At Rōnin Ōmakase, cancelling more than 72 hours before your booking costs nothing. For a group of 4 or more the free window is 7 days, and a cancellation or no-show inside either window is charged in full to the card on file.
Nothing is taken when you book. Card details hold the seat, and the bill is paid at the counter at 445 Little Collins St once the meal is over. The omakase is from A$195 per guest (no prepayment required), with a surcharge of 10% on weekends and 15% on public holidays. The exact wording sits on the FAQ page; this article explains the thinking behind it.
The policy gives its own reason. As an omakase, ingredients are procured fresh and to order based on confirmed guest numbers, so a late cancellation leaves costs that cannot be recovered. There is no printed menu and nothing to order à la carte, which means the produce bought for a booking is bought for the courses that guest was going to eat.
The room is small, too. Rōnin seats ten at one counter, and every seat faces the chef. Chef Liam Lee cooks alone, finishing each of about ten courses at the counter and handing it straight across, and the evening is planned around the guests who are confirmed for it.
The card works as a guarantee rather than a payment. No charge is made when you reserve on OpenTable, and full payment is collected in the restaurant at the end of the dining experience. The card is only charged when a cancellation or no-show falls inside the window.
The 72 hour mark is the time to watch. For a Saturday booking at 6pm, a free cancellation is possible until 6pm on the Wednesday before. A party of four booked for that same Saturday needs to cancel at least 7 days prior to the reservation date, so by the Saturday a week earlier.
Dietary needs come first. Rōnin runs on a single chef, and the FAQ is direct about it: the kitchen cannot cater to dietary alterations, and that answer is given to the allergy question as well. Anyone in your party with a restriction should read our page on dietary requirements before a seat is held.
Timing is the other. The counter is dinner only, Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, and a sitting runs about two hours. Service starts on time and late arrivals follow a set rule; see the FAQ for it. If plans change, tell the team as early as you can on 0401 721 491 or at info@roninomakase.com.
Seats for each month open at 8pm on the 20th of the month before, and how booking works at Rōnin walks through the release. When the date you want is open, book your table on OpenTable.
No prepayment required: card details hold your seat and you pay at the end of the meal.
Call 0401 721 491 Email us info@roninomakase.com 445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000