A Japanese Dining Garden Is Opening On James Street

As if James Street needed another reason to tempt you to visit, a new elevated dining destination is about to shake up your usual wine-and-dine routine. Meet NIIWA — a refined Japanese restaurant opening later this month, poised to become your next go-to in Brisbane’s style epicentre.

Located beside Sixes & Sevens, NIIWA is the reimagined Hideki, transformed into an open-air, garden-like oasis designed to move with the spontaneous rhythm of James Street.

The latest concept from longtime friends and hospitality partners Wasim Ghanem and Joe Chagoury, NIIWA is lighter, more feminine, and fully atmosphere-driven — from the menu to the music. In short: it feels exactly at home on James Street.

Serving elevated Japanese share plates, flowing cocktails, and a vibe that evolves as the day turns to night, NIIWA is made for long lunches, late-night garden sessions, and everything in between.

A refined vision

Named after the Japanese word for “garden,” NIIWA strikes a balance between intention and ease, inspired by the belief that food, hospitality, and nature are deeply intertwined.

The space brings the outdoors into the city, layering plants, natural light, and thoughtful design to soften the urban setting. Expect unhurried afternoons that drift into sushi-fuelled evenings and cocktail-led nights — a place built for gathering, lingering, and losing track of time.

When the sun goes down

By day, a smooth, Mediterranean-leaning house soundtrack sets the tone. By night, the energy lifts with live DJs on Fridays and Saturdays from 9.30 PM to midnight, paired with a dedicated late-night food and drinks menu. Sundays switch it up with live jazz blended with DJ sets — because dinner should always come with a soundtrack.

The menu

At the helm is Hideki’s head chef, Winston Law, whose resume spans the Gordon Ramsay Group in London and the Langham Hotel in Hong Kong. His approach is refined, produce-driven, and precise.

Expect modern Japanese dishes designed for sharing, with highlights including shio miso edamame dip with negi and goma, spicy tuna dip with nashi pear, and a reworked okonomiyaki finished with pickled onion, mushroom, arare, and nori.

And the drinks?

Cocktails are a key player here — striking, inventive, and dangerously easy to order another. Think light aperitifs through to modern takes on classics, each one as considered as the food.

Save room for dessert, too. The NIIWA Garden — kinako, strawberry, sake chocolate, and vanilla ice cream — is the perfect full-stop.

NIIWA opens later this month. Consider your next long lunch (and late night) sorted.