Victor Churchill

The Verdict

Few grocery shopping experiences stack up to the sense-filled journey of selecting meats from Victor Churchill. The famed Sydney butcher has finally opened up its Melbourne store; situated on High Street Armadale its elegant and high-end offering is right at home.

The original store was described by the late chef and gonzo food journalist, Anthony Bourdain as “the most magnificent butcher shop on the planet'’, in a Sydney-centred episode of his travelling show ‘No Reservations’. With acclaim like that you can expect your visit to Victor Churchill to be as impressive as the brass sausage door handles at the entrance, the fully-restored 1930s slicer, or perhaps the dry-ageing room and charcuterie bar.

Spread out over a 280-square-metre space, Victor Churchill looks more like a luxury designer store than a butcher, with thick-cut green marble floors, copper archways and shelving, and a black-painted ceiling that adds an exhibition-esque quality to the store. As you’d expect from a high-end operation the cuts here are all quality, Victor’s copper finish refrigerators are stocked with various cuts from O'Connor dry-aged eye-fillet, rare-breed pork, free-range chicken from Saskia Beer and more. 

Elevating the entire experience is the on-site diner, a 12-seat bar shaped like a horseshoe that allows customers to sample the goods. On any given day the ‘The Bar’ features a rotating selection of open flame and charcoal-grilled meats, such as steak frittes or perhaps lobster with parsley and garlic butter as well as smaller entree's like a traditional prawn cocktail, carpaccio and oysters. With a carefully curated wine and cocktail list, it just might be one of the best secret restaurants in Melbourne. 

Image credit: Paul Gosney & Pete Dillon