Restaurant in Potts Point, Australia
Potts Point's go-to Japanese for dates.
Cho Cho San is a well-regarded Japanese-influenced restaurant on Macleay Street in Potts Point, best suited to dates and special occasions. The room is low-lit and considered, the menu moves through small plates in a natural progression, and booking is easier than most comparable Sydney options. Go if you want an occasion dinner without the pressure of a hard-to-get reservation.
Cho Cho San is one of Potts Point's most reliable dinner reservations for a special occasion — a Japanese-inflected restaurant on Macleay Street that has held steady local attention since opening. If you want a room that feels considered without being stiff, and a meal that moves through Japanese-influenced small plates with enough structure to feel like an event, book here. If you want a blowout tasting menu in the vein of Attica in Melbourne or Brae in Birregurra, you are in a different category and should plan accordingly.
The room on Macleay Street is long and low-lit, with a layout that works for dates and pairs better than large groups. Seating is close enough to feel alive but not so cramped that a private conversation becomes impossible. The spatial feel is deliberately relaxed-Japanese: pale timbers, a visible kitchen pass, and counter seating that gives solo diners or couples a front-row view of the kitchen. For a special occasion in Potts Point, the setting clears the bar — it reads as an occasion without requiring black-tie energy.
The menu architecture follows a progression of smaller Japanese-influenced dishes, which means the meal has a natural arc. You move through lighter, colder preparations toward richer plates, and the pacing is generally well-managed for a dinner that runs two or more hours. This is the format that works leading here: arrive without a hard finish time, order across the menu, and let the kitchen set the tempo. If you want a faster in-and-out dinner, the format may feel slow.
Booking is relatively easy compared to harder-to-crack Sydney rooms like Rockpool. A week or two of lead time is usually sufficient, though weekend evenings around public holidays will close faster. Walk-ins at the bar counter are possible on quieter nights but not a reliable strategy if the occasion matters. For broader planning in the neighbourhood, see our full Potts Point restaurants guide, and if you are building a full evening, the Potts Point bars guide covers what is within walking distance after dinner.
If Japanese small-plate progressions like this interest you internationally, Le Bernardin in New York City and Lazy Bear in San Francisco offer useful reference points for what a more structured tasting format delivers at a higher price tier. Cho Cho San sits below those in ambition and price, which is not a criticism , it is the right positioning for what the venue actually delivers.
Quick reference: Macleay Street, Potts Point , dinner format, Japanese-influenced small plates, easy to book with 1–2 weeks notice, good for dates and special occasions, counter seating available.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Cho Cho San | — | |
| Dumpling and Noodle House | — | |
| Fratelli Paradiso | — | |
| Glider Cafe | — | |
| Harajuku Gyoza Potts Point | — | |
| Room Ten | — |
Comparing your options in Potts Point for this tier.
Cho Cho San's menu leans Japanese with a modern Australian edge — the shareable small plates are the format to lean into. Order a spread across the menu rather than treating it like a single-dish meal. The kitchen is known for precision over portion size, so over-ordering slightly is the right call for two.
Book at least 2 weeks out for a weekend dinner, longer if you want a specific table configuration. Cho Cho San at 73 Macleay St is a consistent Potts Point favourite for date nights and occasions, which means weekend slots clear fast. Weeknight availability is generally easier to secure.
The room is low-lit and polished without being formal — think a step above casual. Jeans work if the rest of the outfit pulls its weight. It's a Potts Point crowd, so people tend to dress with some intention, but there's no dress code enforced.
Fratelli Paradiso on Macleay is the closest comparable for atmosphere and occasion-worthiness, but Italian rather than Japanese. Harajuku Gyoza Potts Point suits a more casual, lower-spend version of Japanese in the same neighbourhood. If you want something lighter and earlier in the day, Glider Cafe or Room Ten work well for breakfast and brunch.
Yes — it's one of the more reliable special-occasion calls in Potts Point. The room on Macleay Street reads as a destination dinner without being stiff, which is a difficult balance. It works best for two or a small group of four; the format doesn't suit large celebratory parties particularly well.
Groups of two to four are the sweet spot. The room layout works against larger parties — seating is close and the space is long and narrow, which makes coordinating bigger groups across the table harder than ideal. For a group of six or more, consider whether a private-dining option elsewhere might serve you better.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
