Rockpool Bar & Grill

Once the City Mutual building - designed as an Art Deco paean to finance - this Manhattan-esque uber steakhouse is fittingly favoured by the big end of town. Aromas from the wood-fired grill waft past banks of hanging glassware towards the soaring ceiling, while jacketed waiters revel in the old-fashioned flourishes of tableside service with all the trimmings. Both menu and wine list cover extensive ground, bringing a modern sensibility to the classics and a keen commitment to produce and provenance. Witness the thread of native saltbush melding with pounded chilli to sauce charcoal-roasted pippies; or a sustainably caught Glacier 51 toothfish fillet, cooked with the same care taken in sourcing it. The star, of course, is steak, each cut gloriously rich and gnarled with age and marbling, augmented by the char of the grill and an old-world condiment tray. Despite some slips in service, RB&G remains a cut above. 

And ... Not up for the full experience? Barrel up to the bar for the legendary burger.

THE LOW-DOWN
Vibe A New York state of mind.
Best bit Gracefully aged steaks from the wood-fired grill.
Worst bit Plates that send your knife sliding into the béarnaise.