Rockpool Bar & Grill

This swanky steakhouse no longer holds the crown for Melbourne’s go-to special occasion restaurant, but fewer venues in town boast such a massive menu, and such wide appeal.

If you’re here for luxury ingredients done right, you will almost certainly be happy. The quality of the product is undeniable, from ultra-fresh Merimbula oysters to whole grilled Hervey Bay prawns, fat and juicy and flavoured with curry leaves and Kampot pepper.

And what about the steaks? The menu offers a wide choice of cuts, charred over a wood grill and cooked to exactly the right temperature, every time.

Does Rockpool still have a place in our dining landscape? Almost certainly. For the business lunch, absolutely. To just have a reliably good steak and martini and not have to think too much? Well, there are certainly other options these days, but this isn’t a bad one, not by a mile.

Best for: Three-martini lunches.

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