Review City Grill Room

Alison O'Neill

This is one of the best steak restaurants I have eaten at in Melbourne. We were in a large group approx. 15. The service was really good and were accommodating to individual requests. The quality of the food was exceptional. Pricing was expensive but the food quality was worth it. Highly recommend.

Shane Arnold

Absolutely delicious and delightful. Enjoyed the atmosphere which was quite quiet. Staff very friendly and attentive. Food service was quick and the quality of the food was exceptional. The fried onions as a side is a must have. I personally had the rack if baby pork ribs and it fell off the bone. I followed up the evening with the sticky date and others had the apple crumble. Both were terrific. Unfortunately due to my excitement I forgot to take photos of the deserts. Price was reasonable and fair given the food quality but it's not a cheap eat. I will return.

Nancy Mankoo

Worth dining in this restaurant. Totally satisfying peaceful environment. We had made prior bookings for a table as essondon was full at the time we wanted. Staff was very friendly & attentive. We had ordered salmon which was very soft and juicy, porterhouse, beef burger. All tasted amazing and delicious.

Teresa Le

Last time I was here the food was amazing. Steak was perfect. This time around same steak, not as good. Just didn't taste as soft and melt in your mouth. Still rate it as a good steak place. Wide open space. Plently of room for groups

Ram Pillai

A good steak house for a pocket friendly price! Usually never the salmon type of guy but their salmon was amazing! The basting sauce is out of the world.. Love it!!

Joseph Boh

Service - friendly and attentive, can't ask for more Food - Order a medium rare porterhouse, with salad and garlic sauce, steak is juicy and tender, definitely worth the Money Dessert - cheese cake with vanilla ice cream. Cake is thick in flavour, perfect for me but not for my wife. For coffee lovers, must try the coffee ice cream (can't remember the name of dessert)

Rebecca Goh

My go to for affordable great steak and wine! They have really good entrees too. Environment is cosy to have a date or just catching up with friends.

Nina Monger

Went to lunch here on a Monday. It was quiet when we got there, and when we left there was enough tables left for walk-ins. Interestingly, I was the only female dining there that lunch-time so it's obviously popular with blokes. Good steak, cooked perfectly to order and great selection of wines but everything else is mass produced and reminds you that Squires Loft is a franchise.

Leighanne Mott

Great food, friendly staff, a great place to go for good food at a reasonable price.

Ada Gutte

Best customer service.. delicious steaks cook perfect to our liking, and a great wine list.. surprise birthday dinner and waiter surprised us with a baby birthday cake and say happy birthday along with us !!

Minas Grapsas

Ate here last night, 3 of us in total. We ordered 2 medium steaks and 1 well done. All 3 steaks were way undercooked in the very centre which we noticed half way through the meal. The 2 medium steaks were definitely raw in the centre, the well done steak was a touch above medium. A steak house should know exactly how to cook a steak. Wd gave the steaks back, waited 10 minutes while they re-cooked them and then finished it. Also at $43 for a standard rib eye steak, its definitely not cheap, a little bit of bbq basting after they cook it just to add flavour doesnt justify the price. The average price for a rib eye at restaurants in and around the city is about $35 for a 350-400gram. But it does taste nice though!

Mark Evangelista

No matter how long you've lived in Melbourne, it's always a great feeling when you "discover" a new hidden gem. Celebrating my best mate's birthday, we checked out City Grill Room after a few influential peeps suggested it. We may have been late to the party with this discovery but lord it was worth the wait. Starting off with their Boerewors with sweet chilli sauce and a serve of their grilled Camembert, we knew we were in for a thoroughly enjoyable meal. When someone is able to take the most simplest meals and ensure they are done to perfection, it becomes a breathtaking experience. FYI YOU WILL LOVE THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE! Need to get me a few dozen bottles!! Our mains were their eye fillet, their special Angus porterhouse for the evening, and their baby back pork ribs. Steaks were done medium rare and melted in your mouth; served with chips that seemed like they were designed to scoop up every last drop of the choice of sauce you chose to dress your steak in. I'm still dreaming about dem ribs; will come back for another serve soon! After such a hearty, love-infused meal, we kept dessert simple trying out their affogato and lava cake. No complaints! For you wine buffs, the list is comprehensive and can meet any budget...dare you not to continue coiffing another bottle well after your meal has finished. What makes the experience even greater is the friendly and attentive staff, and a venue that has an authentic simple style that ensures your full focus is on the food, and the company that you're keeping.

Margaret O'Neill

Beautiful, great service excellent steak cooked to perfection highly recommend

Kate Ferenc

This was the best meal ever! Could not fault one thing we had tonight. Steaks were cooked to absolute perfection. Ribs falling off the bone. Prawns were flavoured and cooked amazing. Every side was delicious. Service was second to none. My only complaint is I couldn't bring the take home sauces back to Adelaide as they have to be refrigerated :'( do your self a favour when your in Melbourne EAT HERE. They were amazing with our 6 year old and her small requests and treated her just as if she was an adult with a massive smile on their face. Thank you so much for the minding blowing night/meal will definitely come back when here again.

Liz Rodger

Great service great meal great company! Thankyou for a great meal

Kathy Pokrajac

We're from Sydney and had dinner with 2 other family members last night. This is up there with one of the best places we have ate. Would highly recommend.

Robert Day

Exceptional food. We tried the pork baby back ribs, chips and salad then went back to sample the beef short ribs. A Cinderella mocktail washed it down nicely. Will definitely return

Donna Aranyi

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at SLCGR last night - food was super tasty and delicious, service was outstanding, thanks to Corey for looking after us, hospitality and an incredibly well executed menu are both delivered here in spades, loved it!

