Kazan brings a distinctly theatrical quality to Japanese dining in Sydney CBD at 25 Martin Place, occupying the unusual circular space above the Theatre Royal Sydney. Concrete Playground describes the venue as a sleek Japanese fine dining restaurant where the setting takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese noh stage, creating an open environment where chefs and diners remain closely connected.

That sense of theatre carries through to the dining room, with minimal barriers between the kitchen and guests and a design that balances contemporary elements with traditional Japanese influences. Alongside the main dining room, Kazan also offers a 10-seat private dining room, providing a more intimate setting for private dining and special occasions.

The menu keeps things focused, with sushi, robatayaki and Japanese-inspired share plates forming the foundation of the offering. Rather than staying strictly traditional, Kazan introduces subtle Nikkei influences through dishes such as confit duck breast with mustard soy, orange and sansho pepper, Glacier 51 Patagonian toothfish with corn purée and umeshu tomato, and robata-grilled lamb cutlets with aji amarillo and cucumber yoghurt.

Behind the menu is head chef Shinya Nakano, whose experience at Melbourne fine-dining restaurants Kisume and Nobu adds another layer to Kazan’s contemporary Japanese cuisine. His influence can be seen in a menu that combines refined Japanese cooking techniques with unexpected ingredients and flavours, from sushi and sashimi to robata-grilled dishes.

For Concrete Playground, Kazan is part of the new dining identity taking shape at 25 Martin Place—a contemporary Japanese restaurant in Sydney where food, architecture and performance come together in a setting unlike a typical CBD dining room.

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