HAPPENINGS
Grilled squid with sambal belacan, a dash of salted egg tucked away in a ‘wu gok’, beef short rib satay with peanut sauce, Goolwa pippies with grilled fish cake and laksa… If you know the lingua franca we are speaking, welcome, to our celebration of Singapore’s 60th.
Together with Singapore Airlines and Melbourne Food & Wine, we visit the balmy shores of Singapore over one night – local flavours and favourites taken through an Aru rendition. Start with our spin on the Singapore Sling, cap it with a kueh bingka ubi. We can’t wait to saunter with you through her restaurants, hawker centres and the open-air eateries on the banks of the Singapore River – a Singapore story told with a refined touch.
Wednesday 22 October, 6.30pm
$168 pp
Tickets via the Kris+ App – download via link below
One lucky guest will also go into the draw to win 60,000 KrisFlyer miles, to use on Singapore Airlines flights.
[25 October] In the return of our partnership with the Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF), we are thrilled to present a lunch package to Jazz at the Bowl featuring the inimitable Harry Connick Jr.
Come for lunch and a live performance by the Kade Brown Trio, before being swept away by the signature style and magnetic presence of Connick, a masterful performer who has captivated audiences across music, film, television and Broadway.
Backed by his stellar band, this special performance will showcase the full breadth of Connick’s artistry – from jazz standards and swing-era classics to soulful originals.
Our packages include premium A reserve tickets and General Admission tickets. Jazz at the Bowl commences from 3pm, with a line-up of performances concluding at 9pm.
Saturday 25 October
Lunch: 12.30pm
Performance: 3pm – 9pm at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Price (A reserve): $350
Price (General Admission): $210
[20 – 25 October] Melbourne Fashion Week is sweeping across town, and to celebrate, we’re pouring a complimentary glass of sparkling with our signature set menu.
Graze on our signatures – the 14-day dry-aged duck, clay pot broken rice and a dark chocolate dessert to finish – amidst shimmering metal curtains and a setting sleek, moody and photogenic.
To redeem: Present your Melbourne Fashion Week ticket on arrival at ARU. Please note that this offer is eligible for guests dining on our Signature Set menu only.
Offered Monday 20 October to Saturday 25 October
For the first time, we will be opening for Christmas lunch with a distinctively ARU twist.
From an Asian Fruits de Mer platter to start to a crisp pork belly & wood roasted pork scotch as a main (glazed with five spice & hoisin), this Christmas menu – with debut dishes – is something we cannot wait to share with you.
This year, we invite you to celebrate Christmas with a difference.
Thursday 25 December
1st seating – From 11.30am
2nd seating – From 1.45pm
$295
All seatings are two hours each, dietary requirements welcome with advance notice.
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
Australia’s Wine List of the Year 2025 – Three Glasses
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.