A kingdom where meat is the monarch, Charcoal Grill On The Hill is a Melbourne Institution, and the…read morebest venue in the city for steak. Be warned, it isn't for the light hearted: cases of meat will catch your gaze as you enter, and make sure you order your steak rare or medium-rare (you may get some strange looks otherwise). Melbournians and visitors travel miles to sample some of the quality steak that Charcoal Grill On The Hill delivers. Call ahead and book a table to be sure that you'll get a seat. While the entrees and desserts are worthwhile, they pale into insignificance when compared to the main event: the steak. My advice would be to get a simply get a premium cut; the sizes vary from the modest (300g) to the enormous (900g). Add a bowl of coleslaw for the sweet flavour, and a serve of fries (because you need chips with steak after all) are the perfect accompaniments. Charcoal Grill On The Hill also boasts an impressive wine menu. The staff are extremely helpful when it comes to choosing the perfect bottle of red to go with your steak.

Wow. Well. What can I say about Charcoal Grill on the Hill that hasn't already been said by someone…read moreelse in some glowing review. If you love steak - and I mean LOVE steak - this is one of two places in Melbourne that I (so far) insist you MUST go to. It's not cheap, but if it takes you a little while to save up to go here, you still won't regret it. This is an up market but minimalist restaurant. There is not fluff and decoration, it is all about the steak. The menu is short, and covers the essentials. When you order your steak (I had the scotch fillet) don't be afraid to order at least one degree rarer than you usually get (e.g. rare if you normally get medium-rare). When you're eating meat of this quality, all you'll notice is the flavour and the melt-in-your-mouth magic of perfectly cooked steak. While the steaks are served on a plain white plate, there is a minimalist salad and some fries brought out to the table to share. No, there isn't a large variety of sides available, however if that's what you are after there are plenty of other places you can go to, particularly the abundance of creative modern Australian restaurants. Grill on the Hill is for when you want to focus all your attention on steak. That slightly charred, flavourful outside and the meltingly tender, juicy meat on the inside. The restaurant itself is quite intimate with a simple white and (reddish) color scheme, it's quite small. Recommend for groups of 2 to 4 people. The wine list is also astounding, and there are some great cheeses on the dessert menu here too. On both counts be prepared to spend a bit, but the staff are incredibly helpful and happy to discuss the (constantly changing) wine and cheese list, and make recommendations if need be. If you are a regular, they will remember you and go out of their way to cater to your preferences.

Went here for the $95 menu sampler and I was very impressed. I was concerned that in general it way…read moreoverpriced ($13 mock tails and $60 ribeye) but all in all it was very high quality. The service was excellent. Steak Diane was something different. Nice and vinegary sauce, went beautifully with the aged steak. Many of the melas were very gastronomic, which I liked. Blobs of purres and such and always a great combination of taste and colour. I recognized some of the wines. The mark up on wine was nearly 300%! Will be back, without the wine.

I have since gone back two more times!…read more The steaks and salad are the best parts but I also tried the homemade baked lemon tart! It was nice but next time I think I will save room for the king prawns instead. I was able to speak to the chef upon this visit and learned that he chooses the meat every morning carefully and spends hours preparing it himself. He then spends time getting the grill ready and that can take hours too. Sooo much passion and knowledge go into cooking a single steak. Def going to go back again soon. So happy I stumbled to this place and almost don't want to share it as it might get too busy and run out of tables when I go. My own selfish little slice of meaty heaven.

I don't know what it is about Zagars which keeps me coming back. Maybe it's the rustic and homily…read morelook and feel of the restaurants dining area or maybe it's the always delicious reasonably priced eye fillet steak which melts in your mouth. Either way this is by far the best steak in this part of Melbourne. Be warned though this is a small two man show so service can be a bit laissez-faire so be prepared for a bit of a wait if there are a few tables (generally packed on weekends so book ahead).

Very impressed! Came across this little treasure in the city. Quaint old Melbourne setting with…read moreindoor and outdoor seating. If you're looking for a fresh tasting grill then this is the place to go. The meat platter is big and has a great selection. Chicken shaslicks also tasted so good. All the meat tastes like it's straight from the butcher to the grill and to your plate. Staff are friendly. Service was good. Well recommended.

I only order a bowl of chips and some wine. Both were nice, but the by-the-glass price was a bit…read morehigh. The service was good considering I think only two were on. The grill looked good. I would like to come back for a proper dinner.

Well.... It used to be pretty good but It's now been closed for at least six years nice potatoes…read morecooked in jackets rather than boring frozen fries.

Special: Monday night 270g porterhouse or scotch for $39…read more We really wanted charcoal grill and our usual place was closed so we googled and found this place. Located on the main road (Whitehorse road), there was plenty of parking when we arrived at 8pm. We were seated right away as there was only one other table taken and the restaurant was run by 2 people. The service was really friendly and easy going. Before we could look at the menu, bread and salad showed up as paired along with ice cold water. The menu was on the non-vegetarian friendly side as there were plenty of steak options which came with salad/bread/chips and then there were set menu options which included soup and skinless sausages. We decided to go for the al la carte menu and got a porterhouse and a scotch fillet. Droooool. Well seasoned and cooked to perfection, the scotch was sweeter than the porterhouse but we enjoyed both. If you are looking for a steak place in the suburbs, try out Stefan's as I would rather bay $35-40 for a good steak than go to a franchise or other more well known restaurants and be over charged and eat non-juicy steak.

