It’s The Dish On Everyone’s Lips, But Where Can You Find A Beef Wellington In Melbourne?

For reasons we all know, the not-so-humble Beef Wellington has been courting attention. It’s a complex, hearty dish that foul-mouthed mega-chef Gordon Ramsey perfected decades ago, naming the “ultimate indulgence” one of his favourite meals.

It still features on several of his restaurant menus peppered around the world. His recipe calls for wild mushrooms, parma ham, plenty of thyme (and time) and a bottle (!) of red wine for the jus.

The precise history of Beef Wellington is unclear but the dominant origin story traces back to the early 1800s, when a meat wrapped in pastry dish was served—maybe shaped like a boot?—and named after Britain’s Duke of Wellington.

Integral to the dish is the duxelle around the beef tenderloin, which is there to enhance the beefy flavours and keep the delicate cut incredibly moist. A duxelle is generally made of a mince of mushrooms, onions, herbs and seasonings, sauteed in butter then reduced to a paste. In true French style, recipes date back to the 17th century and some call for dehydrated mushrooms to enhance the flavour as well as a dash of sherry. 

Other recipes embellish with paté, truffle and/or cognac. Then you can add a bone marrow gravy or swap out the beef tenderloin for … wait for it … beetroot …  to make it vegetarian friendly. Yes, Beet Wellington is a thing. It can have a giant pastry casing or come out in individual flaky pocket serves. One thing for sure though is it's decadent, tricky to make and an absolute must try for any epicurean.

Can you find Beef Wellington, considered by chefs a highly technical dish, in Melbourne? Absolutely.  Is curiosity booming about how it’s made? Undoubtedly.  Are diners quizzical about its flavour? Affirmative. 

And perhaps one of the biggest puzzle pieces remains, why would anyone order it? Well, because it's darn good eating and this is where you can get your hands on one. 

Where To Find A Beef Wellington In Melbourne

The Kingston

Image: The Kingston | Supplied

For three years, The Kingston, in a tucked-away stretch of Richmond, has been serving Beef Wellington, added to the menu at the time to showcase “older, classic dishes that had fallen out of popularity.”

The steeped-in-history bar and beer garden has noted a steady increase in BW orders over recent months—mainly first-time tasters. "People are generally surprised to see it on a menu these days and are always impressed with how the dish presents," according to the pub.

The Kingston’s top tip for a good Beef Wellington is “don’t rush the cooking process and let the tender fillet, earthy mushrooms, savoury prosciutto and buttery pastry speak for themselves.”

Melba Restaurant

Image: Melba Restaurant | Supplied

Christmas in July celebrations witnessed a return of Beef Wellington to the bountiful buffet at The Langham’s Melba Restaurant at Southbank. 

Couched amongst the range of festive favourites such as crispy pork belly with crackling, stuffed turkey with cranberry chutney and Chinese roast duck, sits the Beef Wellington.   

“We want people to experience classic dishes that are not necessarily on offer at a la carte restaurants. The dish has been a firm favourite for a very long time.”

The seasonal dish returns in late November when the refined restaurant goes full throttle with its festive-themed buffet with all the trimmings. If you save space, there’s traditional pudding you can drown in brandy custard.

The Breslin Bar & Grill

It’s a daily battle between the seafood linguini and the Beef Wellington for the title of most popular dish at the whole carcass-based steakhouse restaurant The Breslin Bar & Grill at Southbank.

It serves a “signature Beef Wellington” with mushroom and truffle duxelle*, tarragon mash and red win jus as you luxuriate in a leather booth under the mood lighting of antler chandeliers. 

Due to the complexities of the dish, you’ll be waiting at least 30 minutes for prep. The place is proud of its tender meat with “good, gamey flavours”.

Tungthit

Tungthit (Abbotsford, Springvale) fuses Vietnamese and Western cuisine and serve a melt-in-your-mouth Beef Wellington as  a main, and very popular dish.

Owner/chef Anthony Nguyen has gone from being a dedicated butcher for 15 years to making a mean Mojito to running sophisticated steakhouses (the first ambitiously opened its doors early 2020).

Anthony says his often sold-out Beef Wellington, while challenging to make, is “wow, crunchy, juicy and tasty.”

What About A Beef Wellington At Home?

There's definitely a couple of choice spots to pick up a take-home Beef Wellington if you're keen to try one without the white napkins. 

Peter Bouchier

Image: Peter Bouchier | Website

Premium meats and gourmet meals are aplenty at Peter Bouchier (Malvern, Toorak)—the self-proclaimed butchers of distinction since 1983. You can grab (to heat at home) individually portioned, pan seared, grass-fed beef eye fillet steak, encased in buttery, crisp pastry, paired with a house-made duxelle. There’s also an added dollop of paté.

Vic’s Meat

Sitting pretty on the beef homepage on Vic’s Meat’s website is a recipe for BW. The juicy guide adds cognac and suggests a blend of mushrooms—button, swiss brown and chestnut. 

Preparation takes a little extra care and attention but don’t be intimidated, says the recipe—elaborating that the final result is an irresistible feast worth the effort for any special occasion.

What About A Beef Wellington On Holiday?

And in case you find yourself in the proximity of a Gordon Ramsey Bread Street Kitchen—there a several across Britain and one in Singapore—you can indulge in a Beef Wellington for two—a tender sirloin (sliced about 2.5 centimetres thick), drizzled in red wine jus, plated with lashings of creamy mashed potato. Just how Gordon likes it.

Main image credit: Donna Demaio