There is a specific kind of cooking that only really makes sense when you have the right hands on the grill, and that is exactly what Âpé Chilean Nikkei Restaurant has been doing since it opened in 2022. Tucked into The Boardwalk at Honeysuckle Drive, the name is pronounced 'Ar-Pay' and it comes from the Ainu language of Hokkaido, where it means 'fire' — which is a fitting starting point for a place that cooks everything over charcoal.
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The concept is Nikkei, the fusion of Japanese and South American flavours, and the team behind it is built from Newcastle's own dining scene. Taiyo Namba, who you will know from Susuru and Nagisa, co-owns the place, and Head Chef Nicholas Pedermonte, of Chilean descent and a former sous chef at Nagisa, runs the kitchen. The cocktails are the work of Chris Wilson, owner and bartender of The Koutetsu, so the drinks are given as much thought as the food.
What sets Âpé apart is the commitment to the grill. Every piece of meat is cooked over charcoal using yakitori techniques, and the beef comes mostly from Binnie Beef up in the Upper Hunter, which specialises in premium Wagyu. The menu runs through rib eye, flank, picanha and a substantial 800g T-bone steak, and for anyone who wants to make a night of it, there is a nine-course Butcher's Feast — also called the Butcher's Fire Feast — at A$125 a head for two hours, running from 12 August to 12 November. It is not all beef, though; there are oysters, king prawns, octopus and the catch of the day for when you want something lighter.
The room itself is worth a look. Ben Berwick of Prevalent Architecture handled the design, leaning into an industrial look with sustainable touches like mycelium panels and pineapple leather, and the layout puts you right up front with bench-style seating facing the yakitori grill, so you get to watch the work happen. There are 80 seats in total, the place is fully licensed, air-conditioned and has disabled access, so it works as well for a group as it does for a quieter dinner.
And then there is the bar, which is a destination in its own right. There are more than 100 types of whisky on the shelf, ranging from A$11 at the entry level up to A$156 for a Taketsuru 21 Years Pure Malt, alongside Hunter region wines and sake. If you are after a more relaxed visit, happy hour runs Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 6pm.
On hours, it is open Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 9:30pm, and Friday to Sunday with a lunch service from 11:30am to 2:30pm before reopening at 5pm. The dry-aged T-bone and the charcoal yakitori are the dishes that keep coming up in reviews, so they are the obvious places to start. Whether you go for the full feast or just a few skewers and a whisky, it is a polished, well-considered spot on the Honeysuckle waterfront.
