The Arrival
Steersons Steakhouse Sydney is back, and we walk in on a Saturday night to see it for ourselves. It’s been a while since I last dined along this famous tourist strip, and the harbour brings a nostalgic reminder of the restaurant that first opened here in 2004. Like many Aussie greats, Steersons has boomeranged back to relaunch in this iconic Darling Harbour spot. The water is dark, the lights bounce across it, and the whole scene feels wonderfully Sydney.
The newly renovated dining room is beautiful without being showy. As we’re shown to our table, it’s hard not to notice the dry-ageing fridges glowing in the darkness like the Mona Lisa of beef.
There’s a considered elegance to the fit-out: wooden floors, ceramic tables with timber surrounds, and softly textured green dining chairs with metal-stud detailing. We opt for tables set slightly back from the open windows. They may not be front-row harbour seats, but the chairs are luxuriously comfortable.
The Steersons Story, Chef & Menu
Steersons Steakhouse Sydney is part of Eviva Group, a Sydney hospitality family whose story began in 1966 with Georges Double Bay, including Georges Mediterranean and Kingsleys. Today, the Steersons philosophy is built around the three elements that make meat sing: salt, fire and water.
Executive Chef Thai Sams has cooked at favourites including Botanica and held senior roles at the two-hatted Bentley Restaurant & Bar, as well as one-hatted venues Shelter, The Wolfe and Restaurant Two. His approach leads with quality produce and earthy elements, such as native finger lime and kombu butter, while combining Western and Eastern influences. There is no mistaking that this restaurant is all about beef, but the menu makes more than a few nods to the “turf” element too.
The menu is divided into several sections: To Start; For the Table, including bone marrow and sharing sides; Over the Fire, featuring seafood mains; From the Garden; Prime Cuts, including eye fillet, rib-eye and sirloin; Specialties, such as bavette and flat iron; From the Land; and From the Sea. There is plenty to explore.
The Food & Wines
We kick off with two Aussie king prawns. They are beautifully charred, their little legs snapping like crisps, and topped with a tangy Creole-style vegetable relish of diced tomato, peppers and onion, plus lobster oil. It’s tasty, though a touch more oil or butter would take it to the next level. Sea succulents add a crunchy, salty note and a fitting nod to the ocean. The NV Delamere Sparkling Cuvée is a lesser-known Tasmanian sparkling with clean minerality.
My dining partner, Mr G, is a classic carnivore, and few things make him happier than scooping out bone marrow. The roasted bone marrow is a confident opening act, dressed with chopped cornichons and kombu butter. Yes, it is essentially a double-butter mouthful, and it is perfectly executed. The surprise is a bowl of scorched Sonoma miche bread, which is my personal addiction. The 2022 Giovanni Viberti Langhe Nebbiolo is fresh and savoury, with a gently grainy texture that stands up well to the bone marrow.
For mains, the butterflied Aquna Murray cod with tarragon butter and capers is a standout. The fish is delicate yet substantial, while the buttery, herbaceous sauce gives it an alarming amount of green swagger. Then come the steaks, divided into Prime Cuts (eye fillet, rib-eye and sirloin) and Specialties, including Stone Axe Full Blood Wagyu bavette, flat iron, top sirloin, rump and T-bone. The From the Land section offers larger cuts for sharing, such as the 1.2kg Black Onyx Angus rib-eye and O’Connor Ox T-bone, while From the Sea caters for diners seeking an ocean fix in main-course form.
We order the Bavette, served simply with a round of butter. Mr G likes his steak rare, and we have a back-and-forth about just how rare it should be cooked. It is thoroughly enjoyable, although a little more flame would have created an even better result, but that mistake is on us not listening to the advice! . I always love the sides. At $16, they are well executed: roasted Brussels sprouts, skin-on chips and a generous bowl of slow-cooked mushrooms, beautifully seasoned.
We also have a blast with the sommelier at Steersons Steakhouse Sydney. The wine list, developed by sommelier Eva Santaguida, is thoughtfully curated, and she is fantastic: proactive, knowledgeable and engaging. She regularly drops by with an idea or a comparative pour. The dining room is busy, but we feel genuinely cared for. She makes wine approachable rather than turning it into an oral exam. She encourages us to try the 2017 San Polo Montalcino Amphora Vignamossa Sangiovese, a special single-parcel Tuscan red made from 100% Sangiovese using whole-cluster fermentation and extended maceration in clay amphorae rather than oak barrels. It is beautifully balanced, with bright red-fruit notes of strawberry.
While we had not planned on dessert, she appears with a Seppeltsfield Para Rare Tawny 15 Year Old. So, oh, go on then. We share a delicious Basque brûlée with mandarin and toasted milk, sipping warming flavours of fruit cake and citrus alongside it.
With harbour views, exceptionally comfortable tub chairs and a beautiful new fit-out, Steersons Steakhouse Sydney delivers a premium dining experience with waterfront theatrics, without the extreme prices of some other well-known Sydney steakhouses. Add warm, attentive service, and it is a compelling return for this Darling Harbour favourite.
What are we ADDICTED to? The polished new fit-out, harbour views and elegant dining room make Steersons Steakhouse Sydney feel special. Prices sit at the premium end, but they reflect the restaurant’s care around sourcing, provenance and quality. The floor team is on top of its game, from explaining ingredients to guiding cooking styles.
What do we need to be more ADDICTED ? We would love to see a few more vegetable-led dishes given the same attention as the steak and seafood. The Brussels sprouts are a strong start, but there is room for the garden to have more of the spotlight.
Steersons Steakhouse Sydney is located at King Street Wharf, 17 Lime Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
Hours: Open daily, 11.30am to 3.15pm for lunch and 5pm to 9.30pm for dinner. Bar menu available all day.