Tucked away inside the Darling Hotel beside The Star casino in Pyrmont, Sokyo is without a doubt one of the very best Japanese cuisine eateries in Sydney, if not Australia.

We enter via the foyer of The Star Darling Harbour to find the entrance to the dimly lit Sokyo. To the right is the bar area and to the left is the bustling restaurant. The restaurants interiors are dark and moody, with mahogany timber tables, heavy linen and simplistic styling, food is hero here.

Today I’m meeting Zoe Marshall for a girls lunch and we’re quickly whisked to our seat by the window and offered water. Our waiter introduces himself and promises to return. It’s 1pm and bustling with couples and girlfriends enjoying ladies lunches, with waiters buzzing around holding dishes that are smoking and cocktails with garnishes that inspire my choice when the waiter returns. I order a margarita and Zoe orders a G&T.
We decide on a mix of dishes that we later learn was probably too much, but we’re excited about the range of options including fresh sashimi, spicy tuna nigiri, spicy edamame, miso cod and chicken. The dishes start arriving promptly including the sashimi platter we saw dispelling smoke as it was carried past us earlier.
The food is incredibly fresh and flavoursome, each dish as good as the last. We agree, it’s likely some of the best Japanese we’ve had in Australia as we order another serving of the cod.
Be warned, the spicy edamame packs a punch and try as we might, the cocktails didn’t take the edge off.


Before long we realise the restaurant has cleared out and we’ve been talking and eating for more than three hours, the sign of the perfect long lunch.
Whether it’s date night or a catch up, your guests won’t be disappointed by Sokyo, a true Sydney dining institution.
https://www.star.com.au/sydney/eat-and-drink/signature-dining/sokyo