HAPPENINGS
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.
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 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
Lunch is paired with a live jazz performance at Aru.
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.