Nikkei fire at Chotto Matte Bondi
Japanese precision meets Peruvian fire at Chotto Matte Bondi, the first Australian outpost of the global Nikkei restaurant brand, set in the heart of Bondi Beach, opening in November 2026. Expect a two-metre robata grill, a sushi counter, colourful cocktails and DJs keeping the room humming late.
Nikkei cooking began more than a century ago, when Japanese immigrants in Peru started adapting their techniques to local produce. Chotto Matte is that story with the volume turned up.
Founder Kurt Zdesar is Australian-born and spent almost a decade as European Director of Nobu before opening the Soho original, so Bondi is as much a homecoming as a debut. Group Executive Chef Jordan Sclare has shaped the food from the start, and the kitchen is built around that robata grill alongside sushi, sashimi and ceviche.
It is a big, colourful room with art on the walls and a soundtrack to match, and it suits a Bondi night out better than a quiet one.
Quick Bites
EAT: The Nikkei Sashimi, one of the brand’s signatures.
DRINK: Ask the bar to match a cocktail from the Tokyo to Lima collection to whatever you’ve ordered, because the drinks are designed to pair with the menu.
PLAY: Bring a group. A 250 seat room with DJs on the decks is built for big birthdays and Bondi nights that run late, and the beach is right there for the walk home.
VIBE CHECK: Loud, colourful, late.
