The 50-seat Sydney restaurant specialising in a single cut of steak opens its doors on Thursday, July 5 and co-owner James Bradey has already had his first complaint.
"We did a couple of trial runs with friends and family. The feedback has been great, but my mum did say she didn't like the brussels sprouts," Bradey says with a laugh.
Back in May Good Food revealed Bradey and his business partner Warren Burns were hatching plans for a CBD eatery offering only Bistecca alla Fiorentina [T-bone steak cooked over charcoal, wood and olive branches for smokiness], a few sides and a single vegetable dish for non-meat eaters.
The duo behind Grandma's, Wild Rover and Wilhelmina's have delivered Bistecca faster than a bread roll at a fine diner, with the Tom Mark Henry interior dishing up lashings of marble, mood lighting and chequerboard floors.
With the entrance on alleyway-like Dalley Street, Bistecca runs through to Bridge Street, where they've added a wine shop that they plan to open as a retail outlet later this year.
Bradey explains they tested 40 to 50 steaks from different regions before settling on black angus from the Riverine.
"We found a great little family supplier, but it just wasn't consistent … at the moment we are using all grass fed – down the track we'd like to offer a grain-fed as well," he says.
Chef Pip Pratt (Bentley) gets to flex a more expansive creative muscle with the sides, but Bradey stresses Bistecca knows what it is.
"We make our own make gluten-free focaccia, and we have the [rotating] vegetable dish, but accommodating vegans would be difficult," he says.
Open Mon-Sat 4pm-2am. Lunches to follow.
4 Bridge Street, Sydney (entry via Dalley Street), 02 8067 0450, bistecca.com.au.
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