Koto Dining

Celebrated my birthday with the tasting menu. Every single plate was delicious, fresh and complemented each other. It was hard to pick a favourite at the end of the night! The service was excellent, probably the best I’ve ever received in Australia, and the building itself is beautiful and really adds to the experience. Thank you for a beautiful evening!

Another stunning Japanese fusion restaurant. On a rainy and cold Canberra evening, the location, lighting and weather all added to the ambience.
We chose the $160 tasting menu with cocktails. the entrèe/ appetisers were outstanding. specially the kingfish sashimi, eggplant and tacos. each course was so well executed and presented and the delightful ending to the experience was you get both the desserts on the menu. the service outstanding with no fewer than 3 people helping us at all times and very attentive too. 5 stars all around. I dont know why it took us so long to try Koto out but safe to say we'll be back. Highly recommend.

We had wonderful new years eve in Koto, we had set menu,and I highly recommend everything.
And the food was incredible, food was served really quickly, and the staff service was excellent.
Koto has spesial vibes than others Japanese Restaurants in Canberra, has authentic outdoor garden design. Highly recommended

Everything was incomparably wonderful !!!The friendly and attentive service was excellent and made me feel like I was in a real fine dining restaurant in Japan. The sashimi was fresh and the flavours of all the dishes were delicately prepared. I enjoyed the food, both in appearance and taste. The Nasu Denraku and King Fish are particular favourites of mine. Thank you for a amazing dining experience. Definitely my most favourite restaurant and I would recommend it with confidence : )))))

Amazing experience. Loved the drinks, highly recommend their Apple mocktail (I ordered it because I was curious how wasabi and white chocolate would taste like together). Their other cocktails are good too, my friends enjoyed the hannya mask one and the lychee one a lot.
Exquisite food. Both wagyu and salmon tacos were really good, recommend 👍
highly recommend the miso eggplant, tofu, wagyu nigiri. Have to mention that we had the BEST miso soup ever here.

We didn’t get pictures of most of the things because we tried to enjoyed the foods and vibes as much as possible hahah

Wait staff was friendly and attentive. They had a lot of patience with us, and gave us good recommendations.
Definitely coming back 😻

Looking for a unique dining experience? Check out the newest Japanese restaurant in town! Delicious food, friendly staff, and great knowledge of cuisine and sake. Perfect for any occasion – whether it's a date night, family dinner, or lunch with friends

I was here a month ago and the memory still stays. I really love the food and the service they have in this Japanese restaurant! The food are truly Japanese taste and light to consume at night. Then, the sincerely friendly staffs are completely remarkable compared to other resto in town. On top of that, they keep an eye on my halal restrictions very carefully, it was helpful for a moslem like me who is looking for halal & delicious food in Canberra. Super recommended!

We had the best time at Koto. The food was amazing. The staff were friendly and very professional. The cocktail was nice and strong. The place was nice and quiet - almost serene. It’s pricy but I highly recommend. I’ll definitely come back again and bring more friends. The only downside was that the bathroom was so dark I couldn’t put my lipstick back on after I finished eating. Also, I would prefer the traditional tempura sauce over the three types of salt.

An amazing experience. I would highly recommend the tasting menu. Came to celebrate my partner's birthday and I was deeply impressed with the quality of the food and the authenticity behind each dish. It really sent us both back to our time in Japan. Highly recommend! My only complaint is that the atmosphere was a little noisy but if you are looking for an authentic and high quality Japanese food experience, I'd recommend Koto! Make sure you book ahead as it's very hard to find a table by just showing up.

A rare dining treat where everything was on point. Food was magnificent and plated to perfection. Service was friendly and attentive without being obtrusive. Ambience was excellent. Eggplant was an absolute standout. This is quality dining. Well done to the team.

Extraordinary dining experience - fantastic food, decor and service! 👌
You enter through heavy wooden doors and feel like you've been transported to another world 🌏
The waitress at the entrance was very hospitable and checked in on us throughout the night - she was genuinely interested to ensure our experience was going well.
The lighting and decor of the interior was very reminiscent of the Japandi style - the sunset really amplified the feel.
We ordered various dishes, highlights being the sweet miso eggplant (Nasu dengaku), beef short ribs (Shorto ribu) and Sakura fondant, which they graciously added a happy birthday message 😊🎉
Definitely a great experience and highly recommend restaurant if you are in the Canberra area

* You must go here at least once.
* Architecturally stunning. Zen garden, bonsai-ish trees, light wood verandah and doors, & ornately carved door handles.
* Attentive and nice waiters. Food is described fast. One lady kept asking "How was this dish? How was that dish?" - bit annoying.
* Some dishes are oily, lots of tempura and fried stuff so just make sure you order a mix of fried and non fried food.
* Generous portions, not too expensive.

