Hunter St. Hospitality will open 7 Alfred on Wednesday 22 October, a one-dish restaurant serving $48 steak frites built around Gippsland’s renowned O’Connor scotch fillet.
O'Connor Beef Takes Centre Stage
The team behind 7 Alfred trialled countless cuts and suppliers before landing on O’Connor’s grass-fed Black Angus beef. Known for its clean flavour and superb marbling, it stood apart as the cut worth shaping a whole venue around. The 220g MB2+ scotch fillet is grilled to a smoky crust, sliced into four, and served with hot beef-tallow fries. Complimentary sauces include chimichurri, peppercorn, veal jus or umami butter, with a crisp green salad ($8) to round things out. Dessert keeps the same streamlined focus: one classic New York cheesecake with vanilla ice cream ($12).
Quick Lunch or Long Evening
The concept draws on a global tradition of steak frites restaurants — from Paris to New York — designed for certainty, speed and consistency. Guests can be in and out in 25 minutes without feeling rushed, making it ideal for a quick business lunch or pre-theatre dinner, while the bar, cocktails and wines invite longer evenings.
Two Levels, Two Bar Spaces
Spanning 700sqm with a capacity of 168, 7 Alfred unfolds over two levels. The ground floor combines a 90-seat dining room with a 30-seat bar that serves drinks alongside lunch and dinner, plus an adjoining alfresco laneway. Upstairs, a 24-seat bar comes alive in the evenings for after-work drinks and to accommodate extra diners when the main room is full.
The main dining room has a lively, high-contrast look, with black-and-white checkerboard tiles underfoot and walls clad in glossy white and red subway tiles. Pops of red and burgundy run throughout, with seating that combines bentwood brown chairs and red leather banquettes. The adjoining laneway continues the theme outdoors, with French wicker chairs touched with red and marble-topped round tables.
The two bar spaces feel warmer and more intimate, with wooden herringbone floors, burgundy and black tones, and plush low leather-and-suede lounges with stools. Together they create a richer mood that leans more Parisian, a softer counterpoint to the boldness of the dining room.
Victorian Produce Without Complication
Frank Tucker, CEO of Hunter St. Hospitality, says 7 Alfred reflects the city’s dining priorities:
“Melbourne diners know good produce and they don’t want it overcomplicated. With a menu this streamlined, we can put the focus squarely on a standout Victorian beef producer, while still delivering an experience that feels easy, reliable and worth going out for.”
One Dish, No Room to Hide
The menu has been developed by Hunter St. Hospitality Culinary Director Santi Aristizabal, Executive Chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill and a 15-year Rockpool veteran, with input from fellow Culinary Director Andy Evans. In Melbourne, the kitchen will be overseen by Rockpool Melbourne’s Executive Chef Rodney Mom, who continues to lead Rockpool while heading the team at 7 Alfred.
Aristizabal says restraint is what makes the idea work:
“When we were tasting different cuts, O’Connor’s beef stood out straight away. It has that balance of fat and flavour that works beautifully on the grill. With a single dish there’s nowhere to hide — every steak has to be spot on, every fry crisp, every sauce just right. That discipline is what makes the format work.”
Seven Cocktails and Daily Happy Hour
The drinks list is equally concise: seven classic cocktails ($18) — from Aperol Spritz to Manhattan — approachable house wines ($13–15 a glass, $45–59 a bottle), a few extras by the bottle, and beer taps pouring familiar staples. A daily happy hour (4–6pm) adds to the appeal with $7 schooners, house wines and spirits, plus $12 Martinis, Negronis and other favourites.
Melbourne's Version of a Global Tradition
While Sydney diners embraced the steak-frites format at Hunter St. Hospitality’s 24 York, which opened in July this year, Tucker says Melbourne’s version is anchored in its own identity:
“This is a classic idea that works the world over. Every city interprets it in its own way — 7 Alfred is ours for Melbourne and we’re putting a Victorian icon centre stage.”
Open seven days from lunch through dinner, 7 Alfred is built around certainty, speed and quality — a streamlined restaurant designed with Melbourne’s rhythm in mind.
Make a reservation online now.
