Just as Neighbours ended after 37 glorious years, Australia’s award-winning, premium steakhouse The Meat & Wine Co launch the latest outpost in Mayfair, London. This Australian steakhouse in Mayfair marks the 12th restaurant that the brand has opened, and is the first to open in the UK.
The iconic restaurant proudly and humbly brings its elevated yet approachable offering to Curzon Street, where you can expect dazzling flavours, a carefully curated wine list and a spectacular steak programme. One of the USPs is a world-class in-house dry ageing programme where the team prepares their own dry aged steak with an exclusive in-house process. The process entails infusing steaks with additional subtle flavour profiles including chocolate, coffee and olives.
An immersive experience of world-class steakhouse cuisine, the Australian steakhouse in Mayfair has a delicate ambience offering guests uncompromising quality, premium steaks and a thoughtfully designed wine list to complement. The restaurant design takes inspiration from elements of African cultural origin and translates these into an opulent aesthetic that celebrates heritage routes and modern flare via warm textures and industrial appeal.
The restaurant group has its origins in South Africa, the home of founder Bradley Michael, who transformed the original Afro-centric restaurant concept 35 years ago into an award-winning steakhouse brand in Australia. Remaining true to its roots, a core element of the concept is the ‘braai’ method of cooking steak: a competitive art form among many South Africans. The secret to the steak itself is a combination of selecting premium cuts from favoured suppliers, cooking over a flame at high temperatures and brushing the meat with their famous original family basting recipe that locks in the flavour.
The Mayfair menu focus will be a combination of Australian and British beef that is energised by Afro-centric flavours and cooking techniques, underpinned by the famous meat programme which showcases superior cuts including dry-aged, salt-aged, skewers, and hero steaks (fillet and rib-eye).
While passionately upholding the restaurant’s longstanding ethos, the Mayfair restaurant will also proudly celebrate its newfound British home by working closely with select British farmers and suppliers, and championing British ingredients. Meats will be handpicked by Executive Head Chef Sean Hall, who grew up on his grandfather’s cattle farm in South Africa. His menu will feature an exclusive dry-aged steak programme called AGED, showcasing the very best of British beef, including Irish wagyu beef, alongside a choice selection of imported Australian cuts including the revered Jack’s Creek Australian wagyu. The unparalleled and unique flavour of the meat is achieved by curing it in beef-dripping butter made in house, infused with regularly rotating flavours ranging from dark chocolate, porcini mushrooms, charcoal, rosemary, and thyme.
A bespoke selection of sauces and sides has been curated and thoughtfully prepared to go with the meat and create the ultimate steakhouse experience. Our favourite was a simple gem salad and by far the best gem salad in London. Crispy huge leaves smothered in herby green goddess dressing. Yum. Pescatarians and vegetarians alike will also be well looked after, with an array of dishes on the menu including Wright Brothers oysters and a Salt-baked Celeriac Risotto. The desserts are not to be missed with a really unique Layered Wagyu Fat Delice. Think of a chocolate and nut brownie, peanut butter caramel, chocolate mousse, wagyu fat and chocolate ganache, dehydrated peanut butter and coconut ice-cream. Wow.
A masterfully composed wine list will feature a selection of both local and international wines that expertly complement Hall’s dishes, including bold reds to match the red meat and summery whites and rosés to pair with the fish and lighter dishes. Hand-picked vintages will serve the most special of occasions, including a 2019 organic hand-harvested Corymbia Chenin Blanc, a Tasmanian 2021 Rada P.Noir/P.Meunière, and a 2019 Arendsig Grenache from The Valley of Wine and Roses in South Africa. There will also be a wide selection of wines by the glass (including some gorgeous Lebanese wine) and cocktails from a skilled bar team.
On the Mayfair opening, The Meat & Wine Co founder Bradley Michael comments: “We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity to expand into the London restaurant market. We know that Mayfair is an area where people truly appreciate and regularly enjoy great food and service, so we look forward to contributing our unique offering – which is all about the South African spirit of gathering around beautiful and abundant food and drink – to join the neighbourhood and become a part of the community.”
Whilst celebrating the move to a new continent, the Australian steakhouse in Mayfair, The Meat & Wine Co, will remain ever committed to its founding values of offering everyone an unparalleled dining experience, a broad and approachable wine list, a compelling restaurant design aesthetic and an ambience that is set to be the talk of Mayfair.
To discover more, visit: themeatandwineco.co.uk
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All imagery courtesy of Meat & Wine Co.