Victor Churchill — Restaurant in Melbourne

A luxe and bougie chophouse is what Victor Churchill is about (and a butcher of course). The fit-out of the venue is top tier, second to none, marble floors, fine copper arches and plush bar seating. It’s not your typical butcher shop. There is eye candy for the most discerning carnivore everywhere you look, from watching meat getting fired on the grill (while you salivate), to the dry ageing meat room, Himalayan salt bricks and a charcuterie counter. The venue is truly astonishing, a Paris bistro fit for royalty. With all that said, the food also needs to live up to this standard, and it sure does.

This is our second time at Victor Churchill in the last 6 weeks, and for good reason, and that is the steak. Honestly the juiciest, melt in your mouth, buttery smooth, umami-licious eye fillet we’ve had in Melbourne, cooked medium to perfection. When it comes to food we like to graze, try an array of starters, and end it right there, we never get to mains (as we are full), and isn’t a main just 3 dishes on a plate? We would rather go through the starts/entrees to try a variety of dishes shared between us. Not in this case, we had to leave room for the steaks.

Usually, we would go for a decently marbled Wagyu (MS9+) if we didn’t graze on anything prior (no starters or snacks, hmmm maybe something small) because the fat content is high, and the steaks are very rich, and you get satiated very quickly because of this. So instead on both occasions, as we wanted to try some starters, we went for the leaner O’Connor pasture fed eye fillet. But let’s first talk about some of the starters.

The scallops were cooked to perfection, so fresh, tasty, and well balanced. A perfect start with the opening of a bottle of Laherte Feres Extra Brut Rose. The bresaola and parmesan cigars were also up there, great flavours and texture, another win. The steak tartare was fresh as it comes and damn delicious, and the little bottle of tabasco was a great touch. The charcuterie selection had our names all over it, San Daniele prosciutto, full blood wagyu bresaola and bitlong, jamon iberico, pork rillete and rabbit terrine, how can you say no? The salt and fat from cured meats runs through our veins. There are many nights when we go out to eat and all we do is order a vast array of cured meats and wine. The simple pleasures in life. The final starter was the chicken liver and duck foie gras parfait, and that was a must (hope to see some goose foie gras on their menu soon, pan fried). Buttery smooth, rich and decadent, full of flavour. Anyways, you can tell we love our meat, and Victor Churchill sure delivered in this department.

So, let’s circle back to the steak. My word, and no exaggeration, tremendous. Never had a more juicer and tender eye fillet and can only imagine what the MS9+ Wagyu would be like (time for a 3rd visit). And we can see why this venue is rated number 11 in the world on ‘World’s Best Steak Restaurants’ 2024 making it number 1 in Melbourne.

Finally, let’s touch on service, which cannot be faulted, from being greeted, taken to our seats, drink orders, food arriving on time, checking in on us if we need anything, offering to pour more champagne (even though I (Ronny) always pour for us), etc… Service was impeccable. And this alone can make or break a dining experience. No point eating out if the service is subpar, we would rather buy the steaks and grill them at home, but not in this case. The service, coupled with the quality of food, and served within an extravagant butcher shop is something you cannot get at home, and we will be back for more.

Nothing...

At Victor Churchill, you will find a heritage facade and widows draped in a deep emerald velvet. As you open the door, you'll be greeted with a sring of brass sausages as the door handle. The entrance is beautiful. The Verde marble floors are exquisite. The space is moody and has a very sexy intimate vibe. You'll notice copper and green are prominent tones. The staff are attentive, professional, and knowledgeable. We sat at the bar, which was perfect, and to be fair, we preferred it to a table. We were offered drinks - we ordered amaretto sours to start. Bread with house made butter is complimentary. The menu itself is beautifully presented. Each section of the menu offers delectable options. As an appetiser, we ordered the bresaola & parmesan cigar with pistachio crumb (2 in a serve) and 2 of the baked WA Abrolhos island scallops. These were excellent, visually, and texturally. For entrees, we ordered the steak tartare, and the burrata and heirloom tomatoes. We chose to also order from the charcuterie. We ordered the prosciutto and the foie gras. The foie gras was excellent, although we found the serve unexpectedly large, maybe for 4 people. The prosciutto was mouth watering. The steak tartare was flavourful, and the shallots added bite. We ordered a glass of Shiraz each. From the grill, we ordered O'Connor's pasture fed eye fillet - medium well. It was excellent. Exclusive to Victor Churchill (only available at the bar), we ordered the Stone axe full blood wagyu zabuton 220g MS 9+. Perfectly cooked (medium, as recommended for Wagyu) very rich and melted in your mouth. The red wine sauce should be mentioned as it is silky and adds to the overall flavour. The sauce was great with the side of fries we ordered. For dessert, we ordered a De Bortoli Noble one, the crème brûlée (perfection!), and the peach Melba - this was nice although I don't love cream. My husband enjoyed this but mentioned it could have incorporated more peach. Final thoughts - This is a must in Melbourne! We would certainly dine there again. If you are dining for 2, ensure you ask the serving size. We spent $593 , including the above meals and 3 cocktails, 2 glasses of wine, and a dessert wine. We have dined at many fine dining restaurants and found Victor Churchill to be...

Victor Churchill: Where Butchery Becomes Theatre in Melbourne's Armadale

Step through the emerald-green marble portal adorned with bronze sausage handles, and you enter a carnivore’s wonderland that elevates meatcraft to high art. Victor Churchill isn’t merely a butcher shop—it’s a sensory symphony where heritage butchery collides with avant-garde gastronomy.

The stage is set behind a sweeping 3-meter glass arc: master butchers wield blades like conductors’ batons, meticulously portioning Wagyu striploins and Black Angus ribeyes under crystalline pendant lights. The air hums with the umami-rich musk of dry-aged beef, hung like chandeliers in a Himalayan salt-tiled aging chamber—a mineral-rich cocoon that coaxes unparalleled depth from 500kg primal cuts.

Beyond the glistening charcuterie counter, a restored 1930s Berkel slicer shaves translucent sheets of house-cured bresaola, best enjoyed alongside fiery ’nduja and silky coppa from De Palma Salumi. But the pièce de résistance lies hidden at the rear: a horseshoe bar crowned by a copper-clad dome, where chef Scott Burness wields Australia’s first Josper charcoal oven to transform Rangers Valley sirloins into smoky masterpieces—crusty exteriors giving way to molten marbled bliss.

Indulge in decadent theatrics: truffle-laced foie gras parfait cascades over sourdough like edible velvet, while freshly shucked oysters and lobster tails deliver briny crescendos. Even the freezer dazzles—a glass-encased jewel box showcasing Cobungra Station’s full-blood Wagyu.

Service here is poetry: when a spilled wineglass becomes an excuse for a complimentary refill, and the sommelier’s Rhône blend recommendation elevates charred beef into a spiritual experience. At $245 for a 1kg Tomahawk? Worth every cent for the spectacle alone.

From Baker Bleu sourdough spreads to blood-red beetroot relishes, every detail thrills. As Anthony Bourdain once declared, this is “the most beautiful butcher shop in the world”—but it’s also Melbourne’s most delicious paradox: a temple of tradition that forever redefines meat’s potential.

Final bite: Come for the Instagram-worthy dry-aging vaults; stay for the life-changing steak sangwiches and service that outshines five-star hotels. A carnivorous pilgrimage made...