Chefs Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate, along with partners Sarah Doyle and Joe Valore, will forever be the rockabilly quartet who introduced Sydney to the charms of Argentinian parrilla (barbecue).
Since Porteño claimed the ex-MoVida space on quiet Holt St, it has sprouted a precinct including Wyno x Bodega, irreverent Italian Bastardo and cult bakery Humble. Porteño remains the crown jewel.
Waiters rocking white shirts, black waistcoats and bow ties navigate a dining room straight out of Buenos Aires, with its black-and-white tiled floors and portraits of long-retired soccer players. And always, there’s a hint of smoke rising from the asado fire pit.
A relationship with top Australian butchers and farmers sustains an ever-changing steak menu featuring grain- and grass-fed cuts ranging from the manageable (300g) to the behemoth (1kg-plus), seared over eucalyptus charcoal.
On the non-steak side, there’s Tasmanian octopus, curled onto a bed of taramasalata studded with purslane or plated with flame-grilled peppers; tender Margra lamb; and fennel salad studded with orange and apricot. The nuanced wine list includes bolshie Argentinian malbecs that cry out for a good steak. Twelve years in and counting, Porteño has proven it’s here for a good time as well as a long time.

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