Mark Deakin

Best Steak in Melbourne, the service is excellent and the wine cellar must be explored!

Sim Dal

Best scotch fillet ive eaten in a while. Nice quiet setting, very roomy. Courteous staff.

Christopher Keah

was at the squires loft for a night out with the birthday boy. just beautiful steak done well. medium rare with that smokey chargrill flavour. and the fried onions!

Charlene Gatt

Had dinner here tonight and what a pleasure! The steaks were divine and add that to the excellent service provided by the wait staff! Don't venture out to the city much but will definitely be back here again!!!

Jennifer Moore

Wow the mushroom and fetta starter was the highlight of this dinner date! Delicious juicy meat hot chips and yummy gracy sauce followed. Definitely worth it ��

Mans

My first visit. Loved the entrees and steak. Wide range of sauces to choose from. My fav was the creamy jalapeno. Cocktail was a lil sweet for my liking and had sugar rim instead of salt rim as mentioned in the menu. Steaks were perfect. Tried three sauces creamy jalapeno creamy mushroom and green pepper one. All so good. Baked potato on side seemed boiled as opposed to baked since there was lil water seen when we cut the potato. However it waa nice. Calamari was nice and fresh. Grilled camembert was amazing and the onion jam was to die for. The staff was attentive and service is fast. Ambience is very welcoming and I would definitely visit again.

Secret Taster

I’ve been going here for a few years now. Two words: Consistently excellent Whether I’ve gone w a large group or just two people, the steak is always cooked exactly as you ordered it. They have nailed it. Being able to pick lollies from its huge bowl is such a lovely gesture

StepiiGM

I ordered their salmon steak while the rest of the group had beef steaks. As far as I remember we need to order the meat, sauce and salad separately. Creamy sauce - a bit thick, but was still enjoyable. Both desserts were HUGE and good for sharing. Overall, the restaurant gives out this rustic vibe and friendly atmosphere.

Linda

Soft tender juicy steak, cooked well (mine was a tiny bit overdone to medium rare as I had asked) however doesn’t take away from the flavour. The prawns were flavoursome and the spice coating is packed with punch. Service is attentive. The sauce is a bit creamy to my liking but aside from that, if you want a good steak this is the place to come!

The Dear Luncher

Squire's Loft seems a little tired these days, but they still pump out above average steaks. The Dear Luncher (aka The Secretary of Steak) wandered in one day for a rib eye on the bone (the greatest of cuts) and it met expectations. It's still frustrating that that Squire's insist upon serving up a large slab of meat on a tiny plate. This means there is zero manouverability with the steak, it's insane. Also a little annoying is the $5 extra for a sauce to come with the steak. A sauce of some description should be part of the steak price. The Dear Luncher prefers other city steakhouses, but Squires is a reasonable option for a red meat injection. 3.5/5.

Gavin Gusling

Great steak done well, a wide range of beers and wines. We didn’t wait long for service although the server was a little green and not familiar with the menu but generally good and looked after us well.

Anthony Paul

I’m a little confused by all the positive ratings for this place... I felt that it was ‘almost there’ in so many facets - but just lacking... had the potential to be a great meal and setting but just wasn’t. The obnoxious and disinterested maitre de was a dead give away, he struggled to even make eye contact whilst we were ordering. We ordered our steaks (sirloin and porterhouse) and to their credit were cooked as ordered (medium rare). They were accompanied or glazed with a sweet marinade??? As well as the $5 peppercorn, or $5 mushroom sauce (which was pretty much the same thing just mushrooms added to the peppersauce) in a jug? The side salad that accompanied it was pathetic at best. Iceberg lettuce? We also ordered a side of baked mushrooms with garlic and feta. Picturing in my head, 4-5 large flat mushrooms baked with feta, garlic and parsley on top - instead we received and oblong shaped ramekin with button mushroom, butter and garlic underneath covered in feta and baked. Indicative of the whole evening. Could have been great - but was a disappointment... The worst part of the night came when paying. Looking at the bill and realizing that I was paying $10 for side sauces with the steaks we ordered and seeing the ‘chef’ in the open kitchen (next to the checkout) scoop it out of the Bain Marie into a metal serving jug. I paid $10 for that. Horrific. Overall, we left feeling like we’ve had better pub steaks with better value for money.

Jonathon

The staff greeted us when we came in . They were friendly and attentive . The steak and potato were nice as was the corn . A good experience. Well worth the visit .

Aj4452

We have been coming here for steak since it opened 11 years ago.. we have never been disappointed with the food.. steak always cooked just the way we like it, the ribs are super juicy and tasty and the sauces are amazing! The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Piggyeatalot

Loved their steaks there! Had the surf and turf w eye fillet cooked perfectly medium rare. Their jalapeño sauce had a nice kick to it. I think the only gripe was that the king prawns in the turf was not as fresh as it could be. The chips were nice too!

Liz K

Friendly staff... food was amazing beef n reef beautiful meat was cook perfectly..cocktail on point ..great experience here recommend for groups of friends .

Alana Polydorou

I have been here three times after my partner introduced me to this slightly hidden gem. The meat has been delicious and cooked perfectly each time. There is a delightful atmosphere and I would go again.

