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Brisbane's Hidden Japanese Gems

Updated: Jan 14, 2026

The streets of Brisbane are home to a smattering of some top little Japanese eateries and bars that only the locals or those who stray from the beaten track know of.

From the basement restaurant hidden behind a speakeasy, Japanese tapas bar under a boutique hotel,a sushi drive-through, a restaurant dedicated to katsu and restaurants tucked away in laneways, plus Brisbane's oldest Japanese restaurant, here are 15 hidden gems from the city to the suburbs:

Hideki

Hideki is an exquisite Japanese restaurant specializing in yakitori, hidden away behind a lit-up cherry blossom tree in Burnett Lane

Mobo

A contemporary Japanese restaurant and tapas bar tucked away in a Kangaroo Point side street

+81 Sushi Kappo

+81 Sushi Kappo in West End is an intimate 12-seat omakase restaurant that has set a new benchmark in Brisbane dining

Genkotsu Ramen

Genkotsu Ramen is a hidden gem - an authentic little ramen house found tucked away at the end of a Toowong shopping arcade.

Taro's Ramen

Taro's Ramen is a pocket-sized contemporary Japan eatery by Brisbane’s own ramen master, tucked away upstairs in Brisbane CBD’s

Kimino

Minimalism and impeccable Japanese interior design intersect Brisbane's suburban coffee scene at Kimino

Shunsai

Shunsai is a real slice of Japan in Brisbane - a pocket-sized upmarket Japanese restaurant and bar found tucked away

Shabuhouse Japanese

women dining at table next to potted herbs inside Shabuhouse

Shabuhouse is a stunning Japanese Korean fusion restaurant that offers the best value refined dining to be had in the entire city.

KatsuCo Japanese Restaurant

Katsu being picked up by chopsticks at Katsuco Sherwood

This Japanese restaurant specialises in katsu - panko-crumbed, deep fried, premium cuts of meat and seafood

Yakitori Kiku

Tucked away in East Brisbane, Yakitori Kiku serves up authentic Japanese charcoal-grilled skewers in a cosy, Tokyo-style setting.

Mista Boo Drive Thru

Mista Boo is Queensland's first drive-thru sushi restaurant, offering fresh sushi rolls, rice bowls, karaage chicken & more

hôntô

hôntô is a stunning dark moodily-lit Japanese restaurant and bar hidden away in a Fortitude Valley back street

Shimo Yakiniku

A traditional Japanese BBQ restaurant tucked away down a lane in the Savoir Faire precinct of Park Road

Dami Japanese Restaurant

You've probably driven past it and not noticed the unassuming Japanese restaurant on Logan Road surrounded by car yards

Oshin Japanese Restaurant

Oshin’s cosy traditional dining space has been bustling with Japanese diners since 1987

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