Our Review Of Australasia: A New Chapter As The Manchester Restaurant Celebrates Its 15th Birthday

Australasia has been a mainstay on Manchester's restaurant scene for a whopping 15 years and, over that period, it's been a key pillar of pan-Asian cuisine in our city. Taking inspiration from the Pacific coast of Australia and all of the country's global influences, this venue continues to evolve - with new head chef Lucie Sainerova launching a menu focusing on open-flame cooking and small plates to share. To match? A modern revamp of the interiors.

Our post-revamp Australasia review sees the interiors tick all the boxes.

Australasia Manchester Review: New For 2025

Still entering via their famous glass prism by John Rylands Library and in front of neighbours Sexy Fish, Australasia gives a sleek first impression. The previous rattan chairs been upgraded to comfy seating upholstered in warm greys and earthy greens, while those iconic driftwood trees have 'grown' vibrant palm fronds. It feels like the Australasia that Mancunians know and love (the couple on the table next to us had this place in their date night rotation for years), but just that touch more cosy and modern in equal measure. 

With a big tick for the look - and the helpful servers, who easily talked through the menu changes and head chef Lucie Sainerova's vision - it was onto the drinks. Equally leaning into the restaurant's Pacific Rim influences, Australasia's cocktails caught our eye; a blueberry matcha (£14) for me and a Solstice Ritual (£13.50) for him. The menu called my drink 'dreamy' and, boy, did it deliver on that. A muddle of red berry CÎROC, Midori (melon liquor), matcha and cream that balanced earthiness and sweetness in equal measure, it was unbelieveably moreish, to the point of being downright dangerous. I had to stop myself ordering another three and drinking them immediately - although I wasn't able to resist trying to eat every bit of blueberry power from the side of the glass. While my other half's cocktail didn't turn him quite as feral, it was still a hit; taking the bitter edge off Aperol with Casamigos blanco tequila, toasted grapefuit juice, pineapple soda and lemon, creating a citrussy drink with a tropical feel.

Blueberry matcha cocktails and scorched tuna sushi go hand-in-hand here.

With cocktails hitting the spot, we quickly got to the main event: our selection of small plates from the a la carte menu, which all arrived as and when they were ready. First up, the tuna, shrimp and salmon ceviche (£16), 'cooked' in traditional Peruvian tiger's milk (citrus fruit juice with added chillies, red onion and herbs) and enhanced by galangal, roasted garlic and avocado. This was really zesty and refreshing, complete with bites of diced, fresh seafood with the perfect texture. The chicken karaage (£12) came next. While this dish was more saucy than I'd traditionally expect chicken karaage to be, each piece was delicious all the same, doused in sweet, sticky chilli honey.

My partner's personal favourite was next: torched spicy tuna and shiso roll (£15). We found it hard to pick our sushi, since options like the Alaskan king crab dragon roll with avocado and mango sounded equally tempting, but I didn't regret our choice for a second. Complemented by burnt goma (sesame) - adding to the smoky flavour of the scorched fish - and sweet apple gochujang, each morsel on the plate was flavourful. My only gripe was that I thought the rice was just a touch under seasoned.

Finally, we ended with a large plate as our 'main', accompanied by the miso grilled aubergine (£7) side that I probably wouldn't order again, since it was too overpowering on the salt and miso for my taste (I'd been expecting a nice glaze, but it was more of a thick miso-flavoured sauce on top). I dove into our slow-cooked sticky beef short rib (£32) with gusto, and while the sweet umami glaze, root vegetable crisps and mash with wasabi created a great taste, the meat was a tad dry. Next time, I'd lean towards making the most of the new Australasia menu's open-fire cooking angle and try something from the grill section instead.

Australasia's new menu features dishes like slow-cooked short rib with a Pacific Rim twist.

To finish, we nabbed a ginger crème brûlée (£10) for dessert. This creamy bowl of goodness had a fantastic kick, mellowed slightly by berries and lemongrass sorbet on the side. We washed pudding down with the Espresso Noir (£12.50), a subtle riff on an espresso martini thanks to added sea salt and dulche de leche, and the piña colada-like Maki Mirage (£12.50) with a spicy Tajin rim twist.

Overall: Australasia Manchester

While I was disappointed with the dishes we'd chosen as our main event, our great experience across the rest of the menu means I wouldn't write Australasia off. I can see why this restaurant is regularly chosen as a go-to date night destination, and the introduction of live piano sessions on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday nights will only solidify that. Fantastic ceviche, sushi and cocktails (make mine a Blueberry Matcha, please) mean Australasia is a triple threat.