The restaurant is found in Dalley Street – nothing more than a laneway – with an unconventional entrance more like a back door. We’re now walking down painted concrete stairs that take us to another nondescript door, and behind that door appears a bar where we are welcomed by a gentleman who then opens another door to what, if this were a movie, would be the illegal money laundering room. But no, it’s simply the restaurant with an open fire pit – and that alone I think is a brilliant concept.

Bistecca simply means ‘beef steak” in Italian, and what the kitchen offers in the
way of mains is one thing and one thing only: a beautiful T-bone steak from the
Riverine region down in southern New South Wales, mostly grass fed but grain
fed for the last four weeks and dry aged for just a few days. Now, of course, there
are other offerings on the menu: a few little entrées and several sides; dessert is
either cheese or tiramisu.

A very professional waitress approaches, placing on our table some home-baked focaccia and also a candle. Let me note that this is a business lunch, not a romantic one, but soon our waitress explains the candle is part of the meal – it is made from beef tallow (beef fat); when the candle is lit, the fat starts to melt, ready for your focaccia to be dipped in. As the kids would say, “OMG!” What a brilliant idea!

The T-bone is sawn by hand in front of us on an old-fashioned butcher’s block, and sold by the weight at $13 per 100 grams. The minimum order is a 600g piece; ours comes to 680g ($88.40) and for two people it is the perfect size. The recommended ‘cuisson’ is medium-rare.

We also order serves of sardines, raisins and pine nuts and beetroot, ricotta and burnt butter for entrée. For sides to accompany the bistecca, we choose cos with smoked mussel dressing, and brussels sprouts, pecorino and sour cream. The sardines come very simply, just as the menu stated, with a few raisins and toasted pine nuts drizzled with olive oil. The beetroot are roasted, paired with fresh ricotta, sprinkled with sunflower seeds and dressed with burnt butter. Yum!

Our T-bone is cooked on the open fire over a combination of ironbark wood, charcoal and olive branch, then brushed with olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The meat is cooked medium-rare as promised, not quite melting in the mouth, but utterly delicious. The side of cos lettuce is fresh and crisp, with the mussel dressing not fishy but smoked and salty. It’s topped with shavings of air-dried prosciutto. Unusual, but it works.

Now, who would have thought that one day brussels sprouts would be cool? Well this is another delicious way of serving them: soft but slightly crispy on the outer leaves, served with a dollop of sour cream and covered with grated pecorino. A bit rich but still a winner.

When it comes time for dessert, we have to try the tiramisu. This is definitely
Grandma’s recipe, a great ratio between the mascarpone and savoiardi biscuit,
soaked with the right amount of coffee and finished with bitter-sweet chocolate.
I am officially stuffed!

The Verdict
Let’s put it this way, if you like a good steak, cooked well and without fuss, this is
your place.

Best seat in the house: I don’t think there is one, as it is a packed 50-seater, but a view where you can see the chef cooking the steak on the open fire is entertaining.

Best drink: the wine list is mostly Italian with few Australian gems, and the 2013 Fabiana Primitivo di Manduria from Puglia is a perfect match to the beef. They also have a wine shop at the back of the restaurant, which will open soon.

Date safe: well, the fact the restaurant if full mostly of businessmen, if you are looking for a sugar daddy, it might be the perfect place.

X-factor: apart from the T-bone itself, I think the beef tallow candle is a stroke of genius.