Vlado’s @ Melbourne (2025)

Back to one of my favourite steakhouse in the world, Vlado’s in Melbourne has been serving the same things since it opened its doors in 1964.

Vlado’s is an institution in Melbourne that is synonymous with good steaks. The place has been serving high quality steaks for the past 60 years (and counting). And the menu has not changed as well. 

Vlado Gregurek set up his steakhouse in Bridge Road in 1964, leasing for many years until buying the building in the ’90s. Over the years, Vlado’s won a reputation for serving steaks that were unsurpassed in Australia, grilled on a hot plate with just a smear of fat.

Vlado and wife Nina were from communist Yugoslavia and escaped from their hometown of Croatia during the surge of post-war immigration to Australia. While like many of his generation he brought with him old world values and idiosyncrasies that built the character of this place.

For instance, he never once during his last 50 years placed a commercial advertisement for the restaurant – we all know about this place by word of mouth of others. He succumbed to lung cancer in 2012. Now the son Michael has taken over, but nothing has changed since 1964.

It’s not fine dining, and neither does it try to be. It serves steaks straight up, no fuss, just let a good piece of meat does it own thing. Dinner here is simple, there’s no menu and everything is included with no a la carte options to confuse things.

The only thing you need to worry about is the cut of meat you are having tonight. Then you put yourself in the chef’s hands to feed you with the best meats, as you would if you were in a tiny bistro in a European country whose language you don’t speak.

I don’t remember having bread here before, but we were given a whole loaf of freshly baked bread. It was crusty with a really soft and moist inside.

Appetiser

Vlado’s house made beef and pork sausage

The meal started with their house-made pork and beef sausage, made to Vlado’s mother Emiljia’s recipe. The Eastern European-style sausage is not shy with salt, with a little peppercorn heat and a casing that has a beautiful snap to it.

Entrée

Vlado’s mixed meat selection

Next, a mixed meat platter of calves’ liver (on certain occasions, not this time), pork neck and small burgers, perfectly kissed by the charcoal grill designed by Vlado himself. The exact composition changes, but the smokiness and heft don’t.

Main Course

Select from prime ox eye fillet, porterhouse and rump cooked to your liking

The beef is Australian, grass- or grain-fed, killed humanely and aged in a coolroom onsite for optimum flavour. The steak comes cross-hatched with grill marks, perfectly medium-rare with a beautiful crust on the outside. There are no sauces, marinades or other distractions – housemade mustard and horseradish are the only accompaniments. Eye fillet is an oblong shaped cut that spans between the short loin and the sirloin. Perfectly done as always.

All meals are served with a garden salad and homemade coleslaw with a simple vinaigrette dressing. You can have as much slaws as you can eat, simply shredded cabbage with a splash of vinegar and olive oil with chunks of tomatoes.

Dessert

Home made fresh strawberry crêpes or strawberries and ice cream served with tea or coffee

Dessert is a serve of strawberry pancakes, which is also Emiljia’s recipe. The whisper-thin crêpes encased four or five good-sized berries, served with classic supermarket quality vanilla ice cream and vibrant almost neon-red strawberry sauce.

Since I am a regular, Doug brought out another portion of dessert for us to share. Very old school and a rather simple ending to an excellent meal.

It’s not easy to eat at a foreign place until you become a regular. I have been coming back here for my steak fix every time I am in Melbourne since 2014. And I made it back as they turned 60. Nothing has changed, Doug’s still there, and the steaks were still served straight up. The quality of the meat perfectly done and the rest of the formula remain untouched. The price went up quite a bit over the years though.

Vlado’s Charcoal Grill Steakhouse Restaurant
61 Bridge Road, Richmond, Melbourne VIC 3121 Australia
Tel : +61 3 9428 5833 / +61 3 9428 2189

Visited May 2025