From the acclaimed team behind Sunda, Aru is one of Melbourne's most lauded restaurants, with a cuisine spanning the ancient seafaring routes between China, Indonesia and northern Australia.
Set in a beautifully-designed space of brick, warm wood and marble by renowned architect firm Kerstin Thompson Architecture, Aru's cuisine is centred around a woodfired hearth. Dishes here are cooked or finished over the flame - oysters, prawns, and duck given a hint of smoke and char.
Highlights here include the duck sausage sanga - a take on the Australian classic: the Bunnings sausage - a pate en croute with flavours of banh mi, and the 14-day dry-aged duck.
Flavours are drawn from Asia, with native Australian ingredients - a mix that brought sister restaurant Sunda to fame - woven into the dishes.
Cocktails that change with the seasons and an extensive wine list complete the experience.