The ACT has no shortage of steak joints, but if you aren’t on a corporate card, where’s truly worthy of your spend on a meaty night out?
Love her, hate her, or confuse her with any number of other comment queens, Fran Lebowitz nailed it when she gave the quote “My favourite animal is steak.” And if you’re able to pair it with an incredible wedge salad, shoestring potatoes pan fried in duck fat and served with truffle oil aioli, and drizzled with a sauce worthy of an entire article in the New York Times (bernaise, FYI), then a brilliant steak night out is worthy of your time and attention.
As we don’t all have the wallets or arteries equipped to sample sirloins across the capital, Eat Canberra has bitten the bullet for you. Give our best to those who come after us. And please, don’t order it “well done,” which ensures it will be anything but.
The Meat & Wine Co – 1 Constitution Avenue, Constitution Place
Alright, if you’re looking for wow-factor, regardless of what’s presented on your plate, TM&WCo is the place to book. When we visited ahead of their grand opening, we salivated awaiting an “AGED” rib-eye, and polished it off with a banoffee pie. And though this resto bills and styles itself as South African, the menu includes local cows done right, in international styles.
Must Order: The Boerwors are the beez-neez. South African sausages with coriander and cumin, the dish will only accentuate the steak you tuck in to come time for the mains.
Charcoal Restaurant – 61 London Circuit, 2601
Billed as the city’s “oldest restaurant” (they’ve been slinging steaks since 1962, when Robert Menzies would order a ‘prime, medium’ … as PM), Charcoal is the place to book for some old world charm with modern service standards. You will put down a week’s pay for a fabulous meal here, but it will be one you’ll talk about for months to come. We recommend the “carpet bag” if you’re into oysters, and if you miss out on the fried onions you are cheating yourself out of some serious joy.
Must Order: See above, but also the Deep Fried Camembert. Because, DEEP FRIED CAMEMBERT!
OTIS Dining Hall – 29 Jardine Street, 2604
You’d like to travel internationally, but can’t. You’d click your heels to transport yourself and your bae to a rarefied, refined dining room that is part “Carrie Bradshaw’s New York Public Library wedding venue” and also Harry Potter’s playground. But your budget can only get you as far as Kingston. Not a steak resto, per se, but the pepper steak at OTIS is to die for, and worth the relatively minor travel points. If you need to impress, O-Tess.
Must Order: The Chef’s Menu. We’re sorry, it could sound like a cop out, but when there’s a way to combine Byron Bay pork and deep sea scallops, plus their signature pepper steak, and NOT seem like you’re over ordering, we are all for it.
Marble & Grain – 25 Mort Street, Braddon
If you live for the “fancy” that OTIS offers, but would like two more notches of “comfy” over “classy”, M&G is your place. Don’t get us wrong – M&G is fancy AF, and your wine-paired meal will no doubt be one of your year’s top tens, but you will also feel comfortable showing up in a jumper rather than a blazer. Test them out by sampling the $15 lunch special before you book your super special occasion, and you won’t be let down.
Must Order: If you’ve got a few hundred bucks to spill for two, you and your very lucky plus-one will enjoy a paired feast to remember. Available at lunchtime? Slide into the Wagyu Masterclass or the Pasta Masterclass. Booked for dinner? There’s a fabulous “Share the Love” section on the menu for couples looking to nibble on multiple cuts of meat.
Chifley’s Bar & Grill – Hotel Kurrajong, 8 National Circuit, Barton
If you’re looking for a spot of distinction, CB&G prides itself as catering “to discerning travellers, diplomats and businesspeople”, and if you have an appreciation (and budget) for nice wines, you’ll be in your element. Put this place in your contact list if you occasionally get to entertain clients, or annually must impress out-of-town inlaws.
Must Order: The beer battered onion rings may sound more like an order for happy hour rather than haute hour, but you won’t be let down by these crispy, delicious nibbles.
Manuka Steakhouse – 7/18 Flinders Way, 2603
Want the fancy steak but sans the crisp, white linen tablecloths and those little silver crumb-catchers wielded by overdressed waitstaff? Looking to pay more in the vicinity of schnitty-night-at-the-club than tenth-anniversary-plus-a-babysitter? MS is likely your Mr or Mrs (or Ms, or whatever) – partner in crime for a delicious serve of meat in a relaxed, yet date-like atmosphere.
Must Order: Get a great date night under your belt and go home having to loosen it a bit when you order the Mixed Grill for Two. Steaks, chops, rissoles and wings – all you need to make it a meal is an order of vege and a bottle of something nice.
Agostinis – 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston
You may not think of Agostinis as a steakhouse, as they have great pizzas and gelato (and isn’t that enough?!), but they offer a “Bistecca Alla Fiorentina” which consists of a kilo of t-bone served with sides, and won’t leave you hungry for more. Which is a problem. Because their deserts are so fabulous that’s how they lead their menu. Order one for takeaway regardless.
Must Order: If you’re dining with another couple, opt for the desserts-for-four. In fact, if you are dining solo, just pretend you have three friends joining you shortly; if your acting skills aren’t so very NIDA, top off your meat course with a cannoli, because otherwise, you’re doing this wrong.
Capitol Bar & Grill – 1 London Circuit
We are huge fans of a staycation. And if you’re treating yourself to a delightful and perfectly cooked steak, paired with amaze wines, please take the next step and pony up for a bed after your meal at Capitol. These aren’t your stock standard pillows or profiteroles – you’ll be delighted at both ends. Grab a corner booth to enjoy some oysters and red meat before snuggling into some ultra luxe sheets for a sweet, sweet sleep.
Must Order: Are we over zucchini blossoms? We are not. These are gorgeous and fluffy. And we love the Junee lamb rump, which brings together the meaty and the minty in the best way we can imagine. If you’re feeling up to it, order the 800g T-Bone Bistecca.
Joshua Crouthamel
Joshua Crouthamel brings decades of experience writing, filming and producing culinary reviews and dining trend talk to columns both digital and print across four continents. His most recent move, from Brooklyn (NYC) to Belconnen, keeps him on the lookout for the bestest bagels and brunches, but in his day job at the Canberra Innovation Network and the UNSW Canberra he's on the lookout for new ideas across the spectrum. @JoshOnTheBus on all the things.