Aru

From the acclaimed team behind Sunda, Aru is one of Melbourne’s most lauded restaurants, with a cuisine spanning the ancient seafaring routes between China, Indonesia and northern Australia.

Set in a beautifully-designed space of brick, warm wood and marble by renowned architect firm Kerstin Thompson Architecture, Aru’s cuisine is centred around a woodfired hearth. Dishes here are cooked or finished over the flame – oysters, prawns, and duck given a hint of smoke and char.

Highlights here include the duck sausage sanga – a take on the Australian classic: the Bunnings sausage – a pate en croute with flavours of banh mi, and the 14-day dry-aged duck.

Flavours are drawn from Asia, with native Australian ingredients – a mix that brought sister restaurant Sunda to fame – woven into the dishes.

Cocktails that change with the seasons and an extensive wine list complete the experience.