The best steaks in Sydney and Darling Harbour

Wherever possible, steak should be enjoyed with a panoramic harbour view, a rich red wine, and a little Sydney hospitality. That’s exactly what you’ll get at I’m Angus Steakhouse, a classic steakhouse with alfresco dining, just a splash away from the harbour with a waiter who may be one of the biggest personalities in NSW hospitality. Grab a seat by the water, order something medium rare, and ask for Gill - good times and great steak guaranteed. 

Atelier is an elegant eatery with a menu that takes inspiration from southern French cuisine, and the highest quality Australian produce - an approach that has earned it 15 hats in the Australian Good Food Guide. There’s wall-to-wall wine racks stacked with local and international reds, and the sommeliers here know their stuff - so this is the perfect time to try a drop of something special. We advise starting with oysters with chardonnay mignonette, and angus beef tartare with confit egg yolk, then finishing strong with a kilo of impeccably seared rib eye. 

Park and Harbour views, an encyclopedic wine list, and a steak that has been called the best in Australia - what’s not to like about BLACK Bar & Grill? This luxurious Restaurant in the Star takes steak seriously, with a list that includes marble score-9 Wagyu. For those of you who are new to Wagyu, it’s the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth steak money can buy. Marble scores (MBS) go from 0-12, and the higher the score, the more tender, and flavourful a steak is, with only 1% of cows producing steak worthy of a 9+ MBS. 

This local Brazilian favourite does things a little differently. Instead of serving you a single steak, passadores, or meat carvers, wander around the restaurant floor carving perfectly seared cuts of meat from gigantic skewers. At any one time there are up to 20 cuts rotating, including rump cap, sirloin, flank, and more. It’s all you can eat so bring your stretchy pants, and come hungry.

We love high marble score wagyu, and Brazilian Churrascaria, but sometimes you just want to sit down in a homely pub, with a cold pint and a no nonsense steak and chips dinner. That’s exactly what you’ll get at Dundee Arms. The Dundee opened way back in the 1940s, when it used to provide a warm place for sailors and working men to shelter and imbibe. Today it still has the same rustic charm, and although there are fewer sailors about, the pub still serves hearty food and a warm welcome. 

The clue is in the name - Meat District Co. serve a huge menu of meaty meals in casual surroundings, right near the waterfront in King St Wharf. There’s no marble scores here either - just fairly priced, delicious hot dogs, burgers, ribs, and of course, steaks. 

We reckon the best option on their menu is the 350g rib eye on the bone. This grain fed angus cut is served cave man style, with your choice of chips, or salad, and is best eaten medium rare with a dark beer. 

Vogue Cafe is a stylish, elegant, all-day eatery just a splash from the waterfront in Darling Harbour. It’s the first cafe in Australia to bear the Vogue name (yes the magazine), and it shows - the interior is impeccably stylish, with images from the Australian edition of the magazine all over the walls, alfresco dining by the water, and a chic cocktail bar upstairs. 

The menu is seafood heavy, with an incredible XO lobster roll, and delicious scallops, but we reckon the star of the menu is the smoked MB7+ wagyu tomahawk platter, with a 1.3kg on the bone steak, octopus, chorizo, veges and more. Best eaten with a pinky sticking out and a glass of champagne.