Just open: Meat District Co, King Street Wharf

The Meat District Co. has taken up residence at King Street Wharf to further feed Sydney's love affair with burgers.

Open for lunch and dinner, Meat District Co. has 10 burgers on its menu, from a classic cheeseburger with bacon, aged cheddar, caramelised onion, mixed greens, tomato, pickles and house sauce ($12) to a surf-and-turf number stacked with a beef patty, chilli crab, prawns, mixed greens, tomato and lemon caper aioli ($16).

There are also hot dogs, ribs, grilled steaks and what's known as The Hook – lamb or chicken skewered with capsicum, onion and corn on a metal rod and served swinging from a hook.

"We want to bring a bit of the theatre to the table," says co-owner Garry Simonian.

All the beef is free of hormones, steroids and antibiotics and burger buns are supplied by Brasserie Bread.

The restaurant is spread across two storeys, with water views, outdoor seating and refrigerated cases displaying hanging cured meats.

It is the first Meat District Co. to open in Australia – another is scheduled for Parramatta's Church Street mid-2015 – but not the first in the world.

Simonian, who operates the Sydney-based Platinum Restaurant Group with his brother Coco, opened a Meat District Co. in the US in August.

"We saw a gap in the Los Angeles middle market in the Pasadena area," he says. "There were lots of places with expensive or cheap places for steak and burgers but nothing mid-priced."

The success of the Pasadena restaurant led to the Simonians being approached to open sites in Australia. Other Meat District Co. restaurants are now planned for the US, including one at Waikiki, Hawaii.

11 Lime Street, The Promenade, King Street Wharf, 9299 9762, meatdistrictco.com.au