Prime Restaurant

Thanks to its “butler” service, you can line up all sorts of fancy dining experiences at Prime Restaurant. Surprise your beloved with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, say, or impress your clients with a bottle of a rare Bordeaux Grand Cru (1988 vintage, anyone?).

But at its core, the subterranean steakhouse, set within GPO Grand in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, is all about beef. Quail-egg yolk seeps through a velvety tartare of Angus-Hereford yearling encased in a crisp potato shell, while grain-fed Black Angus scotch – slathered with maple syrup then rolled in a peppery spice rub – delivers two vastly contrasting flavours in one hit.

The restaurant’s five-course meat dégustation menu may sound overwhelming but the portions are perfectly sized and, in one instance, punctuated with seafood (sautéed scampi served with salt-rubbed Black Angus sirloin). The effortless journey is finished with a suitably light Grand Marnier soufflé.

The pièce de résistance, of course, is the penultimate course: Wagyu fillet with a marbling score of 9+ (the highest outside of Japan). Enjoy it with a pour of cabernet-merlot from Bordeaux as courteous, well-informed and immaculately groomed staff whiz around the cavernous restaurant with its exposed-brick walls, arched doors and white-linen covered tables.

Location: 1 Martin Place, Sydney; (02) 9229 7777; gpogrand.com
Cuisine: Steak
Atmosphere: A character-filled dining room, perfect for special occasions and entertaining clients
Open: Monday-Friday for lunch and Monday-Saturday for dinner
Big tick: The staff – polite, knowledgeable and immaculately turned out
Must-try: The yearling tartare with shaved foie gras and quail yolk