Now here's some mouth-watering news meat lovers will be happy to sink their teeth into: six Melbourne restaurants have just ranked in an epic round-up of the world's finest dining destinations for steak in 2025. We already knew our carnivorous game is strong in this town, from our much-loved barbecue joints – both American and Korean – to our fabulous steakhouses, but it's still wonderful to be recognised on a global scale.
London-based media company Upper Cut Media House has just released its esteemed list of the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants for 2025, and not only did six of our restaurants make the top 101, but one even made the top 20.
The top Aussie gong actually goes to Sydney, with Neil Perry’s Double Bay fine diner Margaret voted the second best steak restaurant in the world for 2025 – and the best in Australia. But Melbourne wasn't far behind, with Armadale's Victor Churchill ranking 18th place. The judges praised the restaurant for continuing "to blur the lines between artisanal butchery and high-end gastronomy – with breathtaking precision and undeniable flair".
"The dry-ageing programme, now even more developed," the verdict continues, "lends depth and complexity to each bite – every steak a moment of balance between smoke, salt and buttery tenderness."
Steer Dining Room in South Yarra was voted the 37th best steak restaurant in the world, and second best in Melbourne (ninth best in the country). Steer was commended for its selection of premium steaks, which include a range of local and international cuts painstakingly sorted by breed, origin, marble score and ageing.
"The A5 Kobe Wagyu remains a showstopper – its silken texture and intense umami coaxed to perfection through the chefs’ expert touch," the judges noted. "Equally impressive are the Stone Axe Wagyu tenderloin and David Blackmore full-blood ribeye, each revealing the nuanced differences between producers and regions."
Is this making you hungry? Well, we're not done yet!
While Prahran's stylish French bistro Entrecôte didn't make the cut (it was ranked 86th in 2024), Scott Pickett's Matilda 159 Domain made a welcome addition at 57th place after missing out in last year's list.
"Here, the art of cooking over fire is not just a method but a philosophy, delivering dishes that are both robust and nuanced," the verdict read.
A huge congrats is also in order for our very own Meatmaiden, which the judges called "Melbourne's underground shrine to smoke and steak". It made its debut on the list in 91st place. The team must be stoked with this news after an epic sold-out run for the Rare Tour (Australia's spin-off steak contest) in collaboration with Stockholm's restaurant AG – which ranked number nine this year.
Gimlet – winner of Time Out Melbourne's Best Fine Diner Award in 2023 – came in at 45th place, rocketing up a whopping 49 places since its ranking last year at number 94. Hats off to the Trader House crew! Read here to find out about why Gimlet's steaks made such an impression.
And finally, we have Grill Americano in 92nd place, marking it the 15th best restaurant for steak in all of Australia.
While Sydney had 11 restaurants make the list, neither of our fair cities took out the number one spot. That coveted position went to Don Julio in Argentina, which was also recently crowned the best restaurant in Latin America.
A huge well done to all our Aussie steakhouses that made the 'cut' (geddit?), and of course, everyone else on the list that's making us want to book a round-the-world steak trip, stat. If you’re keen to eat your way around more of Melbourne's best steak restaurants, you can check out our guide here.
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