In the heart of Sydney’s CBD, 24 York is bursting at the seams with happy steak-loving diners. Its simple catch-cry sums up the mission behind this new eatery: One item (steak frites) cooked to perfection.
The team at Hunter St Hospitality (with iconic Sydney restaurants such as Rockpool Bar & Grill, Spice Temple and Sake Restaurant & Bar) took inspiration from Parisian bistro Le Relais de l’Entrecôte – which has been dishing up the one main meal of steak frites for more than six decades.
The menu has a total of four dishes: a 220-gram O’Connor superior grass-fed scotch fillet (hailing from Gippsland) with beef tallow shoestring fries, a simple green salad with a light vinegarette, a New York-style cheesecake and ice cream with chocolate sauce.
Those who struggle with culinary decisions will love the fact that after choosing your drinks from the great menu of wines, beers and classic cocktails, there are only four choices to be made. One: how would you like your steak – medium or well done? No rare option here, but the steaks are superb, and the medium does tend to lean towards being rare.
Two: choose a peppercorn, chimichurri, umami butter or veal jus sauce. Three: would you like a green salad or will you stick to carbs and protein? Four: would you prefer New York cheesecake or vanilla ice-cream with chocolate sauce for dessert? Both are simple, creamy and delicious.
The restaurant is housed in a grand heritage-listed neo-Romanesque building that was built in 1878 and restored in 2000. With its intricately carved sandstone exterior complete with tall arched windows, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were on an upmarket street in London.
It has beautifully high ceilings, large windows framing the busy street outside, and smartly tiled walls reminiscent of the walls in Sydney’s first pubs. 24 York seats 200 people with comfy six-person booths to one side and a horseshoe-shaped bar in the middle of the large, airy room.
Despite steak frites being a classic dish of beefsteak served with French fries that is a staple in Belgian and French brasseries, the restaurant and bar has New York kind of vibes, with crisp white tablecloths in the booths, marble tables throughout, and simple cutlery and glassware striking a balance between a sophisticated eatery and a laidback American diner. The service is impeccable, and the atmosphere is buzzing.
If your idea of a top night out is tucking into a great steak and sharing a bottle of wine with a friend or your partner in a bustling downtown diner, this one has your name on it.
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