Saké joins culinary elite at Melbourne’s Flinders Lane
Saké Restaurant & Bar is bringing its multi award-winning contemporary Japanese dining experience to Melbourne’s much-loved gastronomic destination, Flinders Lane. The World Loves Melbourne has enjoyed fine meals at Sake in both Melbourne and Sydney and we look forward to the Flinders Lane opening. Check out our Best Sushi in Melbourne. Also check out our Best Japanese Restaurants in Melbourne.
The new super-luxe, high-energy Saké restaurant is expected to open this April. Urban Purveyor Group is partnering Melissa Collison Design, which designed Saké Double Bay, and was shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards 2015.
The two-storey restaurant at 121 Flinders Lane has a vibrant street-level entry with a dramatic dining counter combining a sushi bar and spectacular robatayaki grill. The sweeping natural stone counter provides seating for more than 50 diners overlooking Saké’s world-class culinary team. This level seats over 125 customers and features intimate and communal tables.
The downstairs level showcases an expansive natural Japanese stone bar from which diners can watch a stellar drinks crew shaking, stirring and pouring signature and seasonal cocktails, as well as Melbourne’s largest selection of saké, shochu, Japanese whiskies and micro-brewed Japanese beers. This level also features a light-filled, modern terrace that accommodates outdoor diners and floods the restaurant with natural light during the day and provides romantic and atmospheric lighting in the evening.
National Saké Brand Culinary Director Stephane Chevet described the menu as bringing an innovative and playful twist to the signature Saké style and showcasing Victoria’s high quality local produce and ingredients.
“We’re looking at featuring dishes such as Nihon braised wagyu short ribs with seared foie gras, asparagus and caramelised onion; slow-cooked abalone with garlic lemon soy and taro crunch; southern rock lobster sashimi with ito togarashi, hijiki, and ume neri glaze; and Himalayan salt-chilled seared snapper, with karazumi, lemon oil and dry soy,” he said.
Saké Flinders Lane will be the fifth restaurant in the Saké fold. The first Saké Jr., a healthy fast-fine restaurant that features create-your-own bowls, buns and rolls along with grab and go versions of Saké’s signature items, is also slated to open at 555 Bourke Street in May, further strengthening the group’s Melbourne foothold.
Urban Purveyor Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas Pash said the group was thrilled to have secured a prime dining spot in the much-coveted Flinders Lane.
“We’re excited to bring the iconic, multi award-winning Saké restaurant to one of the top dining precincts in Australia,” Mr Pash said. “Flinders Lane features some of the best restaurants in the country and Saké is another powerful name to add to the already impressive list of venues located there.”
“Our new Saké will duplicate the winning strategy of its sister restaurants and also add some innovative, original and fun elements just for the Flinders Lane location, including a huge interactive dining counter, live entertainers, personalised shochu storage lockers and some other surprises.”
Sake Flinders Lane will open with a VIP launch party in April.