Dish breakdown:
House made soy sauce: This deserves a special mention because it was so full of flavour, almost creamy. Commercial soy sauces are mostly salt.
Pear cocktail: It was slightly fizzy and mild tasting. No complaints, no wow.
Edamame: Best edamame I've tasted in Canberra. The sansho pepper was great, it tasted like Lao Gan Ma chilli oil.
Miso eggplant: A bit too sweet for me, I prefer the eggplant dishes at Raku or Akiba. It was still a decent dish, and if you're after a frugal feed, you could order this with a side of rice and it would be an amazing meal on its own.
Soft shell crab maki roll: My sister said it tasted a bit funky but I enjoyed the slight funk. A lot of ppl won't even notice this. ( I think this was the fish roe). They also incorporated the creamy bits of crab. Maki roll was definitely new and different. When you come to a high end restaurant, you want these new and unique flavours, so I quite enjoyed it.
Salmon tacos: Fried but very crispy and more-ish.
Bug tempura: A standout, highly recommend this dish. The texture was great. Bugs don't tend to have that much flavour, but you can appreciate the delicate flavour here. Corella, Pomegranate and Brunello had butter based or sauce covered bug dishes but I think this plain tempura one is the one I enjoyed the most.
Cauliflower: Not bad, again great dish with a side of rice for a frugal feed. My sister enjoyed the small lumps of pickled pear. I think this dish could be slightly improved if the Cauliflower was crunchier eg grilled.

Kudos to the team at KOTO. Excellent start ( well, they have been open for a while) and I look forward to tasting more of their dishes and seeing their evolution. The restaurant had decent attendance but there were plenty more seats available. I can see this one climbing up in popularity with time, a "sleeper hit."

Beautiful interior and exterior. Excellent service from our waiter Steve who was both professional and humorous. Food was exceptional. Vegan dishes were loved by all including my non-vegan friends. Def try the mushroom dish/eggplant dish and Brussel sprout dish. Will definitely return.

We went to Koto three time by now.
From a second you walk in you are in heaven! A beautiful atmosphere, very nice and minimal design, lovely surroundings. The food is absolutely fantastic! We had almost everything on the menue! The service is easy, non invasive. It was also easy to be there with children. Thanks team Koto for bringing such an amazing experience.

Inarguably the best Japanese restaurant in Canberra. This restaurant is so gorgeous, as is the food it serves. The interiors are understatedly beautiful and elegant. The food is beautifully presented and unpretentious, the flavours clean and refined. Everything that landed on our table was pretty and delicious. The wine selection is extensive and the food menu is thoughtfully curated. The servers were attentive, polite and friendly. I have been here a few times and will surely keep coming back. If we had Michelin star ratings for restaurants in Australia, this place should definitely have one.

I have visited Koto three times and the food has been consistently great. It's evident that they select great ingredients and prepare them with care. The standout was the Sake Karupacho, the Nadu Dengaku, and the Sakura Fondant. Really enjoyed the Momo drink too. The atmosphere is great - perfect for a late dinner - and the service was fantastic and personable. Highly recommend.

Exceptional service, exquisite food, and a serene Japanese garden make Koto Dining a truly memorable experience. We indulged in their tasting menu, and every dish was a delight to the senses. This was our second visit, and we’re already looking forward to returning soon. Highly recommended for an authentic Japanese dining experience!

I arrived earlier than my booking but was promptly shown to my bar seating. I had an Oimatsu Nashi Pear, the eggplant, the kingfish and the short ribs. Each was such a flavor bomb. I'm looking forward to be back. Thanks for the advice on my order and taking care of me so well.

I had just arrived in Canberra. I came into this restaurant hoping to treat myself to a substantial meal. It was all perfectly tailored to my demands, both in terms of taste and service.

Looking to take my Japanese house sitters out for lunch in Canberra and were recommended by more than one person who stopped to help us as we were interrogating Google.
Great location, beautiful food for the uninitiated. Wonderful atmosphere and sitting at the sushi bar watching the chef was a lesson in food artistry.
Highly recommend.