Whether you live there or are just visiting, it's hard not to be completely won over by Australia's cultural capital and its highly regarded dining scene – even more so once you find the best steak restaurants in Melbourne. Overrated or not, it's hard to deny just how healthy the food and drink are here, with a head-spinning amount of options for those essential Melbourne steak nights, whether that's hopping across South Yarra to go on a bit of a steak binge at the likes of France Soir and Angus & Bon or sticking closer to the CBD at newcomer Gimlet and legendary Grossi Florentino. After centuries of hunting for meat, it's no surprise that even in this day and age, humans still have the innate craving that leaves us salivating at the thought of a juicy steak fresh off the grill. After all, it's nutrient-rich and has been credited for fuelling the entire human race's progression up the food chain. But beyond that, it's simply delicious when prepared well.
Our methods have certainly advanced since our ancestors, especially in Australia's food capital – Melbourne. So, this begs the question: Which restaurants do the best steaks in Melbourne? Thankfully, a few dedicated groups have done all of the hard work and sourced the best steaks that this culinarily dynamic city has to offer. We consulted the lists compiled by the big players in the food blogging game, and what we found was far from disappointing!
List Of Steak House In Melbourne
France Soir
When it comes to searching for a juicy Melbourne steak, France Soir should be one of the first names that spring to mind. This South Yarra favourite is the burly elder statesman for Melbourne's meat lovers – dependable, powerful, and truly a master of the game. There's plenty to chew on at this eternally busy French institution, from the $22 snails served swimming in garlic butter to the $26 calamari with chorizo and jalapenos. But it's the grill you're here for, for which South East Gippsland shines with the best beef from the O'Connor family. Primo choices include a $53 600g rib eye and the $42 330g porterhouse.
Entrecôte
You've got a great pick when it comes to Parisian styled steakhouses in Melbourne, but you'll be saving yourself from some choice anxiety if you only focus on the best. Entrecôte is one of those, another South Yarra favourite and a shoo-in for best Melbourne steaks. Any decadent meal here should start with the $159 caviar service of Polanco Sturgeon, Oscietra Grand Reserve, before jumping straight to either the $79 two-course or $94 three-course meal options. Either choice gives you a pick from a great list that includes the signature steak fries, consisting of pasture-fed Cape Grim Angus porterhouse served with fries and house-made herb butter sauce.
Angus & Bon
We haven't left South Yarra yet. Not quite, at least. Hopping over to Prahran, we've got Angus & Bon, easily one of the finest choices for affordable steak in the city. The classically styled bistro puts a great deal of focus on their exceedingly good steak offerings, typically with five primary options perfect for meat lovers. The most expensive? That'd be the $130 grass-fed Angus rib eye MBS4+, an 800g beast carved up to share. Like France Soir, the kitchen sources this prime beef from the O'Connor family in South East Gippsland. Another pure winner is the $90 300g Westholme wagyu porterhouse MBS6+, an order which can never go wrong.
Steer Dining Room
Okay, we still haven't left the area around South Yarra. But that's for a good reason. Steer Dining Room offers one of the top steak nights in Melbourne, and they take the art of selecting only the finest cattle and cuts very seriously. After all, their motto is that "fine steak should be treated as preciously as caviar." As a result, Steer has one of the most comprehensive selections of Melbourne steaks you can find, not just in the city but in the entire country. And that serious steak love comes with some fairly high prices. You'll need multiple visits to be able to tease out the best options. Still, popular choices at Steer include the hefty $215 1kg rib eye MBS9+, cut from the Sher family's F1 wagyu sourced within the state, and the $149 200g tenderloin eye fillet MBS9+, from full blood wagyu sourced via South Australia's historic, award-winning Mayura Station.
This is a review for steakhouses in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
"Excellent deco and very friendly waiters Great steak Incredible mud crab with Asian spice Get a decent bottle of wine to go with meal Spend a very nice and easy-going evening Place is not crowded when we got there, but it's very crowded when we leave at 930pm."
These are some highly-rated steakhouses in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
- Palermo (5/5)
- Garçon (5/5)
- Champion's Bistro (5/5)
- Blazed Bar & Grill (5/5)
- Steak Bank Charcoal Grill (5/5)
The Railway Club Hotel is a great choice for a casual steak dinner.
The Melbourne CBD has a host of great steak restaurants including, A Hereford Beefstouw, The Meat & Wine Co. and Rockpool Bar & Grill.
Steak Is High In Beneficial Fatty Acids. We all know how important protein is, and red meat is an excellent source of protein, as well as iron, B12, zinc, dietary creatine, and quite a few other good-for-you nutrients.
FAQs About Good Steaks In Melbourne
Pascale Bar & Grill
Wrapped in the lavish designer chic splendour of QT Melbourne, Pascale Bar & Grill stands on its own as a destination restaurant, hinged on several signature dishes. None are as powerful as the trademark steak, though, proudly Parisian in flair and made all the more comforting by the restaurant's modern baroque interiors. To tease the palate with some mild meat sweats, grab the $20 beef tartare mixed with chilli, egg yolk, and crisp potato. Then, it's gradual ease into the more substantial power move of the namesake QT ribeye, a $48 300g 28-day dry-aged beast showcasing the virtues of Gippsland produce, served with just some light, creamy, and classic bearnaise.
La Luna Bistro
Sure, you might just be dropping into La Luna to pick up some of the best small gods in Melbourne, but you'd be remiss if you didn't return at least three times for dinner. Adrian Richardson's Carlton establishment is widely known as the place to get some of Melbourne's leading steaks, amongst other dishes like a $21 billboard sausage with potato aioli and $32 pappardelle scialatielli pasta with a pork & veal ragout. But, of course, the real star will always be the grill here. All the cattle used here is grass-fed and dry-aged for 80 days, best experienced via the signature $48 280g butcher's cut, served simply with chimichurri and spinach, and the $80 500g rib eye with green beans and classic Cafe de Paris butter.
Gimlet
Pulling people to Russell Street and Flinders Lane corner is the latest opening from Andrew McConnell, Gimlet at Cavendish House. And out of all the new restaurants to open in Melbourne across 2020 and 2021, this is one with some serious staying power. Aside from the elegantly designed interior and quick-witted service, the food and wine have been drawing rave reviews across the board. Key to this is the steak that McConnell has wisely made a cornerstone of the menu, offering Melbourne steak lovers the signature $55 250g scotch fillet served simply with Cafe de Paris. No-fuss, classic, and as mind-blowing as a steak should always be.
A Hereford Beefstouw
With a custom-built ageing facility in South Australia, A Hereford Beefstouw has precision control over the meat quality they serve. And the standards are very high. You'll taste why with any of their cuts, taken from beef sourced from the Riverina region and finished on a specialised ration program of strictly Australian cereals and grains for a minimum of 150 days. The important marbling this achieves is best tasted via the whopping $92 500g eye fillet, served carved and designed to share between at least two people.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Best known for when Neil Perry was leading the charge, the legendary Rockpool Bar & Grill maintains its reputation as one of Melbourne's most popular steak restaurants. The brand's reputation was built on consistency, so as soon as you enter the impeccably dressed restaurant, you know you're in for an experience. There are more than a few options here for your steak night, but if you want to all-out, get the signature dry-aged Mishima MBS9+ from David Blackmore, whether that's as a $240 300g sirloin on the bone or a dish of $70 240g short ribs. The kitchen butchers in-house every single day, which should tell you all you need to know about how serious Rockpool Bar & Grill is when it comes to serving Melbourne's juiciest steaks.
Vue De Monde
Widely considered one of the best restaurants in Melbourne – not just for the steak – Vue De Monde more than earns its place on this list. The acclaimed fine-diner is invariably best experienced with the $310pp chef's menu, which changes so often that it's tiring to keep up with Executive Chef Hugh Allen and his passionate expression of Australian native ingredients. There's no specific steak to try here, and sometimes the chef's menu doesn't include one at all. However, it's always worth checking ahead to see what's on the list for this season – if you spot a cut of cattle, know that it's going to be one of the most popular steaks you can find in Melbourne.
The Railway Club Hotel
All of Melbourne's best pubs are fairly dependable when it comes to grabbing a nice value steak. But The Railway Club Hotel often referred to as the original steak pub of Melbourne, is something else entirely. You'll often find a few unexpected items on the menu, one's you wouldn't peg to a traditional pub meal. But steak is always the way to go here, usually from three different cattle. The best choice is a Robbins Island full blood wagyu MBS7-8+, served as a porterhouse or rump with three different sizes. Get the $78 300g porterhouse if your appetite is particularly wild that day, or settle for the $55 300g rump. Either way, The Railway Club Hotel's reputation as one of the best steak pubs in Melbourne stands firm.
