The 10 best new places for a steak in Melbourne
THERE are so many new Melbourne eateries that either specialise in steak or have made it a signature dish. Here’s where to find the 10 best steaks right now.
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MELBOURNE has long been in love with beef, with many of our most famous restaurants through the decades famous for their steaks. But over the past 12 months there’s been an influx of new eateries that either specialise in steak, or which have made it a signature dish. Here is where you’ll find Melbourne’s 10 best steaks right now.
Will and Mick Balleau, the brothers behind Richmond’s Chignon and the New Orleans-inspired smokehouse and absinthe den Le Bon Ton have now transformed what was Muttis in Carlton into a beer and bourbon bar and steakhouse that opened in March. Nick Stanton (ex Nieuw Amsterdam) is the man behind the grill, cooking up a half dozen cuts that include the popular New York strip ($35). Simply served with a piece of roasted bone marrow, a lemon cheek and a little bunch of thyme for good measure, it’s a thick-cut 300g beauty. Branded by the grill, and masterfully cooked with just enough salt on the crust to keep you going back for more, it’s a textbook example of excellence and how good steak can be.
On the side: A choice of condiments and sauces are offered gratis, which includes a great béarnaise and a punchy chimmi churri along with fresh horseradish cream. Good fries ($8) are even better when dunked in the house BBQ sauce and the chiptle mayo served with.
And to drink? A good little list of local drops by the glass does the job admirably, there’s a range of cocktails for those with a harder thirst, and a great range of US craft beers for the bearded brigade.
118 Elgin St, Carlton
Its motto is “in vino veritas” — in wine there is truth — and the truth is, at Kirk’s you’ll find a steak of almost perfect deliciousness. A flat iron cut is first marinated (garlic, thyme, olive oil) before going onto the hot grill. It’s then topped with a Dijon mustard and bone marrow butter, breadcrumbs and crisp shallots before being finished in the oven. It’s served on a celeriac remoulade and a just-powerful pepper sauce, finally topped with horseradish-dressed watercress. It’s complex, yet simple, the flavours melding into a deeply wonderful sauce. It’s a delight, and for $24, almost impossible to beat.
On the side: You can go for some fries with aioli and malt vinegar (in keeping with chef/owner Ian Curley’s British heritage — $9) to go with, but really, this steak hits the high notes all on its own.
And to drink? Where to start? It’s a wine bar — a great one — so there’s always something interesting on the pour, whether a splash of a Craiglee chardonnay from Sunbury, or a lovely Loire red. Or if settling in for the day/night, there’s a gloriously curated list of bottles to get excited about.
Cnr Hardware Lane and Little Bourke St, Melbourne
3. Dutchess
It’s a New York-style glamour den perched above Melbourne’s oldest pub, where the views of the Forum are hard to beat. But make no mistake, so too are the steaks at Dutchess. With a menu put together by consultant chef Justin Wise (ex The Point), a dozen options are on offer — from a petite 150g flat iron steak from O’Connor’s ($17) through a 1.4kg Rangers Valley Tomahawk ($125). Various cuts of various provenance are dry aged on site, and each is cooked with care and precision. A 300g Cape Grim scotch ($34) as glorious a steak you’ll find, its salty caramelised crust providing the perfect armour for a blushingly beautiful interior, perfectly rested. Perfectly delicious.
On the side: A range of sauces and toppings, from Yorkshire puds ($3.50) to foie gras ($19) are optional, but it’s as easy to smile with a side of good chips ($9) and a retro-tastic Waldorf salad ($9).
And to drink? Dutchess rocks one of the city’s coolest cocktail lists, and in keeping with the New York steakhouse vibe, there’s an excellent selection of US wines and craft beers.
Level 2, 146 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
4. Luxembourg
Andrew McConnell’s got his name on the door, but it is head chef (and co-owner) Chris Watson who is the man in charge of cooking up the kilo of dry aged O’Connor T-bone ($98) on the grill. It’s a Flintstone’s sized hunk of exceptional meat that takes about an hour to hit the table, all smoky char on the outside, tender and flavourful inside, thanks to 100 per cent pasture feeding in Gippsland. It’s an investment, but will easily feed three, and for such a beautiful steak, it’s worth every penny. (There’s also a smaller hanger steak for those unable to commit to the T-bone.)
On the side: The steak comes with a towering crown of crunchy crisp onion rings, which deftly dance with decadence, and you’d be well advised to add a bowl of good hand-cut fries to the mix ($8), perfect to scoop through the tarragon-rich béarnaise the steak’s served with.
And to drink? The wine list has an emphasis on minimal intervention winemaking by smaller producers from here and abroad with a lean to France. There’s lots of interesting drops across the red spectrum, from bold Barossas through refined Rhones.
2/157 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
You’d be forgiven for giving the steak at Scott Pickett’s new-look, new-vibe Estelle — which has added bistro to its name and game — a miss, as there’s so much to get distracted by on the way to main (the excellent charcuterie, for instance). But, if it’s meat you’re after, the 450g T-bone ($45) sates most elegantly. With a good crust, the steak has a lovely depth of flavour, perfectly cooked and rested until blushingly tender. Atop, a judicious amount of Café de Paris butter, its piquant creamy kick timelessly decadent, as well as some roasted heirloom veg — carrots, beets, parsnip. Big enough to share, good enough to not.
On the side: Add a smooth pomme puree ($10) to really bump up the butter, or some porky green beans braised in more ($10). It’s a bistro, after all.
And to drink? Some interesting craft beers from here and abroad are perfectly matched, and there’s many excellent reds pitched at easy-drinking prices by glass and bottle.