Kevin & Emily

K: The last time I had Squires loft was in Werribee with my colleagues and today I was fortunate enough to visit with my close friends for a nice catch up. Located in a pocket of an alley on Little Lonsdale Street, this restaurant offers a very rustic and warm setting that makes you feel at ease. The attendees matched with the setting really make for a steak house vibe and that was a welcome addition. With that being said, today I ordered the Scotch fillet with baked potato, and creamy mushroom sauce. Cooked medium rare, the steak was very juicy and radiated a charcoal taste, with each bite met with approval. The meat was often chewy especially towards the middle, with the very end parts tasting a bit dry but apart from that it was a very decent steak indeed. Complimented by the creamy mushroom sauce, the sauce itself was tasteful although a bit too liquidy. With that being said the flavours meshed so well together and it made for a very enjoyable meal. The potato went well with the given cream, nice and soft but baked just right also. Definitely a very good steak option if you are after a very big serving, with great selection of sides and sauces. Take your friends here for a good time! Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambience: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 3.5/5

Theknifeandforktalk

Came here for a date night and we were definitely spoilt on the quality of the food. We both ordered steaks and usually I always order ‘medium’ instead of ‘medium rare’ because most restaurants don’t seem to get it right! But I have CGR a chance and they delivered a medium rare eye fillet beautifully! The menu is incredibly simple... in a negative way! Not much in terms of a delicious description but just reminds me of a basic pub... pick a meat add salad or fries. Sauce was an additional $5 for a boat which I found a bit pricey for just sauce but it was homemade and fantastic. Cocktails were delicious! Long Island ice tea was ridiculously strong that we needed more coke on the side to add in. Raspberry martini was lovely! Lovely night out!

Food Critic

Came here a few months ago for dinner and order 2 (400g) Rib eye on the bone steak with chips. The sauce was extra cost and we order the creamy mushroom sauce and creamy garlic sauce. We also order the Baked mushroom and fetta with herb butter. I love our meals. The steak was cook the we like it. Love the baked mushroom and fetta with herb butter dish here. The staff that serve us that night was friendly. 😀

Varun Kumar

Second experience: I have to drop my rating to 5 from 3.5. Inconsistencies in restaurant's is common, but I think the wriggle room can't be such big disparities. I had the salmon. The salmon was not defrosted so the skin was burnt and the inside was still not cooked through. Just had that horrible defrosted taste. The chips were great though and were fresh of the fryer. But my first experience was great I will have to give it one more shot, because my first experience was epic. After a couple of recommendations from work colleagues. Gave it a try. Place is hard to find, the sign makes you beleive it's the shop in the corner. But it isn't. Its tucked away at the end of the alley. Then the place is called squires loft but if you search squires loft on zomato this particular branch does not come up. Zomato probably needs to fix this cause it makes it harder for customers to find this place. I had the porterhouse with blue cheese sauce it was amazing. The sauce is out of this world. The meat was cooked exactly how I wanted it. The salmon was also cooked perfectly medium to rare and the garlic sauce was a perfect mix.

Feeeedme

For the price we were very disappointed. My sister found a piece of plastic in her fried onions, which was a bit dangerous. I ordered the salmon and even though the waitress asked me if I wanted it med rare, it came out well done. Thought I was eating chicken! No one was rude, and they took my sisters burger off the bill which was courteous. But we did leave disappointed.

Benny Graham

Place is very nice , t bone we had was amazing , pretty much fell off the bone !! Didn't wait long for food .. definitely be back to try more 👌🏻

Good Food = Happy Mood

The place is hidden away and needs a lot of upgrading...Friendly and super attentive staff the food is a bit of hit and miss poorly presented , I would recommend a steak if u visit

Facebook User

Very unimpressed with this restaurant. Food was underwhelming, steak was very undercooked. Decor looked worn and the air conditioner duct and pipes everywhere looked terrible. Our table server was lovely but the maitre de was rude to us when we gave feedback at how underdone the steak was. We asked for medium rare and recieved a steak that was borderline blue and stone cold in the centre. We did not ask for any kind of compensation, we just gave feedback to let them know. He told us they always serve their steak underdone to what the customer orders which I find baffling as well as a poor way to take criticism by deflecting the comment to suggest it was us who were wrong.

Demelza Callesen

Took my Mum here who was visiting Melbourne as she was staying in the city and we were both craving a good steak. We ordered the eye fillet with fries, mushroom sauce and asparagus.. DELICIOUS! I enjoyed every mouthful. Will 100% be back 😊

Foodiee

Friends invited me here for my birthday dinner on a Sunday night and was excited to see such high rating. The bread was freshly prepared and gave me the impression that my steak would be even better! Goosh I was so wrong... I ordered scotch fillet medium rare and here came a COLD sizzling plate... which instantly cooled the already not-so-hot steak. The fillet was cooked at least medium+ and the texture was rubbery and lacking real meat taste, black peppercorn sauce was warm as well.... I don't know what else to say about the sreak. Maybe this was just a once off... 😖 0.5 point for the nice bread..

Good Food Good Mood

Monkey gland sauce, I had to try it! Rest assured there are no monkeys involved. It's a South African sauce made with chutney, soy sauce, mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic ketchup, and wine. Quite a delicious accompaniment to my steak actually. The grilled Camembert was also a lovely start to the meal but allow me to issue a warning. If you are vegetarian this is probably one to avoid. I suppose most vegetarians don't generally frequent steakhouses however a lot of them these days have a superb vego offering (meat and wine co I'm looking at you) but at CGR my plant loving friend was up in arms that their 'chargrilled vegetarian meal' couldn't be labelled vegetarian as it was cooked on the same grill as the meat. They eventually offered to try and bake it for her when she claimed she was going to eat a baked potato for dinner but she was still unimpressed. The meat lovers however throughly enjoyed themselves and all the complimentary fresh bread!

