HAPPENINGS
As winter draws to a close, we invite you to gather for an intimate evening tracing our roots (flame & charcuterie) and the ingredient we are synonymous with – duck.
Our signature dish has been expanded on and reimagined across a refined, multi-course menu, taking on new expressions with hints of fire and smoke.
To accompany this journey: the timeless allure of Burgundy. Curated pairings of voluptuous reds that echo the layered character of the menu.
Set within our private dining room and limited to just twelve guests, this is a rare and luxurious celebration – a final toast to winter, shared in exquisite company.
Friday 8 August, 6.30pm
$320
Following on from the success of our Fire & Grain dinner with The Balvenie, we are thrilled to be offering the menu of the night as a limited-time winter special.
Embark on a journey with us – of new and familiar dishes paired with limited pours of the Scottish distillery’s revered whisky range – a 12-year aged in American Oak, a 14-year aged peated malt, a 16-year aged French Oak and a 21-year aged PortWood.
For a fully exclusive experience, the Fire & Grain dinner is also offered in our private dining room as a full room book out – think your own whisky den with friends.
Fire & Grain feat. The Balvenie
Dinners in July & August
$280
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This is a prepaid experience with 48 hours-notice required. Some dietary requirements are unable to be accommodated. Please call us to enquire. The Balvenie experience in our private dining room is for 8-12 guests. Minimum spends may apply.
Private Dining
Ensconced away in Aru is our private dining room, Banda, which fully closes up to the rest of the restaurant. The rich, timber-encased space seats 12, with doors that offer seclusion.
Banda opens up onto The Terrace – an impressive landing with a view of our cellar. Here, you’ll find a grand long table set-up, a favourite amongst wedding parties, birthdays and celebrations of all sorts. The Terrace is separated from the dining room by a mesh curtain and seats 30. Both spaces can be booked separately or together.
We are delighted to offer additions for event bookings, including our babi guling – a Balinese-inspired suckling pig – and a Fire & Grain whisky pairing experience, where a special menu is paired with premium whiskies from The Balvenie. Both of these additions require advance notice.
In The Press
The Age Good Food Guide 2025 – Two Hats
The Age Good Food Guide 2023 – Two Hats
The Age Good Food Guide 2023 – Victoria’s Restaurant of the Year
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants – 50 Best Discovery
Gourmet Traveller – Review
The Age Good Food – Review
About
Named after the group of islands which ancient seafarers frequented as part of the Sino-Indonesian-Australian route, Aru draws on the cuisine of the three regions. Asian dishes deftly flecked with native Australian ingredients, grilled or finished over the wood-fired hearth.
In this beautiful, moody space of marble, mesh, wood and brick lies some of the city’s most renowned dishes and an impressive cellar list – a destination for a coming together of cuisines and cultures.
Gift Cards
Gift a dining experience at Aru with our digital gift cards, sent immediately to you or a recipient of your choice.
Gift cards are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase.