Best Steakhouses in Southbank

If you want a review of the steaks at Meat Maiden, scroll on. I didn’t order steak…which is perhaps akin to going to Red Rooster and not ordering chicken. I went for the miso cauliflower, perhaps not the first choice of most diners. But I made our reservation because I knew my mega-carnivorous husband would love it. And he did. So yes, the food was excellent. Go for the food. But waaaaaaaay better than the food were the staff. Unlike the current trend for waitstaff to make it obvious they’d rather be anywhere than taking your food order, MM staff all genuinely looked like they wanted to be there. They were joyful, engaging and had each other’s backs. They worked together like a well oiled machine and it was fun and heart warming to watch. I’d go back for the chips. For the crème caramel, for the cauliflower and the donut. My husband would go back for the burnt ends and the pork belly and scallops. But most of all, we’d go back for Nathan and the rest of the staff.

The service here is fantastic. No problem to cater to my garlic allergy. Really enjoyed the steak and mash (yum!), and special mention to the dessert (pavlova!). The views are amazing.

We have 2 other closer pubs, North Port & Railway BUT we have been going here for last 4 years at least several times a month, including getting takeout during Covid. That’s got to say, we definitely rate the place. Probably been to the others mentioned, 5 or 6 times over same period.

It’s a great place if you want to enjoy Australian specialty. All of dishes we had were really good. They brought out the full flavour of the ingredients. For kangaroo meat, which was the first try for me, it was tender and went really well with the sauce, so tasted delicious. For Tasmanian salmon, it was crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Each plating was impressive, so I highly recommend ordering from appetizers to desserts. I also liked the detailed consideration shown in the recommendations for wines that go well with the food. I will visit again next time I come to Melbourne.

Atmosphere and service was great as overlooks the bay. The only issue is not having an option with a meal other than chips. For the price having option of vegetables or salad with steak would have been ok other than ordering separately. The separate plates order were of good quality though.