Named for his late mother, Neil Perry’s Margaret doesn’t just feel personal, it tastes personal with Perry’s produce-first philosophy evident on every plate. And though the chef is just as celebrated for fish and veggie skills, it’s his commitment to beef that saw Margaret named the second best steak restaurant in the world this year. Expect Perry’s favourite cuts, sourced from his favourite producers, cooked over his beloved wood fire and paired with his favourite sauces and sides. Friesian eye fillet with red Thai curry butter or Blackmore’s wagyu sirloin with chimichurri? It’s your call, just don’t skip the layered-then-fried potatoes; the perfect accompaniment to any steak. 30-36 Bay St, Double Bay themargaretfamily.com/venue/margaret

Old-world glamour, oodles of class and exquisite produce, expertly prepared and presented, The Grill at The International brings power lunch vibes back to the Sydney CBD. And of course, where there is a power lunch, there’s a perfectly cooked steak. Inspired by the legendary steakhouses of New York, The Grill does everything in grand style, but with a decidedly Australian flavour – cuts from Westholme, O’Connor, Rangers Valley and Coppertree sizzle on the grill, along with sides that hero the very best local, hyper-seasonal produce. Within six months of opening, this mastery helped The Grill at The International debut on number 14 of the 2025 World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants, the third-highest placing in the entire country. Level 9, 25 Martin Place internationalsydney.com

Like the trattorias dotted around the villages throughout the Tuscan Hills, this subterranean dining room specialises in one thing: bistecca alla Fiorentina. After you’ve surrendered your phone and dunked your bread into the ‘wax’ pooling around your table’s candle (beef tallow, it turns out), you’ll be asked to choose, not the cut – it’s all T-bone around here – but the thickness of your steak. When it comes back to the table, the ironbark and charcoal have weaved their magic. The steak is richly charred on the outside but perfectly pink inside, dressed only in salt, pepper and olive oil and accompanied by a slice of lemon. Add a few Italian(ish) sides and a glass of Puglian Fabiano and you’ve got a meal that will practically stamp your passport. 3 Dalley St, Sydney liquidandlarder.com.au/venues/bistecca

The heart and soul of Argentinian cooking are beef and the parrilla grill, its adjustable grate able to be raised and lowered over a fire as needed. You’ll find both in the kitchen of this sharp Argentina-inspired steakhouse, meat pulled from the in-house dry aging cabinets and tamed by the grill until medium rare. Tallow-fried beef empanadas, charcoal-grilled blood sausage and woodfired bone marrow make this a proper meat fest, as do those incredible triple-cooked beef fat potatoes with hot honey and garlic. 50 Holt St, Surry Hill porteno.com.au/porteno

The team behind Rockpool has opened 24 York – a new restaurant offering just one thing: steak frites. Taking the idea that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well (and that everyone should be able to enjoy it), 24 York offers the same MB2+ scotch fillet cut found on the Rockpool Bar & Grill menu — complete with that rich, smoky crust – at a fraction of the cost. You can indulge in a premium steak that’s grilled, sliced and served with fries and your choice of sauce for just $48. The new venue takes its inspiration from the legendary Le Relais de l’Entrecôte in Paris, where steak frites has famously been the only dish on the menu for more than 65 years. 24 York has opened in the former Bavarian site on York St, and while the prices are approachable, the setting still brings all those suave steakhouse vibes, with crisp white linen tablecloths and leather banquettes included. 24 York St, Sydney; 24-york.com.au

If the giant marble pillars and 160-ish page wine list don’t give it away, the flames from the open kitchen’s wood fire will: this place is a temple to great food. Part of Sydney’s culinary scene since 2009, Rockpool’s giant menu showcases plenty of fish, seafood, veggies, lamb, chicken and more, but it’s the hefty steak list that keeps us coming back. Stacked with over a dozen different cuts, breeds, dry-aging periods and marble scores, it’s all cooked over that flickering fire by some of the city’s best grillers. Paired with no less than 17 sides, Rockpool offers a mix-and-match opportunity to build your dream steak dinner. 66 Hunter St, Sydney rockpoolbarandgrill.com.au

