If you’re a steak lover, you must know well that it’s that personal touch which triggers a WOW moment—no one understands this better than Bricco e Bacco—a restaurant whose reputation has soared and endured for over two decades in Sicily. Now open in Fitzrovia London by Sicilian-born Roberto Bergamotti, the concept is genius; you choose which meat you like based on marbling and tenderness, then wait for it to come from the kitchen rare, left for you to finish cooking it table-side over a sizzling Himalayan salt block while savouring vintage Sicilian and Italians wines. 

Steak on a hot saltstone 

The first step is choosing which type of meat you’d like, Bricco e Bacco have curated plenty of options that vary in marbling, softness, and flavour intensity. Steaks are served on the bone and designed to share. Below are some of the meats and more detail about them but what happens when the meat arrives? 

Each steak is delicately cooked blue to rare, then brought to your table on a sizzling Himalayan saltstone. This is where the fun starts. Finish your steak to perfection right at your table, letting it soak in the rich, natural flavours of the salt stone. Another item that elevates the steak is the butter. Sauces are great but with steak this good, you only need a little butter. As the butter and fat melt onto the stone, use it to add a layer of caramelised flavour to your steak.

Which meat do you choose? 

With experience stretching back to the 1930s as carnezzieri—butchers in the local dialect—Bricco e Bacco has an incredible eye for choosing the finest steaks and cuts.

A native breed, Beef Shorthorn UK comes lean, soft, yet still relatively intense in flavour. Highly suited to modern low input farming systems, this cut checks the box for being extra healthy. The restaurant recommends that you pair it with Benuara Cusumano, Cabernet Sauvignon Tasca Chianti, or Badia a Passignano wines. If you’d like a milder flavour with the same marbling and softness levels, get the Simmental – Poland cut. 

From Finland’s Friesian or Ayrshire cattle breeds, Sashi Beef’s distinctive quality lies in the way the fat melts during cooking while still remaining within the meat fibres, taking tenderness to a new level. You should have these wines on the side: Torcicoda Tomaresca, Chianti Classico Riserva Antinori, or Tignanello Antinori. A similar option is the Black Angus from Spain—juicy, tender, but more intense than the former.

Also from Spain, but from the northwest meadows of Galicia, Rubia Gallega comes from a breed of cattle that puts on layers of fat over eight years. The cut’s unique flavour originates from the algae transported by ocean currents to the Iberian coast, which the cattle naturally feed on. This cut is best enjoyed with Cygnus Tasca, Amarone Classico Masi, or Baffonero Rocca di Frassinello. 

A renowned premium cut and every chef’s favourite, Japanese Wagyu A5 is a must-try, offering the most marbling, tenderness, and flavour, thanks to the unsaturated fats that permeate throughout the meat’s fibres, a result of the cattle’s unique genetic traits. Not only that, but they are also fed according to strict guidelines to ensure the best quality. And just so you know, A5 is the highest grade awarded only to the finest beef. You can have the Spanish Wagyu alternatively—slightly less in marbling and tenderness. 

It Doesn’t End Here

While the steaks take centre stage, Bricco e Bacco also offers an array of dishes that honour its Sicilian heritage. From marinated olives and bruschetta as aperitivos to the Caponata Siciliana—fried aubergine dressed in a sweet-tangy sauce—and mains like the Risotto with Jerusalem Artichokes and Caciocavallo Fondue, you’ll be spoilt for choice. 

In fact, Bricco e Bacco has just unveiled its trio of seasonal menus, available throughout December. The Festive Menu (£125 per person) has many Sicilian favourites like Caponata Siciliana and Panelle e Crocche, alongside rib steaks cooked on Himalayan salt blocks, featuring the British Shorthorn and Polish Simmental cuts. More lavish, the Wagyu Menu (£250 per person) showcases dishes such as A5 Japanese Wagyu Gnocchi and Spaghetti Wagyu-nara. Vegetarian diners aren’t left out, with options like Spaghetti Rocket Pesto and a Millefeuille of Grilled Vegetables. 

Drinks 

Bricco e Bacco’s good eye for choosing the finest meats extends to their wine selection, featuring rare options that are hard to find elsewhere, sourced from Italy and beyond. Additionally, they even have some homemade liqueurs like Limoncello, Saffron Vodka, Basil Tequila, and Coffee Campari.

To discover more, visit briccoebacco.co.uk

 

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All imagery courtesy of Bricco e Bacco.