HAPPENINGS
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
–
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.
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.