Izakaya Hosaku in Melbourne CBD is such a fantastic spot for Japanese dining and drinks. I went for lunch and it was truly a memorable experience with creative flavours, great variety, and a vibe that feels both relaxed and special. The fruit sake flight was a fun and refreshing way to begin our meal, letting us sample different fruity sake styles that paired perfectly with the food. The sashimi set was fresh, vibrant and beautifully presented, each piece showcased quality and texture that made it a highlight of the day. The truffle fried rice had rich aroma and flavour, with just the right balance of umami, truffle and rice texture. The mapo tofu was bold, warming and satisfying, It was not authentic but it still tasted nice. The bone marrow wagyu beef was indulgent and delicious, a luxurious dish that really rounded out the meal in style. The restaurant itself has a cozy but polished atmosphere and the service was attentive throughout, right from seating to recommendations and pacing of courses. With a great mix of drinks, fresh sushi and inventive dishes, this is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city for a relaxed night out or special lunch.

The short version: Absolutely amazing food! fine dining quality dishes presented beautifully with balanced flavours and high quality fresh produce. Dined here on the 03/01/26 to celebrate my partners birthday and we ordered quite a feast and enjoyed every single dish that we had (full review below) Customer service was good (even with a slight language barrier at times) We ordered: Kingfish Carpaccio: Fresh fish with a well balanced sauce. The Kingfish literally melted in our mouths as we ate it. Wagyu Tataki: Delicious, Perfectly seared with each individual piece having a perfect tiny bloop of the smoked egg yolk. Citrus Salmon Crudu: Delicious and fresh salmon again seared perfectly with the citrus served on top adding a beautiful hint of freshness to dish. Tuna Tartare: This is the first time we tried Tuna Tartare (have had wagyu tartare elsewhere in the past) We were extremely impressed, it was not chewy at all with a nice silky texture and paired perfectly with the salty chips. Crispy Soft Shell Crab: Overall a delicious dish ( we ended up eating it mostly with just a squeeze of lemon juice as we felt the sauce wasn't the best accompaniment for the dish) It was cooked well and was easy to eat, Only slight downside was it was a tad oily. Scallops: They again were perfectly cooked and seared, Honestly some of the most tender and perfectly cooked scallops i have had. (i like that they served the full scallop including the roe) M5+ striplion: Tender and juicy with the fat rendered perfectly, we ordered a side of broccolini to accompany it and it was fantastic! The broccolini was cooked perfectly and the sauce was beautifully balanced and went along perfectly. Had a Fruity Sake flight to go along with the meals with our favourite being the Yuzu Sake which we ended up ordering as well. Overall we Spent $330 for multiple dishes and drinks and for the amount of food and the quality of the produce I feel it was well worth it! We hope to return for another visit in the near future!

Went to this restaurant for my birthday with my partner, amazing experience. Every dish was so delicious, there was so much attention to detail on every plate. The staff are very lovely. Will definitely be coming back!

Walked in here for lunch and got their lunch sets (1x salmon, 1x chicken). Also ordered takoyaki balls (6-pieces) as a side. Overall good portion size, clean taste, and food came out hot - unlike some other places we’ve tried - and the takoyaki balls tasted pretty authentic. Would definitely plan to come here again during their dinner service to try their sake and sashimi options. Other notes: Although we were a walk-in, you can also make reservations for larger groups via their website.

Cozy little Japanese place in the CBD. Great selection of sushi, sashimi, rolls and sharing dishes. Staff where very prompt and explained the menu. We ordered dishes to share and they were fresh, full of flavour and very well presented. We will definitely be back to try other dishes and the wider drinks menu.