Freya Thomas

Group of 4, all ordered burgers (2 chicken, 2 wagyu beef), all burgers tasted good and were served with heaps of chips. The main reason I'm not rating this place higher is the service and facilities. After our mains came out no one came back to ask if we wanted another drink or dessert. I wanted both so they missed out on making some more money off of me! The interactions we did have with staff were pleasant though. Also, the toilets were pretty manky and it's not cheap here.

Aviva

the first and the last！The service is terrible !That day is Valentine's Day.My husband and I went to here on time.They were not busy,the staff who is dark hair, She forgot our order. We were sitting there for 40 minutes,without anything to eat.never had this kind of experience before.everyone will go to this restaurant,please consider the worst service..

Andre Nguyen

Always love going to city grill room, an old friend of mine works in the kitchen so the staff are always lovely when we are there. This was our second time there now, for entrees we had the Camembert and the lamb chops with mint jelly. It was my first time having Camembert but i really enjoyed it. The mint jelly that came with the lamb chops was something a little different but still very pleasant. For my main i got the 400g rib eye medium, it was very juicy and cooked to how I had ordered it. We had a selection of different sauces but the creamy mushroom was definitely the one i enjoyed most. Really enjoy the steaks from here.

John Regos

A place that when you ask for a steak cooked rare, you actually get it rare. Onion rings are great, ribs are great. We also had the stick date for desert. Also very good. Even the bread you get at the start was great.

Ally Dominey

I didn't have high hopes when I ordered "Vegetarian Meal" (the only veg option on the menu) ... However I was pleasantly surprised! I received two chargrilled skewers (mushrooms, zucchini, capsicum), two slices of grilled pumpkin and fried onion. It was all really flavoursome and cooked well, and the addition of the creamy garlic sauce was perfect. My partner ordered a scotch fillet with peppercorn sauce which he enjoyed. The sauces are really delicious and you can buy them separately to take home with you if you wish. We also ordered the grilled camembert to share which was lovely. The restaurant is hidden down an alley and doesn't look like much from outside, but once inside it is much nicer. It was quite loud despite only being about half full. It was also pretty hot which may have been due to where we were sitting (not near the air con), but I was getting uncomfortable. Staff were friendly and attentive, and happy to make menu recommendations.

Bruce Collins

City Grill constantly good one of the best steak houses in Melbourne have been eating her for a number of years never disappointed suggest if you are hungry you should try T Bone

Katherine's Food Diary

We met up with Liz, RG and a couple of her friends last night for dinner. I made a booking the night before for four, but company turned out to be five and possibly six later. Now, the lady who greeted us at the door at first told us they could just fit an extra chair to the table rather than get us a bigger table, which was all right. The ambiance was pretty average I suppose - we were seated in the corner of one side of the restaurant. It was really noisy but it suited us fine with loud company. For wine, our waitress responded to the RG's barrage of questions. She settled on The Signature wine from Yalumba. At this point, we were told we could move onto a larger table for six, which was appreciated. Once our orders were put through though, food came pretty promptly. We shared an entree of Baby back pork ribs. We all agreed the pork ribs were delicious. It was juicy, succulent and the plentiful meat on the ribs just fell off the bone. Now, everyone had steak in some shape or form (or cut). I had the Scotch 300g steak. All the mains are served with chips or a baked potato. I had my steak medium and it was really juicy and tender through and through. Also, it was already grilled with traditional baste, which was delicious on its own. The mushroom sauce was nice. If you're a sauce-y person, they offer black pepper, monkeygland, mushroom, garlic, blue cheese, green pepper and baste. Overall, prices are not cheap and service was a bit slow but I would return for a juicy steak and pork ribs.

IsaH

The restaurant has quite a nice, modern atmosphere to it. My family and I were served by a lovely waitress. The beef short ribs were said to be nice and tender. The eye fillet and scotch fillet were very tasty as well. However, the scotch fillet was not cooked to my liking. I ordered medium and it came out medium rare. The quality of the meat was good but how it was cooked did not impress me so much. The grilled lamb chops though was a disappointment as it wasn't as nice as expected. Also, I did find my dish to be a little bit salty but it wasn't unbearable.

The Food Queen

Food is highly recommended, I'd give it a 4.5, a very consistent Squires Loft experience. Chicken and steaks were cooked to perfection and sauces were yum. The service unfortunately was not good. The restaurant was full and they were short staffed and the wait staff whilst friendly were running around trying to cope. I've noticed a few comments about poor service - seems like there's an opportunity to improve generally.

AnnaW85

They are one of old fashioned, classy place. Just a good steak place, just what you expect. No tricks, no fusion, simply good steak. And I liked it.

Venusaur

Wonderful atmosphere, and even better food, my two visits to the City Grill Room have been a delight. Both times we arrived in a large group, and were catered to by the lovely staff, despite not making a booking the first time around. Our second experience was a lot more streamlined, as we'd booked ahead of time, and the staff had no issues adding an extra seat or two when we had some last minute arrivals. The restaurant has a varied selection of wine, which a few of my friends thoroughly enjoyed. However, the highlight for me was my medium rare Scotch steak, drizzled in creamy mushroom sauce. I absolutely love the steaks here, and it is definitely one of their specialities. Everything is an absolute plus here; the restaurant boasts fine dining, without the snobby staff or overpriced meals. It is the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, and I will be back again without a doubt!

