A good steak is one of Australia’s best simple pleasures. Nothing beats the deep brown crust and juicy pink interior of a well-seasoned, prime cut of beef. But with the cost of beef rising, the stakes have never been higher when deciding to drop some dollars on a steak.
With prices soaring into the hundreds for prized cuts, reassurance that your steak is in good hands is essential. Thankfully for Canberrans, our proximity to Australia’s best cattle and top chefs means we can get our hands on the perfect steak. Whether you’re looking for a meaty pub meal or you’re going all out on a marbled cut of Wagyu, Canberra is grilling it all.
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Matt Moran’s swish new Tuscan-inspired restaurant and grill is serious about its steaks. There are five different cuts available, from on-the-bone cuts to feed a party, like rib-eye and Bistecca Fiorentina, to smaller Angus scotch fillets or Wagyu rump caps. All steaks are served with rocket and lemon, and your choice of either red wine jus and peppercorns or rich anchovy butter and salsa verde. Order a side of crispy chat potatoes with fermented chilli aioli for the ultimate steak night.
Canberra’s hottest new eatery is firing up some of the best steaks in the capital. The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant by Chris Lucas – the acclaimed hospitality mastermind behind Chin Chin and Kisumé – serves up a mouthwatering selection of antipasti, mozzarella, salumi and handmade pasta, alongside showstopping meat and seafood mains, which are cooked over coals and designed for sharing. Steaks run to the likes of NY strip sirloin, rib-eye on the bone, and the bistecca alla fiorentina, which weighs in at 1.2kg. Choose from pepper sauce, béarnaise sauce, Aleppo pepper butter, mustards or horseradish on the side.
Any list of good steaks would be incomplete without highlighting Japanese steaks. Our beloved, high marble cattle breed Wagyu originates from there after all. Japanese fine diner Raku lets Canberra experience just how well steak is complemented by Japanese flavours. Wafu sauce – traditionally a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and vegetable oil – brings out the best in their scotch fillet, also served with wasabi sour cream and rhubarb salt. Ultra-tender MB8 Tajima Wagyu striploin also hits the grill, next to rhubarb salt, ponzu (Japanese citrus sauce) and wasabi.
This local favourite is the ultimate pub for a steak lover. The Kingo offers five different cuts of steaks between its kitchens, The Grill and Maddie’s. Point to which steak you’d like in their window and have it freshly grilled for you accompanied by a range of sides. Choose between chips, creamy mas, or crunchy chat potatoes with rosemary for your carb. For health, pick between fresh garden salad or roast vegetables tossed in garlic and butter. It wouldn’t be a good old pub steak without a sauce to drown your sorrows. Choose from red wine jus, gravy, mushroom, diane, café de Paris butter or pepper sauce. They also cook a killer steak sandwich with Three Mills Bakery sourdough.
It’s all in the name at this meat-focused venue, the brainchild of co-owners Anthony Iannelli and Sungyeol Son (a Hartsyard alum). Their in-house smoker and custom rotisserie do the heavy lifting here, including on their steak options. Try Terra’s hefty woodfired MB5 tomahawk steak, fed on a blend of grass and barley to create extra depth of flavour. For a smaller affair, go for their velvety MB9 chargrilled Wagyu scotch fillet, served with red wine jus and café de Paris butter. This 300g cut is going for $99, but their current ‘The People’s Steak’ special sees the price slashed down to $35 for those who book after 8pm. We can’t think of a better steak deal in the country.
Nestled in Canberra's QT Hotel, Capitol Bar and Grill takes its steak very seriously. Their woodfired grill is always busy cooking the seven different cuts on offer from all around the country. Options range from a 180g grass-fed minute steak served with café de Paris and fries, to an MB8 Wagyu rib-eye. Bone-in sirloin and T-bone steak that’s been aged for 30 days are the ultimate cuts to order here. Apart from their minute steak, all steaks are served alongside red wine jus, lemon, watercress and a selection of mustards.
If you’re looking for a touch of chic with your steak, look no further than Rebel Rebel. This quintessential modern Australian restaurant takes cues from all over the world, from Italy and France to Japan and the Middle East. Bring a friend to pop some cauliflower and comte croquettes with, and share their 600g grass-fed rib-eye with wakame butter. It’d feel rude not to get chips and aioli on the side, but don’t miss the whipped ricotta with fennel, citrus and black olives.
Having dubbed themselves ‘Canberra’s European steakhouse’, you’re in safe hands ordering a steak from Marble and Grain’s menu that’s a carnivore’s dream. They offer both grass and grain-fed options, with cuts ranging from a 200g beef tenderloin grain-fed for 100 days to a 1kg MB2 fiorentina with red wine jus, chips, and rocket salad. If you and your friends are absolute steak fanatics, go to town on their steak-tasting board. At $140, it features a grilled scotch fillet, tenderloin, sirloin, bone marrow, chips, rocket and parmesan salad, and red wine jus.
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