The Meat & Wine Co

Those with a hunger for hunks of meat – not to mention a soft spot for biltong - have good reason for cheer this year: the 280-seat Meat & Wine Co. at Darling Harbour has at last reopened after several months of interior renovation.

Sydney is blessed with many excellent and intimate eateries serving prime cuts of steak, but the Meat & Wine formula hits a particular niche. So while we’re reliably informed the revamp of the Darling Harbour premises stretches to seven figures, visitors to the flagship restaurant should expect an experience in keeping with the Meat & Wine Co. formula.

Think flame-grilled skewers, fine aged steaks and a selection of the world’s more exotic (and digestible) fauna. The menu may read modern Australian but there’s more than a passing nod to African origins.

And the same rings true of the décor. It’s an overhaul, no doubt, but not a departure from the themes that underpin the group’s 13 worldwide locations. Expect decorative wooden engravings set against a backdrop of classic steakhouse leather, stone slabs in the servery areas and rack upon rack of glorious bottled red stuff.

“The new interior style welcomes tourists, families, couples, corporate groups and local residents alike,” says co-owner Bradley Michael. “The brief we gave our designer was to create an esteemed and dynamic dining experience, with an equal dedication to the restaurant’s African heritage and references to the unique coastal Sydney surroundings.”

For the uninitiated, The Meat & Wine Co. doesn’t really do understated. Located at the heart of Sydney’s tourism precinct, the restaurant has three levels, views of the city skyline to the left and right, and of course the water directly in front.

Opened in 2003, the Sydney restaurant was the first venue to be established outside of owners Costa Tamazos and Bradley Michael’s homeland of South Africa. The latter is certainly bullish about the new look now unveiled: “Any restaurant takes a risk with an extended closure, but we saw it as a very good sign for the future when our VIP clients eagerly returned as soon as our doors reopened,” he says.