Very busy but worth having to book. Great steaks and excellent seafood. If you get through the…read moregenerous servings for mains they have a small but very good quality selection of desserts and great coffee to finish off. I've been there five times, with various people and have great food and a terrific experience every time. This place is a hidden treasure.

Always packed and having to book months in advance, Georgio's is well worth the wait…read more Owned and operated by the Chef, the food is cooked to perfection and the Seafood freshness is something you would expect living next to an ocean. Attentive staff and a Creme Brulee like none you have tasted...... Oh that Creme Brulee, perfectly set and creamy, warmed through without being runny and a lovely crisp sugar coating, not too thikk and just browned enough for taste If for nothing else, I will become a regular just for that creme brulee mmmmmmm

Very nice food and atmosphere - staff need to be more clear about sauces costing extra. Don't take…read morea cake, there's a cutting surcharge per person. *Would've been a 5 star review, except there was an extra $100 on the bill for sauces and cake cutting!

Have to love any restaurant where the only questions they ask are: wine list? Filet or porterhouse?…read moreHow do you want it done? Strawberry cake or ice cream dessert. I went with the porterhouse medium-rare and ice cream with strawberries. Everything is just delicious. I would like more of a meat choice.

interviewer: so son, you want a job here at vlado's?…read more applicant: sir, yes sir! i: so, tell me what you know about us? a: you are the mecca for carnivores! only meat lovers need apply! and definitely not for the vegan hearted?! i: really? anything else? a: the only constant is change but at vlado's time stands still! you don't change! your loyal staff remains in employment like for, ever! your intimate decor, same! i: interesting. is that a good thing or a bad thing? a: sir, remember how as a kid when you were playing at the playground? i: sorry mate, that was a long, long time ago! a: no worries, what i meant is, then you wanted time to just stand still? i: so, it is a good thing that what we do here is the same since 1964? a: absolutely! and every customer likes that about you guys! consistently good! i: so, you must know it is hard work here? a: yes! i'll come 3 hours before lunch starts to light the charcoal grill! set the tables. including topping up the awesome mostsome homemade horseradish! best in the world, imho! roughly minced for a good bite and kick yet with a sweet finishing note! then prepare the simple yet deliciously sweet tomato and cabbage salad. then hand make those pancake, more crepe like, skins for the strawberry desserts. then serve the lunch and dinner crowd and stay on until all the washing up is done! i: good on you mate, what about our meats? a: sir, with all due respect, this interview isn't long enough for me to regurgitate all that! but suffice to say, you can't go wrong here when it comes to meats! i: nice try, please elaborate? a: a beef and pork neck sausage to start! delicious! a tasting second course of calf livers, a little overdone for me, eye fillet medallions, pork neck and mini hamburger, yums! by now, most customers will be full but it's not the end. the 3rd course allows for a choice of the eye fillet, a tender cut, the rump, a chewy but flavourful cut or the porterhouse, a more marbled cut. all these will be presented by the server for a visual presentation accompanied with explanations and request for cooking doneness. i: and finally? a: coffee or tea? dessert? if they still have a separate stomach for it! i: so what about dessert? a: strawberries wrapped with crepe/pancake skin served with cream and ice cream! i: so how would you best describe vlado's as an equation? a: V = RI (ohm's law) i: what???? a: Vlado's = Respected Institution i: so son, when can you start work? a: right here, right now!:)

This is my favourite steakhouse in Melbourne. Extremely friendly staff. Emilio makes you feel like…read morefamily, and goes out of his way to make sure you have a special night. He cooks steak to perfection. As I understand he also cuts the meat himself too. I'd highly recommend the Eye Fillet set, cooked rare. Get the ribs for entree and your choice of dessert. The béarnaise sauce is fantastic with steak, chips and sides. Also, they make an unforgettable coleslaw/cabbage salad. I keep coming back because I love the fantastic food and family-like service!

3 months later I am finally getting around to writing my review for Ivanhoe Tavern Charcoal Grill…read moreSteakhouse. Not sure why it has taken me so long... perhaps because nothing was really SUPER amazing or SUPER bad about this place... for us anyhow. We had a pretty good normal kind of experience here... it was not mind blowing and I think the steak was a little undercooked. Service - very friendly and attentive. Food came out very quick. Bread & Butter beginning course - something in that butter was unique but we could not put our fingers on what it was - it was very tasty. I ordered the Scotch fillet and my friend ordered some the Graziers paddock choice rib eye. We both asked for medium rare. In a very short time the steaks were presented and looked quite good. My main issue was that mine was almost bordering rare (instead of medium rare) and my friends steak (which was ALOT larger) was pretty much rare... they had obviously cooked both cuts of meat for the same amount of time but due to the size of the rib eye that one came out rarer in the end. We both got a mushroom sauce also, I found it to be a little bit too creamy for my liking but my friend loved it and finished mine off very easy. Greek salad and chips were fine. All in all a very filling meal... the hospitality from the chef and waitresses was outstanding. My steak was pretty nice but I think my friends steak was a bit too rare, however he is not really one to complain about food while we are out (his choice I guess) so... I think I'll give 3 starts for this visit :)

Oh my the food here is delicious. The staff were happy and friendly. Even got a glass of wine on…read morethe house cause the one i chose was no longer available. What place does that? People get the word out.