HAPPENINGS
Hanoi’s Michelin-starred Gia is taking over Aru and bringing its acclaimed tasting menu to Melbourne.
Gia’s culinary excellence has earned it a Michelin star for four consecutive years (a first for Vietnam) and ranks on Tatler’s Best 100 Restaurants in Asia. Gia’s co-owner and head chef Sam Tran is the first Vietnamese woman to ever be awarded a Michelin star and has also been individually recognised by Michelin by receiving the Young Chef Award in 2023.
This invitation marks the continuation of a long-standing friendship between Tran and Aru. Early in her career, Tran worked at The Windsor Group before reuniting with Aru for a Melbourne Food & Wine Festival collaboration in 2023.
Guided by her memories of Melbourne and the produce bridging winter and spring, Tran utilises ingredients like local clams, new-season asparagus alongside fermented rice, and the Aussie staple she grew to love: Vegemite.
September 1 & 2 from 5.45pm
8-course tasting menu, $235pp
Tasting menu with beverage pairing, $360pp
Non-alcoholic pairing, $75pp
With a limited number of seats per evening, reservations are essential.
Please note that Gia at Aru will take place at 268 Little Collins Street.
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 a wood fire grilled sanchoku wagyu ribeye MB6+, 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 2026 – Two Hats
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.