Robata

Melbourne CBD · $$$ · Japanese

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#1 in Melbourne Japanese ranking

How ratings work

Fork & Flag Score

75.0/100

Authenticity

1/1

Taste

1/1

Vibe

1/1

Value for Money

1/1

Recommend

10.0/10

About Robata

San Telmo Group’s Japanese grill on Exhibition Street at the Flinders Lane corner in the Herald & Weekly Times building (former Gazi site). Ewert Leaf’s neon Tokyo dining room centres on a custom charcoal robatayaki grill where Head Chef Lily McGrath — Good Food Young Chef of the Year 2024 — serves yakitori and kushiyaki, sashimi and snacks, and larger fire-kissed plates including O’Connor’s dry-aged club steak and Kagoshima wagyu. Three set menus — The Prequel ($70), The Original ($110) and The Director’s Cut ($150 per person) — are offered for lunch and dinner bookings of two or more; groups of eight or more must take a set menu per the book-online policy. Open seven days from 12pm; Google Maps lists Mon–Thu and Sun until 9pm and Fri–Sat until 10:30pm (Jun 2026). Reservations via SevenRooms; weekend and public-holiday surcharges apply. Whisky and sake bar alongside the grill.

From diners

  • Robata’s Tokyo‑neon fit‑out and izakaya buzz frame a robatayaki grill that serves intensely pure, smoke‑kissed flavours. I loved the chargrilled eggplant, chicken thigh and spring onion yakitori, flank steak with wasabi butter and pickled beetroot, and the hōjicha mochi donut with mascarpone cream and coffee syrup for a sweet, artful finish.

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    Rated 12 July 2026