243 High St, Northcote
Having been serving beers to thirsty travellers since the late 1800s, obviously the Grosvenor is not a new arrival on this corner of Brighton Rd. But since July last year, this multifaceted venue has been owned by Rabih Yanni, who quickly put his stamp on the hotel. And just as with his last venue, The Point in Albert Park, excellent meat is now a feature on the menu here. You can see the grass-fed, Gippsland beef dry ageing (for an impressive 40 days) in the temperature controlled room in the entrance; the various cuts — from a 250g porterhouse ($36) through a hunk of rump (500g, $60) — cooked with respect and served with a board of all the condiments. But really, meat this good sings all on its own, and on Thursdays, the $19 porterhouse deal can’t be beat.
On the side: Herb-salted chips ($8) are classically good, or add some earthy colour with a bowl of gorgonzola-spiked beetroot teamed with horseradish ($12).
And to drink? There are eight craft beers on tap and more than 50 by the bottle, while the wine list shows real restaurant smarts but at pub prices.
10 Brighton Rd, St Kilda East
Ryan Flaherty (ex Estelle) has opened up his own joint, Mister Jennings, and in one fell swoop raised the dining bar on Bridge Road to unforeseen heights. While most of the menu is dedicated to a more experimental, experiential night out — smoked eel parfait, frozen kangaroo — Mister Jennings is just as comfortable a spot for a quick steak dinner. And what a dinner. A beautiful piece of sirloin (that’s not shy of a little rendered fat remaining) is served already sliced on the angle, sprinkled liberally with sea salt crystals, drizzled in a splash of pan juices, with a quenelle of djion and seeded mustards. A bowl of excellent chips — skin on, deeply tanned, great crunch — is served with (250g $34; 350g, $43).
On the side: Nothing needed if you’re happy with meat and potatoes, but upgrade with a plate of perfectly autumnal pine mushrooms sauteed in thyme and garlic ($12) to really seal the deal.
And to drink? There’s great little list filled with lots of good, somewhat esoteric, drinking with help on hand to guide you to something unusual, but perfectly paired.
142 Bridge Road, Richmond
The Reymond clan, led by patriarch Jacques, has returned the old Hotel Max to its Art Deco glory and the stylish space has been packed since opening late last year. Southsiders are heading in for the refined French bistro fare, where half a dozen different steaks fly out from the open kitchen. There’s Ranger’s Valley bavette, Cape Grim porterhouse, and various cuts of Hopkins River Black Angus. Seared on the smoking hot grill, served with classic béarnaise and a bowl of excellent frites, steaks here are as good as you’d hope they’d be when a fine dining maestro turns his hand to casual fare.
On the side: Nothing needed, but mixed leaf salad ($8) is a classically simple way to hit all the food groups.
And to drink? Yes, there’s lots of good stuff from the old country as to be expected, but the tight list shows smart class across all regions, with a good by-the-glass selection.
32 Commercial Rd, Prahran
9. Entrecote
Inspired by a famous one-dish steakhouse in Paris, Entrecote has quickly become a go-to place for South Yarra’s social set. And at night, just about everyone is ordering Steak Frites ($39.90). Thickly carved slabs of Hopkins River Black Angus are cooked just the way you ask and if this pasture-fed meat from the Grampians is on the leaner side, there’s still plenty of juice and chew. A satisfyingly rich tarragon-scented sauce is swished over the top.
On the side: Chips, of course, nicely bronzed and not too salty. But your steak set at is not complete without a green salad. Expect soft flouncy leaves glistening with a spot-on Dijon vinaigrette.
And to drink? Put yourself in the hands of the French-accented waiters here and they’re sure to whistle up a decent French red. Then again, you could pop the cork on a Mumm champagne. Entrecote is that sort of place.
131-133 Domain Rd, South Yarra
10. Steak Ministry
Chef Chris Wade knows his way around good steak, having been cooking it for most of his career here and abroad. It’s a good thing, as he’s cooking a lot of it now at the aptly named Steak Ministry, which is bringing some inner city steakhouse style the suburbs. Various cuts of grass- and grain-fed steaks are offered — a 300g Black Angus scotch ($36), say, or a dry aged 400g New York strip ($39) — and cooked with class. Served simply with a little onion jam and roasted tomato, there’s the option to add various butters (miso and wasabi, or smoked garlic, $3) and sauces ($3) for added oomph.
On the side: You’ll need to add something and the chips with rosemary salt, the wagyu fat-roasted potatoes or even the potato puree and gravy do the carb loading well ($9 each).
And to drink? There’s a good line in cocktails to begin, whiskey flights to end, and a wine list that has an eye firmly on Italy, complete with a few super super Tuscans.
39 Kingsway Pde, Glen Waverley
Hall of Fame
Adrian Richardson is our high priest of beef and was one of the first to dry age beef on site. La Luna remains one of the best spots for a glorious steak — and one of the only where you’ll also find a filet mignon still on the menu.
For many Melburnians, Rockpool is the only place to eat steak — and for good reason. David Blackmore beef teamed with Neil Perry smarts combine to make a meal memorable for all the right reasons.
It’s got an unmistakable Argentine swagger to its step and good things on its grill — San Telmo introduced Melbourne to the parrilla and authentic Argentinian asado and we keep coming back for its great steaks.
Since 1964 Vlados has been serving a four-course meat feast that includes a steak of epic proportions. Little has changed over that half century with Vlado’s son Michael Gregurek now continuing his father’s legacy.
Another stalwart where there’s little on the menu outside of mid-range marble score Wagyu steaks and grass fed Gippsland and Tassie beef, which customers choose from the display cabinet, and enjoy with red from a lovingly tendered list.
This humble Port Melbourne pub has been packing in those in the know who know their steaks for the past decade. Tassie Cape Grim beef is dry aged on site, and the expertly cooked meat is served with expertly cooked chips.
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