Manmar

Food great, as always. However, tonight we had a snotty waiter (tall Australian man, just to differentiate from the short Italian/Spanish waiter who was lovely) The Australian waiter came to get our drinks order (table for 6, only 4 arrived at this point) took my husbands beer order, asked me what I wanted, and when I said, a bottle of Tainui, he said, scandalised, "what, a BOTTLE??) I said, yes, any problem with that?? (Glaring at him!) (Note: I was ordering for 3, not that I have to justify myself to a bloody waiter!!! Grill Room, sack this guy.

N D

For me a steak isn't a steak without a good gravy or square and the beat thing about this place is the sauces and just make their steak amazing. The garlic and mushroom sauce is just great.

Angela Eats

Average steak, below average ribs (no flavour whatsoever), chips were crispy. The wagyu burger was pretty good however the chicken burger was very dry. The steak was cooked well but wasn't as tender as I wanted it to be. Service was very poor. (Sorry for ugly photos lol)

Theyellowbatman

Restaurant was close to where we were staying so we decided to give it a try. Chips and sides were nice, service was quick (Sunday night) but the scotch fillets weren't very nice cuts of meat. Fair bit of grizzle and quite chewy even though we both got medium rare. Maybe we got them on an off night..

Priscilla Wibowo

I ate here with my family. The location is a bit hard to find but we all love steaks and the ribs. Quite pricey but worth it. Service was good.

MelbFoodHunter

Steak steak and again steak! Amazing place for a dinner date or just to treat yourself to a nice meal. Especially recommend the mushroom sauce as well as the grilled vegetables.

Pork And Beans

The service was equally lacking, as with other Squires Loft experiences in the past, but at least the steaks were cooked properly this time. I had the beef ribs, and they were delicious! Not horrible, not great. Wouldn't go out of my way to go back but if invited out for dinner here, I wouldn't decline.

Ziwei Clover Xu

We had dinner at City Grill Room. For entrée we ordered baked mushroom and feta with garlic butter. This was very delicious just a little bit too salty but not a problem at all we loved it. For main we both ordered scotch fillet. I didn't like mine and only finished half of it. For desert we had cheesecake and tiramisu and we didn't finish them either.

MN-A

Another Squires Loft franchise, a tad pricier due to the location. The steak tastes much the same as others in from this chain, however I think other locations cook the steak a bit better (Tooronga is quite consistent at cooking to my preferred 'medium'). Having said that, I've only been here once...and my steak not medium throughout, some parts were almost all done. On the whole, we did enjoy our meals and service was good.

Yuri Jeong

We ordered baby pork ribs and wagyu beef burger. The ribs were ok, but the source was a bit sour.. We expected the sauce would be sweet barbecue source. Wagyu burger was terrible .I can't taste any sauce in the burger.Just meat and lettuce. I left some ribs so i asked her if I could take it away but she said we cant cause they have no takeaway license. What a waste of our food;( When i got the bill, I got shocked because they charged over $20 with different order what we actually ordered. She just said sorry and she looks like she did not succeed this time. I will never go this shit place again

Vinny

Pretty nice place with a classy atmosphere.. Definitely kinda tucked away into an alley way but is worth a visit. Tried the salmon and thought it was awesome.. Partner had the steak and said it was really good. Alot of nice grill items on the menu too

Just Another Foodie

Was given the task of looking for a steak place for dinner in the city and City Grill Room had one of the best reviews on Zomato. It's easy to miss this place as it's hidden in an alleyway but lucky we had already knew that from reading the reviews beforehand. I ordered the 300g eye fillet with a baked potato. The steak was cooked to my liking (medium rare) and the accompanying black peppercorn sauce was nice. The baked potato was unfortunately really dry. Friend said the ribs were ok but not as good as Hurricane's in Sydney. Service was good throughout the nice and restaurant was spacious. Found the prices a bit steep for the steaks served but I guess this is city pricing.

William Keough

Been CGR several times for both lunches and dinner. Never ceases to please. Great venue for business, group and one-on-one meals. Very generous portions of the best and heartiest meat and chicken grill dishes in Melbourne served promptly and in great ambience. What more would you want? - don't be so damn fussy! A hidden gem in the Melbourne Restaurant scene. W

Agnosticspirit1

We have been here before, several times, and enjoyed the meal and the experience On Wednesday the 10th we took family from overseas . Although we enjoyed the food, we did NOT enjoy the experience. We asked for some extra bread and not getting any after half an hour, we asked again, pointing out the time. The waiter was rude saying we only asked 7 minutes earlier (virtually saying I lied). Not true. Our family friend from overseas asked for some balsamic vinegar, 3 times, never got it. When he told the waitress she said he should have asked again. How many times do we need to ask to be served properly? The place wasn't that busy any way. So very dissappointed and embarassed with service on the night. I don't know whether to go again.

Robin Tay

This place is amazing if you love steaks. Of the numerous times that I've been here for lunch or dinner, the order has always been spot on. Slightly on the pricier side but would recommend to anyone who loves a good steak. Good wine selection too.

Pietro

Good food, fast efficient and very polite staff. Went there for dinner on Tuesday night, the place was not crowded, nice atmosphere. They gave a good selection of steaks and sauces.

Donna&Shane

We came here for dinner needing meat/steak! Did start with the prawn skewers which were nice ... All 3 of us had eye fillet with chips.... And all cooked perfectly so very very yum! The service from the waitresses was nice and friendly the guy not so much... Then for dessert we had sticky date pudding and cheesecake, they were both ok.

Awwyum Productions

It is currently January in Melbourne and that means two things. Summertime (with longer days); and catch ups with friends for the new year. I recently had a great rib-eye steak when dining out with a friend at City Grill Room. The atmosphere and service also added to the overall experience.

