The best steaks in The Rocks: Guaranteed to melt-in-your-mouth
Cooking steak well is a fine art form. You’ve got to sear the outside to perfection, sealing in all those juices and creating a crispy, golden exterior flavoured by carefully caramelised fats and perhaps a sprinkling of salt and pepper. At the same time you need to cook the inside just right, so that it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender and medium rare. Don’t even get us started on choosing a sauce!
When a chef cooks it well there are few better dining experiences than eating steak. With that in mind we searched the best restaurants in Sydney to find the juiciest, most delicious steaks in The Rocks.
6HEAD - 1.5kg dry aged tomahawk
6HEAD is named after the 6 cattle the first colonial fleet brought with them. The name is fitting because this high-end steak house has a refreshingly old-school approach.
Their restaurant is right on the water with panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House, serving a full menu of fresh oysters to rock lobster and wagyu bresaola. But let’s be honest, what we’re really here for is the red meat.
Our advice? Bring a friend and devour the impossibly gigantic and impossibly tender, dry aged 1.5kg tomahawk. It’ll melt in your mouth and melt your mind.
Pony Dining - 500gm O’Connor’s ribeye
Everything tastes better, especially steak, when it’s prepared simply and cooked over a smouldering woodfire. That’s the basic premise behind Pony Dining, an iconic Sydney restaurant built around a blazing Argentinian wood fired, stoked by talented head chef, Niel Nolan.
The menu features premium cuts of meat, seafood and locally sourced produce, kissed by fire and prepared with considerable skill. The highlight of the menu for us is the rich and hearty 500gm O’Connor’s ribeye, served with roasted bone marrow and parsley crumb.
Mode Kitchen and Bar - Angus tenderloin MB-4
Mode Kitchen and Bar is located in the Four Seasons lobby, but this is not your average hotel restaurant. They strike the perfect balance between casual and fine dining, serving memorable Australian cuisine with crafted cocktails and a wicked wine list.
And the best part? They serve a serious steak - a grass fed angus tenderloin with a marble score of MB+4, served with porcini puree and chestnut. Its high marble score translates to heaps of melty fat, which makes it incredibly tender, juicy and tasty.
Ribs and Burgers - 300gm grass fed sirloin
In case you haven’t guessed Ribs and Burgers does two things really well - Ribs and Burgers. But if you stray off the core menu into their ‘knife and fork’ section you’ll find a few other meals that are just as good (if not better).
Namely, the 300gm grass fed sirloin which comes in a generous cut, flamed grilled and basted to perfection, with a crispy sear and juicy interior. Have it medium rare with a side of sweet potato chips and thanks us later!
The Glenmore - 300gm Grain fed striploin
It’s no contest, The Glenmore has the best rooftop views of any pub in Sydney. This iconic watering hole is more than just a pretty view though - there are a few gems on the menu worth coming for.
We reckon their 300gm grain fed striploin steak is the last word on pub steaks in Sydney. This is a beautiful bit of beef, just the right amount of juicy, with a side of kipfler potatoes, parsley and punchy anchovy mayo.
The Mercantile Hotel - 250gm New York striploin
There’s a time and place for a serious angus steak with all the trimmings. But equally there’s a place for a down to earth, steak and chips type of meal - preferably washed down with a pint of something cold and fizzy.
That’s exactly what you’ll get at the Mercantile Hotel, Sydney’s oldest Irish pub. In heritage surrounds you’ll be served a 250gm cut of striploin with your choice of sauce, next to a house salad and a generous portion of fries. Bonza.
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