Restaurant in Richmond, Australia
La Liste-ranked sushi. Book for special occasions.
Minamishima is Richmond's most internationally recognised sushi destination, holding 86 La Liste points in 2026 and a Google rating of 4.6 from 857 reviews. It is best suited to special occasions and guests who want a kitchen-led experience. Booking is rated easy by Pearl, but plan two to four weeks ahead for the best availability.
Minamishima is one of Richmond's most serious dining destinations, holding La Liste scores of 86 points in 2026 and 85 points in 2025 — placing it firmly among the leading restaurants in Australia. If you are planning a celebration dinner or a meal that needs to impress, this is a strong candidate. Booking is rated easy by Pearl's standards, which means you do not need to camp on a reservations page months out, but you should still plan ahead rather than decide on a whim.
Minamishima sits on Lord Street in Richmond, a suburb that punches well above its residential feel when it comes to serious dining. The venue serves Japanese sushi in a format that, at this La Liste tier, almost certainly runs as a structured omakase or chef-directed progression rather than à la carte ordering. For a guest planning a birthday dinner, an anniversary, or a high-stakes business meal, that structure works in your favour: there are no awkward menu negotiations, and the experience has a clear arc from start to finish.
Richmond is not a traditional fine-dining precinct in the way that Melbourne's CBD or Southbank are, which is part of what makes Minamishima worth noting. It holds its La Liste position year-on-year without the foot traffic of a central dining corridor, drawing guests who have made a deliberate choice to be there. That focus tends to show in service consistency. For context on how it fits into Melbourne's broader high-end dining picture, Attica in Melbourne and Brae in Birregurra operate at a comparable level of international recognition, and all three reward the same type of guest: someone who wants to surrender the evening to the kitchen's judgment.
Pearl rates booking difficulty as easy, which is useful context for a La Liste-ranked venue. That said, "easy" is relative for a sushi counter format: seat counts at venues like this tend to be small by design, so weekends and holiday periods will fill faster than midweek slots. Book two to three weeks out for a weekday reservation; for a Saturday or a public holiday, four to six weeks is safer. Check the venue's own booking channel directly at Pearl's full Richmond restaurants guide for current availability links.
Price range is not confirmed in Pearl's data for Minamishima, but La Liste venues at this score level in Australia typically run in the AUD 200–350 per person range for a full omakase experience. Budget accordingly, and factor in drinks separately if you are pairing wine or sake through the meal.
For the broader Richmond picture beyond dinner, Pearl's local guides cover bars, hotels, wineries, and experiences in the area. If you are visiting from elsewhere, Saint Peter in Sydney and Botanic in Adelaide are comparable-tier destinations worth knowing in the same trip-planning conversation.
Minamishima is the right call if you want a structured, kitchen-led Japanese sushi experience in Melbourne at a La Liste-recognised level, and if you are willing to commit to the full experience rather than drop in casually. It is a stronger fit for two people than a large group, given the counter-format likelihood. Solo diners who are comfortable at a sushi counter will find it an excellent choice. For casual Richmond dining at a lower spend, the suburb has plenty of alternatives — see Baan Lao or Berties Butchers and Little Bertie's Cafe for a different register entirely.
If Japanese sushi at this level interests you beyond Melbourne, Ginza Sushiko in Los Angeles and Sushi Sakai in Fukuoka are reference-point venues in the same format.
Quick reference: La Liste 86pts (2026) | Google 4.6/5 (857 reviews) | Booking: easy, 2–4 weeks recommended | Leading for: special occasions, couples, solo counter dining | Address: 4 Lord St, Richmond VIC 3121.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minamishima | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 86pts; La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 85pts | — | |
| Chef Tony Seafood Restaurant | — | ||
| Jade Seafood Restaurant | — | ||
| Lemaire Restaurant | — | ||
| HK BBQ Master | — | ||
| L'Opossum | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Minamishima and alternatives.
Yes, and it may actually be the format that suits solo diners best. A sushi counter puts you directly in front of the kitchen action, which works well when you're dining alone and want the meal itself to carry the experience. Minamishima's La Liste ranking (86pts in 2026) signals enough culinary seriousness to make a solo visit feel like a considered choice rather than a fallback.
This is the clearest yes in the FAQ. Minamishima holds 86 points on La Liste 2026, placing it among Australia's most recognised Japanese restaurants, and the structured sushi counter format gives a special occasion dinner a natural arc. If you want a kitchen-led experience with genuine prestige behind it rather than just a nice room, this is the right call in Richmond.
Minamishima operates as a sushi counter restaurant, so the bar or counter is effectively the primary dining format, not a casual add-on. This is a feature, not a compromise: counter seating at a venue of this calibre puts you close to the preparation and gives the meal its structure. Walk-in availability at the counter is not guaranteed at a La Liste-ranked venue, so booking ahead is advisable.
Richmond has a genuinely strong dining corridor, but direct like-for-like alternatives for structured Japanese sushi at this recognition level are limited in the immediate suburb. For a different cuisine at a comparable occasion level, other Melbourne inner-city options are worth considering. If you want the Japanese sushi counter format specifically, Minamishima at 4 Lord St is the clear reference point in this part of Melbourne.
Come prepared for a kitchen-led format: the meal follows the restaurant's sequence, not a la carte choices, which is standard for a venue operating at this level of Japanese sushi. Minamishima is on La Liste's global ranking with 86 points in 2026, so the quality bar is set high, but so are the expectations around pace and engagement with the meal. Book in advance; this is not a drop-in restaurant.
The venue data does not specify a dress code, but a La Liste-ranked sushi counter in Melbourne consistently attracts guests dressing at smart casual to formal end. Turning up in activewear or beach wear would be out of place. When in doubt, dress as you would for a serious occasion dinner: considered clothing that shows the meal was planned.
A sushi counter format naturally limits group size, and large parties typically do not fit the structure well. Pairs and small groups of three or four are better suited to the format than tables of eight or more. If a group booking is your priority, confirm capacity directly with the restaurant at 4 Lord St, Richmond, before committing.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