Alex

Favourite place for steak in Melbourne. Always cooked to perfection the way you order. Generous portions and good quality steak. You get what you pay for with the 300g eye fillet at $49, but you won't regret it once you taste it. Wine list good, sides good, choice of chips, baked potato or side salad with your steak. Other cuts available from rump to surf and turf. Love it. Keep up the good work!

Dan The Man

If you love your steak, you'll love this 'grille inspired' restaurant that knows who it is and does it well. My scotch fillet was cooked to medium rare perfection and was juicy and tender. The mushroom sauce was above average and the salad good. There is no guile to be found and the staff were attentive without being annoying. The wine list was also excellent! Nicely done.

BellePrecieux

Seriously? A rating of 3.9 is undeserved here. The service is unfriendly and poor as they couldn't take your order right and weren't attentive. The toilets stunk, and there's clearly a lack of care and love for the place. The food was okay but the atmosphere and hospitality left a poor taste in my mouth that I just couldn't get past. Definitely won't be back as there's plenty of other places that offers a better all-rounded experience.

Burnet Au

Very nice place. Baby back ribs are the bomb Order extra sauce for them but definitely no need to order the extra sauce since its well marinated

LIPP

Good food! But disappointing service. Service was not so good due to one particular staff member (she did seem like a manager or supervisor)Didn't say one word to us! We arrived at the restaurant and expected to be greeted in some way. She stared at us blankly and told her we had a booking. She just took a few menus and let us to our table. When it was time to pay, she just asked whether we would like to pay the bill using savings or credit. This was probably the only thing she said. No thanks or anything like that. Yes I understand that looking at the pricing I shouldn't expect too much. But perhaps greeting us and saying bye would be a good start? I do need to add that the other staff members were very friendly.

Urchin

Experts in the trade. There’s no pretense here. CGR knows its identity – it’s all about meat done to perfection. Our waiter knew the menu intimately, took the order immediately and got on with delivering the main event - delicious ribs and eye fillet. Enough said.

Have Hunger, Will Travel

This place is exceptional. No airs and graces here, just good honest food served (mostly) by good staff. I've been coming here for five years off and on and have only been disappointed on one occasion...and that was due to a less than perfect baked potato. I held back on posting this as I prefer to keep the good ones close to my chest, but given that the place has been pumping lately, I think the secret is well and truly out anyway.

Steven Shipley

One of the great places in Melbourne to grab a steak. Absolutely delicious and well cooked! Staff are very friendly and polite. They also have a nice variety of sauces to accompany the steak! Would highly recommend this place!

TresHungry

Definitely a top place to have steak in Melbourne. The steak I had was faultless. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked perfectly to my liking. So tender and juicy by itself I don't think it even needed the sauce. The chips were good, but not as mindblowing as the steak. The salad wasn't that exciting, just your typical greek salad.

Linda.fleiter

Dined here last night, food was great but I object to being charged extra for a "sauce". They provide generous portions, and the staff can be a little overly attentive whilst you are dining. The maitre'd I felt was cold as she showed us to our table and swept silently away before we were even seated. It was not busy so a little attention towards paying customers would stand them in good stead.

Mavis Tan

Top mint grill steak place with flavourful sauce. We had porterhouse medium rare and Certified Angus Beef medium rare with bake potato as a side. Lovely service, and enjoyed the night we had.

Khana

After a rather delayed flight, we eventually arrived in Melbourne, thoroughly excited to live the foodie’s dream! For our first dinner, as the rest of our company was craving an overload of meat, we decided to try City Grill Room. Whilst we were contemplating the menu, some freshly baked bread was brought out which was quite delicious and a lovely way to start the evening.

Vy Nguyen

Add this to Melbourne's must try list for steaks. I've heard about City Grill Room many times before, and I finally had the chance to try it out. Ordered a 200g eye fillet steak, which was nice and thick. The sauce was unique to City Grill Room which gives a balance of flavours of the meat and juices. Was cooked perfectly well done, and loved the complementary side dishes we received with our orders. The best part was the crunchy "singed" parts around the edges of the steak, the natural slight burnt flavour did the steak some justice for me. Expensive but well worth.

The Other Jess Tuck

Enjoyable quick lunch today with the parents. Solid wagyu burger effort but needed a bit more texture, maybe different sauce and more gherkin. Hot chippies weren't so hot and could have been perked up a bit. Fried onion was delicious. Not sure my colleagues thought so that afternoon. Mamma bear's steak was cooked perfectly to her liking and she loved the side of shrooms. Overall a good feed, but the waiter needed some manners and the atmosphere was lacking a little, but hey, it was a Tuesday. Would return for a steak.

Alwayshungry

I ordered an eye fillet but it didn't blow my mind. My friend got a T bone but it was too well done. Dinner was average. Wine list was good thou.

Catherine Ann

A short walk from flagstaff station and just off little Lonsdale is a little laneway where you'll find this meat lovers paradise. Even before entering you can already smell the bbq char and basting from the outside. We were first to arrive and seated right away. No doubt in my mind but I had to try the steak...otherwise whats the point going to a grill without trying a slab of meat. Its like going to paris and not going to the eiffel tower. Apples and pears... We didnt have to wait long for waiters to take our drink and food orders. Slowly the restaurant started to fill up with all sorts... business people with their clientele to please... the overseas asian groups with their android and apple phones all in hand...the out of towners... and then there were us. The mixed matched couple who had ditched the left over curry in the fridge back at home to dine here. The mains arrived and it looked perfect. My scotch was cooked to medium rare with fat chips and blue cheese sauce to dunk them in. My knife cut in like butter! Hubby had the angus beef porter which as normal was gobbled up in no time... talk about inhaling the stuff. Our sticky date pudding was ok but i guess its not what this place is popular for. Probably just as good as meat and wine and squires loft but without the hefty price tag. Hidden gem!

