There’s a growing competition for the best burgers in Melbourne. From sliders and Californian, to gourmet creations and classic pub burgers, the city offers a range of burger styles and restaurants to test your allegiance.
Searching for Melbourne’s best burgers can take you far and wide, from the bustling city centre to the trendy inner suburbs. Different Melbourne restaurants are also known for their own burger specialties, so save yourself some time finding the best burger in Melbourne with this insider’s guide.
COVID-19 Update: Restaurants around Melbourne have implemented safety precautions to keep you safe. Find information about cleaning, sanitising, and usage of personal protective equipment on their OpenTable page. You can also order delivery or takeaway via the OpenTable app or website.
Higher Ground
Known for: Best gourmet burgers in Melbourne
Quick Bites
- Higher Ground is a Modern Australian restaurant.
- Higher Ground is located at 650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne City, Victoria 3000.
- Higher Ground is open from 7am until 4pm (Mon-Fri), 8am until 4pm (Sat, Sun & public holidays) and open until 11pm (Thurs-Sat).
- Higher Ground is a licensed restaurant.
- You can order takeaway from Higher Ground through OpenTable.
- You can book a table at Higher Ground through OpenTable.
Gourmet burgers are of a different class, and price bracket. But that extra money isn’t just going into the fry cooker. Gourmet burgers stand out for their fresh ingredients often handpicked from local farms. You’re also chowing down on high-quality cuts of meat, such as wagyu beef, or unique patties made from turkey or salmon.
These mouth-watering creations are not just thrown together like a Big Mac during rush hour. They’re expertly crafted by experienced chefs who place more emphasis on flavours and cooking than on speed. The original gourmet burger at New York City’s 21 Club was actually cooked in duck fat and spiked with fennel seeds.
The gourmet burger at Higher Ground illustrates this extra care beautifully. The award-winning restaurant invites you to sit down and truly savour the intricate flavours of its HG Wagyu Burger. One of the best burgers in Melbourne city, it’s expertly crafted using caramelised onion, gooey milwa cheese, pickled oyster, sautéed mushrooms, fresh arugula and a juicy wagyu beef patty. Accompanying the HG Wagyu Burger is the restaurant’s perfectly cooked chunky fries sprinkled with miso salt.
Let’s all just take a moment to wipe the saliva off our chins.
Garden State Hotel
Known for: Best pub burger in Melbourne
Quick Bites
- Garden State Hotel is an Australian restaurant.
- Garden State Hotel is located at 101 Flinders Lane, Melbourne City, Victoria 3000.
- Garden State Hotel is open from 12pm until 3pm (Thurs-Sat) and 6pm until 10pm (Wed-Sat).
- Garden State Hotel is a licensed restaurant.
- You can order takeaway from Garden State Hotel through OpenTable.
- You can book a table at Garden State Hotel through OpenTable.
At their very core, pub burgers are akin to pizzas in Italy, made with a few simple, fresh ingredients that have worked beautifully together for decades. The perennial ‘no-nonsense’ burger, it typically comprises a sumptuous beef patty (often a good cut of meat), lettuce, tomato and sauce (typically mayo and/or mustard). A side of fries and a pickle sliced down its length usually round out the plate.
Garden State Hotel’s Wagyu Cheese Burger proudly upholds the pub burger tradition by combining wagyu beef with grill-melted cheese, a toasted bun, lettuce, tomatoes, fries and a pickle to create a simple, yet mouth-watering meal. It’s a satisfying lunch or dinner burger that guarantees the same appealing flavour and textures every time.
Father’s Office
Known for: Best California style burgers in Melbourne
- Father’s Office is an American restaurant.
- Father’s Office is located at 249 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne City, Victoria 3000.
- Father’s Office is open from 11am until 1am (Mon-Thurs), 11am until 3pm (Fri & Sat) and 11am until midnight (Sun).
- Father’s Office is a licensed restaurant.