Steak Ministry Bar & Grill
Suppose you peel yourself away from Melbourne CBD for a night, head on out to Glen Waverley, where you'll find Steak Ministry Bar & Grill. The upscale grill has become an easy favourite for the neighbourhood, revered primarily for the kitchen's signature Mississippi BBQ Pork Ribs. The specially imported a hot smoker from the US. A full rack of those will set you back $65, so it's a good idea to have a dish spread out on the table alongside individual orders like the $60, 400g rib eye or the $60, 300g, MS9 rump taken from F1 Sher Wagyu. Although if you're looking for a challenge, you'll want to split a market price Tomahawk, again taken from F1 Sher Wagyu, with a marble score of 6. The 2.8kg beast has been known to destroy even the most Ron Swanson-esque of men, so don't approach this lightly. Whatever you do, start with the $23 lobster bisque, which uses Tasmanian lobster with lobster ravioli and Cognac. It's the smartest way to start a meal here.
Mpd Steak Kitchen
MPD Steak Kitchen's floor would be drenched in meat sweats if the owners didn't maintain such an immaculately clean floor. Located on Clyde Road in Berwick (and Derby Road in Caufield), the two-venue New York Style restaurant has some serious chops awaiting guests who are wise enough to choose this for a great steak night. The Berwick location is the most popular, especially for groups game, enough to tackle the $180 Surf & Turf, which is built with a 1kg tomahawk, sitting pretty next to a juicy Moreton Bay bug with both benefitting from garlic butter and triple cooked fat cut chips. It's epic and tough to finish, but if you consider yourself a steak enthusiast, it's a Melbourne rite-of-passage.
Middle Park Hotel
Middle Park Hotel is another historic steak pub that Melbourne locals can never get enough of. The venue has been serving up hearty fare since 1889, and the fact that it remains one of the better choices for steak in Melbourne is a testament to its supreme staying power. You might as well go all out here and get the full experience – a $145 1.4kg tomahawk black Angus that's cooked perfectly over a wood-fired grill. So save your cash and go straight from that, and you're guaranteed to leave singing Middle Park Hotel's praises as one of the best steak restaurants in Melbourne.
Vlado's
If you consider yourself somewhat of a steak lord, then you've no doubt been scrolling through this list waiting to see if Vlado's was omitted so you can immediately disapprove. Well, sorry to disappoint you. Vlado's is an icon, and rightfully so. The historic steakhouse, one of Australia's best known, has been around since the early 60s and uses only meticulously sourced meat cooked exceptionally well on a charcoal grill. You could close your eyes and point randomly at the menu and still know you'd be getting a treat here, or you can fork out $105pp for the classic set menu, focused around your choice of a prime ox eye fillet porterhouse or rump. Shell out an extra $50-$80, and you'll get an award-winning purebred Australian wagyu, varying in both price and marble score. Just ask the waiter beforehand what the wagyu of the day is.
Grossi Florentino
As one of Melbourne's best-known chefs, Guy Grossi is surely not going to sit on his hands when it comes to serving up the best steak. With its seamless Tuscan style, Grossi Florentino flourishes and focuses on wood-fired cooking, which is the quintessential Italian dining experience in Melbourne. And it's not just the pasta we're talking about. The kitchen takes bistecca very seriously here, which is why they source top-quality, grass-fed cattle from Union Station Farm and serve it up in a variety of ways – all equally viable. If you're smart, you'll go for the $95 three-course option and pick steak as the main option, whether that's an eye fillet, porterhouse, scotch fillet, or hanger steak. However, you could always shell out $50 extra and get at-bone for two.
Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel
Fitzroy is already spoiled with some of the best food in Melbourne, especially when it comes to casual eats. So it's no surprise that the Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel perfects a good old fashioned pub steak meal. Like many other entries in this best steak in Melbourne guide, the kitchen has the good sense to use the O'Connor family for their star attraction – a $150 1.1kg grass fed Côte de Boeuf served with bordelaise sauce.
Conclusion
You've already read where to find the best steak restaurants in Sydney and maybe even zoned in on this tightly curated list of Melbourne steak nights. But now it's time you get across the ultimate guide to steak in Melbourne.