Victor Churchill Heads to Crown Melbourne with a Landmark Bar and Grill in 2027
Melbourne has a habit of attracting big culinary personalities, but every so often an announcement lands that feels like a genuine power move. Victor Churchill opening a full bar and grill at Crown Melbourne in 2027 counts as one of those moments. It’s the sort of news that sends hospitality folk into group chats and makes anyone who has ever stood in front of their Armadale dry-age cabinets in quiet awe.
Victor Churchill’s story is long and layered, beginning in 1876 and reshaped over generations into what Anthony Bourdain famously called the most beautiful butcher shop in the world. The Woollahra original became a benchmark for people who value craftsmanship, detail and a little bit of theatre with their shopping. When the brand arrived in Armadale in 2021, Melbourne embraced it as if it had always been here, leaning into its blend of heritage and showmanship.
The Crown Melbourne chapter will be the most ambitious shift yet. This isn’t an expansion for expansion’s sake. Anthony and Rebecca Puharich are planning a fully fledged dining experience that stands on its own rather than feeling tethered to the retail stores. Think grill room energy filtered through the brand’s obsession with produce, service and technical precision.
At the stove will be acclaimed chef Monty Koludrovic, returning to Australia after a run that spans Icebergs, The Living Room in Hollywood, and formative years in London at The Dorchester and La Trompette. He and Anthony have been friends for close to twenty years, which lends the partnership a sense of inevitability rather than convenience. Koludrovic’s style has always leaned towards ingredient-led cooking with a touch of personality, making him a natural fit for a project that celebrates producers as much as plates.
The restaurant will overlook the Yarra, a location traditionally reserved for big hospitality statements. The design brief was handed to New York’s AvroKO, a studio known for creating immersive and emotionally rich spaces without tipping into theatre for theatre’s sake. Their involvement signals the level of ambition here. Expect atmosphere that feels equal parts global and unmistakably Melbourne, with a sharp confidence that adds a new dimension to the city’s love of expressive spaces.
What anchors the whole project is Victor Churchill’s unwavering respect for provenance and the people behind the produce. This has always been the brand’s north star. It’s why chefs have long relied on Vic’s Premium Quality Meat, the Puharich family’s other cornerstone, and why the public continues to treat Victor Churchill as a destination rather than a shop. The Crown Melbourne venue will continue this legacy through a menu that responds to seasons, stories and the quiet artistry of good sourcing.
For Crown, the partnership marks a significant cultural play. For Melbourne diners, it hints at a future favourite before the doors even open. For Victor Churchill, it’s a natural progression from Woollahra to Armadale to something far grander on the river’s edge.
With the opening slated for mid-2027, details will unfold in time. What’s already clear is that this won’t be just another steakhouse. It will be a confident, meticulously crafted expression of a brand that has shaped the country’s dining expectations for generations. Melbourne is ready.
