during the year. Dinner the night we went was a friend affair however, and I went with a group of my girlfriends during a trip to Melbourne. It is seriously an experience I'll never forget. Unfortunately for everyone else left back in Sydney, they can't get rid of me bragging about how good their food was. I was juggling between a roasted duck dish and a roasted pork belly, and at the waiter's suggestion, chose the pork. Wherever he is right now, I want to thank him. My eyes glaze over just thinking about this dish. The pork dish came with a nashi pear sauce instead of the traditional apple sauce, and it was a perfect combination. The pear was chopped into the tiniest cubes imaginable and mixed with a glaze. At first when I looked at my plate I was disappointed to see six small cubes of meat in front of me, layered with that wonderful fragrant sauce. The pork belly was so perfect - the fatty, crispy layer on top was PERFECT, with the delicious meat underneath so soft I could literally split it in pieces with a little pressure from my chopstick. I didn't realise how rich the dish was until I could feel my cheeks burning. Rice had to be ordered separately, and I was absolutely starving by the time I had my meal, especially because there was a long wait for all our dishes to be served at the same time. From memory, that meal cost around $60+ but it was absolutely worth it (I remember thinking I would pay $10 for every portion again and again). Definitely recommended. Try the pork, it was seriously the best I've ever eaten.

Food and cocktails were great! I really liked the prawns and watermelon cocktail. Wasn't a fan of the abalone sushi nigiri.

Fine dining at it's best! Went here for a special dinner wanting to impress interstate visitors. Just see the bank manager before you go to Nobu... Peruvian and Japanese fusion really works! We know there are other Nobu establishments elsewhere in the world. Was taken by the one in Dubai - but happy there's one here in Melbourne! Robert De Niro connections impressive... Looked to see if he was around or at least Al Pacino... Although many celebs are to be seen here... So you walk down the stairs into super chicdom... And you are met by a superchic waiter... Takes a few minutes to work out the menu... don't let fusion become "confusion"! Amid the general noise in the place you need to listen very carefully to your waiter! Love the ambience and whole backlit thing going on... Mood lighting impressed our interstate guests - super chic. Loved the signature black cod miso... Cod that has been prepared for days marinated and glazed with miso. Tender amazing dish! The wagyu rib eye with red pepper miso, ponzuy and anticucho sauces. We happily shared this between the two couples and loved it! Then for dessert the amazing bento box action with the gold leaf... Hot chocolate fondant! With the combination of yummy green tea icecream!!! Yes!!! The flavours work incredibly together with the sweetness of the fondue and the balancing green tea which is not sweet. Had to take a photo... Presentation second to none... In a great precinct at Crown... Easy parking in Crown complex... We enjoyed perfect food and company in a sensational restaurant...

Honestly, while the food is fine, the music was unbearably loud. No one could hear the person sitting next to them. Across the table was impossible. It was very challenging to enjoy the meal, considering the music. We asked that they turn down the music, they did for approximately 2 seconds, cranked the music up again to deafening. The employees must be deaf! The food is fine to good, very creative, fine on flavor. Service fine to food BUT again, the exceedingly loud, destroyed the meal and any opportunity to enjoy your guests. Never take important clients to this restaurant. We ordered the 8 course Chef's Menu and couldn't hear what the waitress was saying was served. For the approximately $700 meal for four people, it was a BIG bust, primarily due to the LOUD music.

Whilst dinner was great I wasn't wowed. Service was ok. Food was good but for the hype price and expectations it was ok. You can get just as good elsewhere

Had an amazing dinner at Nobu last night and am already anticipating a return visit. I was hesistant to dine here as I was solo, and it was a very busy night in Melbourne and a very high-end restaurant. I needn't have worried: the staff were welcoming, the chef (Shinya-san) knowledgable and I had some wonderful company in the form of a lovely Japanese couple who sat next to me at the sushi bar. I chose the Omakase menu and was treated to a parade of wonderfully fresh, balanced and surprising dishes. The standouts for me were the Alaskan Black Cod and the Salmon Tartare, althouh the palate cleanser of guava sorbet with chocolate popping candy was cute and delicious. I paired these with some great Japanese craft beer - so nice to see some real craft inclusions rather than just Kirin or Asahi. My only complaint was that I couldnt try everything - sitting at the sushi bar and so close to the kitchen I saw all the wonderfully presented dishes as they crossed the pass into the restaurant with anticipation, only to be a bit sad when not all were for me! Having said that I ate plenty and was happily full after my final course of a molten chocolate cake with green tea icecream. I had a wonderful time and will certainly be back - just hoping that my work trip coincides when Chef Nobu himself is here in a few weeks' time!

Absolutely love Nobu ! My all time favourite restaurant for years now and Sunday was probably my 7th visit. It wasn't a special occasion but decided to go for a treat on a Sunday night after going to the footy. Originally booked for 8.15pm but decided to go early and request to sit at sushi bar (no booking req) and also if you wanted to sit upstairs at the bar for a la carte - no booking needed either. Service was prompt although our waiter talked really fast and had a strong accent which was more difficult to understand. I prefer to sit at the sushi bar instead of a table as it's brighter and I love watching the sushi chefs creating dishes that are so detailed. Edamame is always given when you are given menus. Ordered an amaretto on the rocks with lemon juice (I asked for lots of lemon juice instead of a wedge of lemon) and it made me so happy they gave me a little jug of lemon juice and also wedges of lemon - perfect ! We ordered the yellow tail with jalapeño, tempura baby shrimps with spicy sauce, miso cod, soft shell crab sushi. Everything tastes amazing and the Miso cod although expensive - it was a nice portion size. Loved it ! I still order the same thing every time I visit - hope I'll be more adventurous and try other dishes on my next visit !

I have been to a few different Nobus and this was not the best of experience. I made reservations for a 6 pm reservation. Told of the 2 hour dining time. We got there a few minutes before 6 and had to wait awhile for our table. Once we finally sat down, we waited a solid 20 minutes for someone to come to our table. The service was not that great. The music was loud. Tables are smushed together. Food was good but not worth the price. On a positive, the mojitos were amazing. Also give the tacos a try. They were delicious. Overall, I was not impressed whatsoever. I probably won't return.