G K M

I've always walked pass City Grill Room numerous times, however tonight I decided to give it a go! Tucked away in a lane way, a hint of BBQ smell was in the air. I was greeted by friendly staff when it was my turn to be served. Being a Wednesday night, I did not wait long to be seated. I ordered baby back pork ribs (3 stacks) with chips. Chips came out pipping hot! Ribs were good, meat came off the bone with ease. Ribs were char grilled, 1 stack of my ribs had a couple of blacken/ burnt spots. I wasn't too concerned as I just removed them. Dessert was sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream. Pudding was heated nicely with caramel frosting on the top. Great way to finish the night. Service was good. I will return to try out their steaks!

Xiaofeng

My friends both had CGR Angus beef steak and they liked the food. The service needs to be improved. I didn't order steak but that didn't mean I didn't want wine. The waiter for our table just took away my wine glasses without even asking! He didn't give us one smile either.... When I finally called him back to our table and asked for my wine glasses back, he didn't even apologise!

Darren Borg

When I first came here about 2 years ago, my gosh, that meat.. I never really liked steak because my of my father giving me burnt tough steak every time we had it at home. But I consider my meal here 2 years ago a game changer for me in the realm of steak. I came here recently and it wasn't as good as the first time I came, but that still isn't going to deter me from coming back.

Simon

Good stuff - currently can't move - worth it! Rib eye on the bone, boerswors and grilled Camembert - be prepared to pay though - no bottles of vino below 40

Cheryl Watt

Been twice before, and always think that it may not be so good the next time. Wrong! The best steak I've ever eaten in my life! I had the 300g eye fillet and eating partner had 400g angus portherhouse. We agreed that we had never eaten a better steak. Great service, lovely chips and fried onion rings to accompany. It could not have been improved. Definitely back for a fourth feed in future!

TheFitFoodie

Best steaks! I have been coming here for the last couple of years and always have a very enjoyable meal. Upon arrival you receive delicious complimentary bread, service is prompt and friendly. The tiger prawn entree is so delicious!! Steaks are always cooked as requested, the only downside is there is no option for mashed potato - chips or baked potato only. This place does the best mushroom sauce EVER!!!! Dessert - wow! Great location, and always good value. Paid $65 each with the entertainment book for 2 people to have a 3 course meal, with 2 wines each. Love this place!

Zac Vearing

Was showing a friend from the states (Texas) around Melbourne & wanted to take her to a good steak place. This did definitely not disappoint. We had an early booking because we were seeing a show later in the night, so when we sat down there was only one other person sitting at a table, but soon more people poured in. I ordered the 250g eye fillet with mushroom sauce & chips, with a Tiger's Tale cab merlot. The waiter informed us when taking our order that the restaurant under cooks the steak, but everything that came to my table was delicious. The wine was creamy, smooth, not too strong or fruity but not too dry either. The steak was almost perfect, with a home made glaze all over it & the mushroom sauce was very very flavoursome. The only thing that stopped me giving this place a 5 star rating was that the steak was slightly underdone only in the middle, but to be fair we were forewarned by the waiter. Also the location is a bit weird, giving the address as 535 little Lonsdale St, but the entrance actually being located down an alley off little Lonsdale. Definitely recommend.

Tomi Arnott

Been coming here for close to 10 years - Easily my favorite steak place in Melbourne. Cooked to perfection each and every time - with customer service to match. Keep up the excellent work!

Quangersandmash

Went here for my better half's birthday. she loves a good steak and with surprisingly limited options in the city we opted to try City Grill Room for the first time. First impressions its theres 2 sides to the restaurant, one fancy, intimate fine dining to the left or the more general casual dining hall to the right. We've never been the fancy couple so we were happy to be ushered to the dining hall. I ordered the Scotch Fillet with pepper sauce. basted with the city grill baste whilst on the grill gave it a nice glaze and a little extra flavour to the steak. all in all it was a good steak, one of the better ones i've had recently mostly due to it being perfectly cooked medium rare, the sauce was nothing spectacular but did the job. missus ordered the porterhouse and surprisingly after tasting a bit it was even better then the scotch fillet. super soft, tender and melt in your mouth kind of steak. again sauce wasn't anything special but when have good cuts of steak and cook them perfectly you don't really need sauce. staff were nice and efficient, the girl on the till was extra friendly and really good to chat too, makes you feel welcome always a plus when dining out i think. recommended!

Foodie14

I love steak, and I especially love this steak. Been here twice now despite living far from Melbourne because my boyfriend and I love it. We try come here every time we're in the CBD. Eye fillet is fabulous, love the creamy garlic sauce with it. Staff are friendly and attentive.

Brenda Cao

Steak was perfectly cooked, tender and soft. Service was good staff were friendly. Very generous with cocktail, drink was quite big for a cocktail. Sides and mushroom sauce was mediocre in my opinion.

Mags Lim

Pork ribs was ok , steak quality is bad, wasn't cook probably.. Is overrated from this site , $$$ pay what you get . Service is normal, overall is just a normal pub style food .

Tary19

OMG the Steak! Fantastic Service, Amazing Steak! Unfortunately the side of the restaurant we were on was FREEZING - doesn't lend itself to a cosy atmosphere. We had mushrooms with feta and garlic sauce as entree - which was delicious! Then rib eye with blue cheese sauce and a scotch fillet. The steaks were fantastic and cooked to our preference perfectly. Great wine menu. A tad pricey but the food makes it worth while. I will return!