Pretty much everything that ends up on a plate in front of you at this internationally renowned fine diner has been touched by fire. Chef Lennox Hastie and his fireproof team use different woods to warm, grill and blacken vegetables, fish, fruits and even butter with a nuanced, gentle touch. It’s when the steak course hits, however, that the fireworks really start. A thick cut of dry-aged Ranger’s Valley beef is seared over ironbark until it’s perfectly, blushingly pink throughout, sliced and served with a few organic salad leaves – charred, of course. 23-33 Mary Street, Surry Hills firedoor.com.au

Best known for executive chef Paul Farag’s impeccable take on the Middle Eastern cuisines of the Red Sea, this aesthetically pleasing restaurant at 25 Martin Place in the heart of the CBD also knows its way around a prime cut of Australian beef. A marbled Kiwami flank steak arrives doused in an indulgent Café de Cairo butter;Stone Axe short rib receives a pop of astringent contrast from preserved native fingerlime. Combine this with one of the best-designed dining rooms in the CBD, and now you’re cooking with fire. Shop 7.07-7.08/25 Martin Pl, Sydney, aaliarestaurant.com

While Bistecca is all about the ‘Fiorentina’ T-bone, its sister steakhouse shines a spotlight on the rib eye. It’s available on the bone, as a boneless bourbon-glazed chop, or in the rarely seen ‘spinalis’ cut (the rib eye cap). The big flavour of this tender cut – grilled over wood and charcoal – pairs perfectly with the grand opulence of the old-school dining room, the classic top-notch service and the must-order side dish combo of mac and cheese and the incredible roast chicken gravy. 161 King St, Sydney liquidandlarder.com.au/venues/the-gidley

As the name suggests, this sharp eatery from the team behind Pellegrino 2000 and Neptune’s Grotto brings plenty of big seafood energy to the CBD. But while the oysters, crab cakes and titular clams draw a crowd, the steak selection – focusing on popular NY-style steakhouse cuts like flat iron and NY strip – gives you the opportunity to create your own upscale surf-n-turf adventure. Snapper ceviche and a medium rare rib eye with anchovy butter? That’s our kind of reef-and-beef adventure. 44 Bridge St, Sydney clambarsydney.com

Despite pitching itself as a ‘humble neighbourhood bistro’, this little spot in Castlecrag is all about extravagance. Chefs ‘Big’ Sam Young and Grace ‘Super Banana’ Chen have created a shrine to indulgence. They offer everything from caviar bumps to lobster and truffle-topped pasta, and this propensity for decadence doesn’t stop at the steaks. The centrepiece of S’more’s beef is a 900g full-blood wagyu rib eye with a marble grading of MB9+. This piece of meat is handled so deftly by Young, it made him (and his hibachi grill, which you can buy as a souvenir of your meal) an Instagram celebrity during his Covid-era private chef stint. 79 Edinburgh Rd, Castlecrag smoresydney.com.au

The beautifully preserved sandstone buildings and cobblestoned paths of The Rocks evoke a Sydney of old, an era when a post-work martini, steak and cigar were a weekly occurrence. The cigars are gone (thankfully), but the martini and steak tradition lives on at The Cut. Blushing slabs of prime rib are dotted with horseradish and doused in red wine jus, iceberg wedges are slathered with blue cheese and scattered with walnuts, and frosty-glassed martinis are available dry, dirty or pickled. Tuxedo and top hat optional. 16 Argyle St, The Rocks cutbarandgrill.com.au

As a collaboration with Stix Farm, a celebrated organic vegetable producer on the Hawkesbury River, it’s no wonder this punchy little eatery in the backstreets of Marrickville does such a good job of showcasing the best in-season vegetables and fruits. It’s 20 Chapel’s arsenal of Blackmore’s beef that’s got us most excited, though. They age a selection of MB9+ marble scored wagyu cuts for 28 days, before grilling over fire and serving them up with jalapeno hot sauce, Korean barbecue sauce and a selection of those incredible veggies. 20 Chapel St, Marrickville 20chapel.com.au