Honeysuckle: Âpé Yakitori

This one-of-a kind restaurant and bar in Newcastle’s Honeysuckle district was a long-held dream of Tayio Namba, co-owner of Nagisa, one of Newcastle’s finest Japanese restaurants. Âpé means fire in the language of the indigenous people of Hokkaido and the northern islands of Japan and fire is at the centre of this brand new venue with its keen focus on local produce for the menu and on innovative carbon negative materials for the sleek fitout.

atch chef Nicolas and his team skillfully prepare skewers of Wagyu beef rib fingers, chicken wings, scallops, dry aged salmon or baby corn and broccoli shoot heads over a deliberate mix of charcoals from Turkey and Western Australia for a rich but nuanced flavour. The wine list celebrates local winemakers, and spirits on offer include an impressive array of Saké, Japanese Whiskey and a cocktail list curated by Chris Wilson from nearby The Koutetsu.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, lunch 11.30am to 2pm and dinner 5.30 to 10pm.