- You can order takeaway from Father’s Office through OpenTable.
- You can book a table at Father’s Office through OpenTable.
Do you love your burger with double or even triple-stacked patties? Sounds like you’re a fan of the California style. This popular burger in Melbourne is often defined by smaller, multiple patties paired with lettuce, tomato, raw onion and a soft white bun. And the final ingredient? Usually the restaurant’s “special sauce’.
When it comes to the most recognisable California style burgers around the world, one thing is clear: the ingredients must be complementary. When done right, they create an enticing aesthetic through varying colours and textures.
The Double American Cheeseburger at Father’s Office is the perfect example of a finely tuned California style burger. The speakeasy bar and restaurant lays claim to the best California style burger in Melbourne and we’re inclined to agree. This heavenly creation is a jaw-jarring tower of two Black Angus beef patties, lettuce, tomato, double cheese, pickles, American mustard and their coveted special sauce.
Higher Ground (2nd burger)
Also known for: Best sliders in Melbourne
Did you know that all hamburgers were once sliders? Don’t worry, we didn’t either. The evolution of the burger has taken us down many delicious paths, but tucking into sliders is akin to paying homage to the burger’s humble beginnings.
Sliders are widely recognised for their diminutive size, but there’s more to this burger than proportions. Sliders require a unique cooking method where the patty is pressed onto a hot griddle or pan. Certain toppings, such as onions, are initially placed on top then flipped to cook beneath the patty.
Have you ever wondered why the bread on a slider is so soft? This is the result of resting both halves of the bun atop the patty while it’s cooking. The juice from the patty creates steam that causes the soft slider-style bread we all know and love.
Higher Ground, which also made this list for the best gourmet burger in Melbourne, is back again. This time for its Fried Chicken Sliders. Arguably the best sliders in Melbourne city, these little beauties have wonderfully fried chicken, fresh coriander, soft and toasted buns, and a creamy black bean mayonnaise.
The Boatbuilders Yard
Known for: Best restaurant burgers in Melbourne
- The Boatbuilders Yard is an International restaurant.
- The Boatbuilders Yard is located at 23 South Wharf Promenade, South Wharf, Victoria 3006.
- The Boatbuilders Yard is open from 8am until 9pm (Mon-Thurs & Sun) and 8am until 10pm (Fri & Sat).
- The Boatbuilders Yard is a licensed restaurant.
- You can order takeaway from The Boatbuilders Yard through OpenTable.
- You can book a table at The Boatbuilders Yard through OpenTable.
Almost all of us have encountered a restaurant burger at some point in our lives, whether on the menu, on someone else’s plate or satisfyingly tucked away inside our bellies. These are typically large burgers with fat, juicy patties and fresh garden-grown ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes and onion.
Restaurant burgers are also often customised to better fit a restaurant’s cuisine, such as feta cheese instead of American cheese in Greek restaurants or a topping of jalapenos in a Mexican restaurant. They’re not usually the restaurant’s main menu item, but they are a staple.
Finding restaurant burgers in Melbourne isn’t difficult, but the best restaurant burger in Melbourne can be elusive. That’s because it’s found at the charming South Wharf Promenade restaurant, The Boatbuilders Yard.
Their Sevens Creek Wagyu burger is a behemoth of Australian-sourced wagyu beef, molten American cheese, Westmont pickles and farm-fresh baby cos, tomato and onion. And don’t forget that classic sauce combination of mustard and ketchup. It’s plated with a side of thick-cut chips and goes perfectly with the Yarra River views from the restaurant’s open-air deck.
Find the best burgers in Melbourne with OpenTable
Can’t decide which restaurant has the best burger in Melbourne or the right burger style for you? Fortunately, at OpenTable we offer reviews, photos and foodie-focused information to help you find the right restaurant (and burger) every time.
Browse OpenTable to find the perfect burger in Melbourne, whether it’s a slider or Californian, to satiate your cravings.