MyFoodBelly

.Even though the restaurant is located on Little Lonsdale Street, the main entrance is actually on a little side street. It’s quite a large place, with an open-view kitchen where are able to see the chefs at work. Despite the fact that it was a Saturday night, the restaurant was quite empty which allowed us to talk freely, but I expect that this wouldn’t be the case on a busier day. The menu is largely meat-centred (as you would expect), with a few salads and side dish options. The steaks range from $23 for a 200g rump to more than double that for a 300g eye fillet, and everything in between. If steaks aren’t your cup of tea, there’s also a choice of ribs, lamb, pork belly, seafood and burgers. The mains come with your choice of chips, baked potato or salad, and for $4.50 extra you also get a gravy boat filled with delicious sauce

InSearch4DaPerfectSteak

Ok service, the waitress that served us showed impatience when we requested more water. She slammed the jug of water on our table. :( I ordered scotch fillet and it was nice!

Meganjmarr

Loved. We had a great experience dining at City grill, entree of short beef rib and pork ribs was outstanding, scotch fillets and Angus porterhouse for mains were delicious with desert to follow. Definately one of the best ribs and steak places in. Melbourne.

Vince Au

Called up a day before hand to make a reservation. Called in on the day to double check. Turns out they never wrote down the reservation for me and now, they are fully booked out and have resorted for me to go elsewhere. Big disappointment

JackieO

Good for steak and potatoes. As the name suggests the City Grill Room has a limited menu of mainly meat and potatoes but what they do they do well. It was fairly pricey but you expect that for a good steak. Also I found it a bit noisy, but the staff were friendly and attentive. I had an eye fillet which was cooked to my liking. My companion had a beef short rib which he enjoyed. The creamy mushroom sauce was very yummy but the stand out was the fried onions which were light and crispy and cooked very well. It’s not cheap but if you want a good steak I would recommend it.

FOOD TRIP

Great place for meat lovers in search of a satisfying lunch or after work steak. I would say it was one of Melbourne's best steakhouses and highly recommend...

Candice

City Grill Room has been on my wish list for a while and to be honest, I had forgotten about it amongst the 100 or so other restaurants that I want to try. In May each year, I look through my Entertainment Book that is about to expire and see if there are last minute places I can try. I found City Grill Room, remembered how much I had wanted to try it and decided to dray The Boy there for a quick dinner date before a football game (on another note, Essendon lost to Geelong that night. The Boy was not happy). City Grill Room is hidden down a lane on the other side of the city form where I work, however it is not too far from the footy so the location worked for us. I spent most of the week dreaming about whether I wanted steak or ribs as I am currently on a bit of a diet (or making lifestyle changes...pffft) and actually tweeted about whether I should break my diet for the ribs. I got a response from the lovely Nee of Sew Me Love that I should use the ribs as my YOLO meal. I had no ide

Foodinfocusz

A lovely evening both food and service wise. We were particularly taken with the floor staff who oozed fun & friendliness whilst also being professional. It was a real treat to be looked after by such a cohesive team who seemed to enjoy being there!

MikhaelfBlue

We shared an entree of Baby back pork ribs. You can get two ribs for $34, three for $48 or four for $58.

Foodlovesmymouth

Too bad I didn't have a sauce to dip my chips in so I dipped it in P's blue cheese sauce - seriously delicious!

Theycallmemaggie

The steak, the star of the show, was cooked to a medium rare perfection - the sight of the juices oozing out the steak was just magnificent.

The Hungry Excavator

City Grill Room has always been consistent for me throughout the years. It's easy to get a table and food is fair. I don't think I've ever encountered dry or overcooked ribs here and the crispy onion rings always gets people going. Only thing I'm not too much of a fan of are their salmon or steaks. I'd say to just stick to the ribs and you'll be fine.

Sophie

City Grill Room does a very good set of ribs at a reasonable (but not cheap) price-point, and has enough space to entertain a decent crowd. I can't say much about the rest of their dishes, but if the standard is maintained across the board, that I doubt you'll be disappointed. The only criticism I had was that the wait-staff seemed quite inexperienced, but we were still fairly happy with the service. This steakhouse is definitely on my list of places to return to.

Aggofato

Yummy for when you get a meat craving.

Addy

Well, the baked potato was nothing special but this dish is really good. The lamb was done medium to well done and it was still tender and very flavourful. This was definitely my favourite dish of all.

Lydiapebbles

Overall, nothing impressive but the company of my colleagues was great! It was an awesome night with delicious and quality steaks, SIMPLE.

Melbourne Glutton

Like many of Melbourne's treasures, the City Grill Room is tucked away, down a little lane way, off Little Lonsdale Street. The restaurant itself is large and spacious yet the dim lighting lent the space a suitable degree of intimacy. For our dining party of two, we were seated at one of the smaller tables on the edge of the room. The middle of the dining room was made up of clusters of tables presumable for larger groups. It seemed to be a well thought out seating plan. Service was similarly thoughtful and the staff were attentive but non-intrusive. The food also impressed us both. I was especially taken with my starter of baked mushrooms in herb sauce, topped with feta cheese. The mushrooms were soft and juicy and perfect for soaking up the flavors of the herb sauce. Meanwhile, the feta cheese had some soft and crumbly chunks as well as being baked to crispy perfection in other parts. For mains, I ordered the salmon and B chose the porterhouse. The salmon was delectably medium rare

Review City Grill Room - Melbourne