By Simon Thomsen

Like the alloy that inspired the name, Steel Bar & Grill is versatile, strong and modern. This crisply shiny, brasserie-style CBD diner is at the forefront of Sydney’s renewed love affair with steaks on a wood-fired grill, but offers much more, including an appealing bar menu throughout the day until late evening.

Chef Damian Heads has strived to create an expansive menu with a focus on shared plates and a kaleidoscope of international influences, from a Goan kingfish curry to a Thai beef salad.

“I wanted to offer a lot of variety, so diners can come back again and again and have something different,” Heads explains. “Value for money is what people are looking for now and I believe we offer that.”

Heads, the 2003 Josephine Pignolet Award winner for promising young chef, has established a loyal following at Pony in The Rocks, his other collaboration with designer Michael McCann. Steel follows in a similar vein, but encapsulates more of the city’s bustle and hustle.

Steel has proved popular with the business lunch crowd, who might tuck into some freshly opened oysters between checking messages on their Blackberry.

“I understand that people want to eat well, but can be in a hurry,” the chef says. “So you can order something like the minute steak and be in and out of Steel in under 30 minutes. That said, you can still linger with friends over something like the shared plate of cured meats or sashimi.”

Want to spoil yourself? It’s hard to resist live crayfish from the tank, served one of three ways, but for a touch of true extravagance, try the well-priced caviar – either from France or California.

Designer Michael McCann has already given Sydney some of its most warm and visually impressive dining rooms, including Flying Fish and Manly’s Whitewater.

Steel boasts a more futuristic vision. Glistening stainless steel mesh divides the room into intimate nooks of curving banquettes and bare timber tables. The open kitchen sits at the heart of the cleverly lit room, with an onyx counter for diners who like to watch the action. Wine buffs will be drawn to the 3000-bottle glass wine wall housing a comprehensive global range of boutique wines and there’s a private dining room for 24.

The semi-alfresco veranda has an all-day bar with a fireplace, long communal table, bench seating and an entertaining cocktail list is a great place to unwind.

Just be warned that the convivial atmosphere may lead to a longer-than-expected stay.

“We’re finding that people who drop in for a post work drink order a few things to nibble, perhaps some chorizo or chicken liver pate, then as the evening unfolds, stay for a meal,” Heads says. “The veranda really adds atmosphere to Steel, so you can enjoy a sunny day or relax in a cool breeze after being stuck in an office all day.”

The pre- and post-theatre goers also appreciate Steel’s speedy menu and late-night kitchen. But if you’re really looking for sizzle, then it has to be the steaks cooked on the ironbark-fuelled, wood-fire grill.

“All the beef is grain-fed Angus and we like to offer a few different cuts, from a Darling Downs sirloin in a classic pairing of hand-cut chips and béarnaise, to an 800-gram dry-aged South Australian rib-eye on the bone,”
Heads says.

At that size, you might need to, err, steel yourself before attempting to eat the lot.

Steel, 60 Carrington Street, Sydney. Phone: (02) 9299 9997
www.steelbarandgrill.com