A Cut Above Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Melbourne

I decided to go here after seeing their signage outside what used to be the nightclub connected to Zagames in Berwick.

The first issue we had was actually finding the entrance! You walk in through a door marked 'entry', down a dark corridor light with vertical strips of LEDs (the flashing of which annoyed me), and then turn right. Here are some curtains, but there is nothing the restaurant is behind them. We kept walking and ended up walking out of the exit door! Eventually though we found the restaurant through the closed curtains and we could continue.

The staff were attentive. We quickly ordered drinks but they didn't arrive very quickly - we were waiting well over 10 minutes for them, and when it's just two bottles of beer from a fridge I was expecting them to arrive a lot quicker than that. The second drink that I ordered came a lot quicker though.

The popcorn chicken starter was excellent, as were the chickpea fries. My friend and I ordered a striploin each and they were cooked exactly as we asked.

Absolutely no issues with the food. I thought it might be a little expensive but it turned out to be good value. The 9 dollar hand-cut chips could easily be shared between 2. By the way, the spice mix they used on the chip contains fennel. I know the aniseed flavour is quite polarising so I thought I'd mention it.

The only other concern I had was that the tables around the edges are REALLY dimly lit. I could barely read the menu even with it right up to the lamp on the table. The circular booths are better-lit and I'll be requesting one of...

We arrived at 8:05pm for our 8:00pm reservation on Saturday night. We were quickly seat and our drinks orders taken. At this point I was very impressed, as it was out first time here, with friends who have been here on numerous occasions (and rave about MPD). Our good order was taken 20 mins after we were seated. Entrees took about half an hour to come out. Food was delicious - cannot fault it. What really annoyed us, was the lack of service after our orders were taken. We had finished our entrees, our plates were not cleared for a good 20 mins after we had finished eating, no one bothered to come to our table to see if we wanted to order more drinks - which we did, and had to take turns to wave down our waitress. Mains came out over an hour and 10 mins after we had ordered them (4 x stakes - medium rare, shouldn't really take too long to cook). At this point we were really annoyed, as we had been waiting so long, and had to hunt down a wait staff to place more orders. When I told the waiter that we have been waiting over an hour for our food, his response was "I highly doubt that". We had been seated at 8:05 and our minds didn't come out until 9:23pm (mains and entrees were placed together). All the stakes were cooked perfectly, except mind - slightly over cooked the MR. After mains, we decided to order dessert. It took 25 mins for a wait staff to look at us, as we kept trying to wave one down. The food was good overall, but the service was tragic. For the price you're paying in the area,...

I’ve always been a loyal customer of Cut Above, returning time and time again for the exceptional experience, but my recent visit left me quite disappointed. I ordered the $88 "250g Wagyu Porterhouse - Marble score 6+" expecting the high-quality steak I’ve enjoyed in the past and wagyu in other steak resturants, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations. The steak was extremely thin, almost like a pancake, and lacked the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and rich flavor I’ve come to associate with Wagyu. While it was cooked correctly, the taste was underwhelming, which was a real letdown.

The saving grace was the béarnaise sauce, which was as delicious as ever. However, I was disappointed to only receive half a pot initially, especially when I had specifically paid for extra. When I requested more, it was filled generously, but it felt like a bit of an afterthought.

Over the last few visits, I’ve noticed a steady decline in the overall experience. The quality of the food no longer seems to match the price, and it feels like the value for money is no longer there.

I also want to mention that while your staff are always lovely, the pressure to place an order quickly makes the experience feel rushed. It creates a sense that you’re interrupting the flow of service rather than enjoying a relaxed, attentive dining experience.

I’ve always loved this place, but I’m now questioning whether it’s still worth returning. It’s a shame, because I’ve had many great meals here...