Korean Fine Dining in Melbourne
Korean fine dining in Melbourne has a short list of names, and most of them cook from a menu. Rōnin takes the other route: a ten seat counter in the CBD where Chef Liam Lee decides about ten courses on the day and plates each one in front of you. The cooking is Korean. The service is omakase.
This page is for people searching for a Korean restaurant that treats the cuisine the way the city’s best tasting rooms treat theirs. If you want a bowl of jjigae and a plate of fried chicken, there are good rooms for that and this is not one of them.
Korean Technique, Australian Produce
Fermentation and jang carry the seasoning. Charcoal carries the heat. Banchan and pickles are made in house rather than bought in. Produce is Australian, including, as Melbourne Food and Wine Festival reported, Korean vegetables grown for the counter on a private farm near Melbourne. The result sits closer to a Seoul hanjeongsik, the formal multi-course meal, than to a barbecue table.
How the Korean omakase works course by course and why banchan matters go deeper.
Liam Lee
Seoul training at Gyungbokgung Hanjungsik, then Melbourne kitchens at Nomad, Firebird and Studio Amaro, then Rōnin from 2026. Broadsheet covered the change under the headline that a former Nomad chef was bringing Korean flair to the counter. The chef page has the longer version.
Why a Counter and Not a Dining Room
Ten seats facing one chef means the cooking is never out of sight and nothing waits under a pass. It also means the room is small enough to book out for a group and quiet enough for two people who want to talk. Why only ten seats explains the choice.
What the Press Has Said
Broadsheet, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Concrete Playground and Sitchu have all written about the counter since the Korean relaunch. The coverage is collected on the press page.
Price, Hours and Booking
A$195 per guest (no prepayment required), paid at the end of the meal. Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, dinner only. Seats open on the 20th of each month at 8pm via OpenTable. No dietary alterations, no BYO.
FAQ
Is Rōnin a Korean barbecue restaurant?
No. There is no table grill and no ordering. It is a ten seat omakase counter where the chef cooks a fixed sequence of Korean courses.
How long is the sitting?
About two hours for roughly ten courses, starting from 6pm.
Do you serve Korean drinks?
Korean whisky has appeared at the counter, as Broadsheet noted. Ask on the night what is being poured. BYO is not available.
How much is dinner?
A$195 per guest (no prepayment required) for about ten courses, paid at the end of the meal.
Is there a dress code?
No. There is no dress code at Rōnin.
Where is the best Korean fine dining in Melbourne?
It depends whether you want a menu or a chef’s counter. For Korean fine dining as omakase, Rōnin seats ten at 445 Little Collins St, and Concrete Playground lists it among the best omakase in Melbourne.
Book a Seat
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Wed to Sat, 6pm to 11pm (dinner only)
0401 721 491 | info@roninomakase.com
Guides
Akaiito Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Aoi Tsuki Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Best Date Night and Romantic Restaurants in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Best Fine Dining and Fancy Restaurants in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Best Omakase in Melbourne: How to Choose · Best Private Dining and Group Dining in Melbourne CBD, Compared · Birthday and Anniversary Dinner in Melbourne CBD · Chae Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Chef's Table in Melbourne · Date Night in Melbourne CBD at a 10 Seat Counter · Degustation in Melbourne CBD: A Korean Degustation Menu · Dietary Requirements at Rōnin: What We Can and Cannot Do · Dinner Near Southern Cross Station: A 10 Seat Omakase Eight Minutes Away · Doju Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Intimate Fine Dining in Melbourne CBD · Is Omakase Worth It in Melbourne? An Honest Answer From a 10 Seat Counter · Ishizuka Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kentaro Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kirishima Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Kisumé Chef's Table Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Komeyui Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Korean Omakase in Melbourne · Minamishima Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Modern Korean Restaurant in Melbourne CBD · Nobu Melbourne Omakase Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Omakase Prices in Melbourne: What A$195 Covers at Rōnin · Omakase vs Kaiseki: What the Difference Is, and Where Rōnin Fits · Places to Eat Alone in Melbourne CBD: Solo Dining at the Counter · Private Dining in Melbourne for 10 People: Book Out the Counter · Rōnin on Little Collins Street: Getting Here · Sushi On Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · Tasting Menu and Set Menu in Melbourne CBD · Tipping and Service Charges at an Omakase in Australia · Warabi Price and Booking, Compared With Rōnin · What Is Omakase? Meaning, Etiquette and How It Works · Work Christmas Party and End of Year Function in Melbourne CBD
Journal
How Long Does Omakase Take? Planning Two Hours at Rōnin · Omakase Cancellation Policy at Rōnin: Why a Card Holds Your Seat · November at the Counter · What Is Banchan? Korean Side Dishes Made in House in Melbourne · 10 Seat Korean Omakase in Melbourne: Why Rōnin Keeps the Counter Small · What to Expect at Your First Omakase in Melbourne: Etiquette, Timing and Price · Korean Omakase vs Japanese Omakase in Melbourne: What Changes at the Counter · How to Book Rōnin Omakase in Melbourne: The Monthly Release on the 20th · What Melbourne's Food Press Says About Rōnin · Why There Is No Printed Menu at Rōnin Omakase, Melbourne