The Meat & Wine Co Canberra — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

My husband and I had been waiting to try this restaurant since it was rumoured to be opening on the Kingston foreshore (but never went ahead). When we found out it would be opening in the city we made a booking for opening week. We've always been big fans of the meat and wine co in Sydney so our expectations were high. We arrived early for our lunch booking and were asked by a staff member to wait outside as they were not open yet. At 12 on the dot the doors opened and we were shown to our table. The decor and atmosphere was warm and comfortable the only thing that could be better are the views — but let’s face it... eyes are on the steak! Service was a bit slow to begin with because staff seemed very busy seating everyone arriving for the 12 pm booking time. For entree we ordered the bruschetta and the wagyu steak tartar. I would never usually order bruschetta at a steak house but prior to ever stepping in a meat and wine co my bruschetta expectations were low however I fell in love with the bruschetta I tried at the darling harbour location when it was open. That bruschetta was pimped out with a pesto base and balsamic reduction drizzled all over and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese... flavour explosion; so I hoped to have the same mouth drooling experience again but unfortunately — it was missing the balsamic. The steak tartare was perfectly balanced and both myself and hubby really loved the particular crispy bread crackers that it was paired with, would absolutely recommend it. For main we shared a 650 gram aged steak with a side of mash, pepper sauce and broccolini. We ordered our steak medium rare which was not quite as rare as we usually eat it. For us it was cooked medium, I’m not sure if there was something going wrong it the kitchen or if the way they cook it is different but it still tasted great. The mash was nice and creamy but if you’re not a fan of truffle make sure you ask more the them to 86 it because I didn’t realise and had a very offensive first bite (for me... not a fan ). The broccolini was fine - cooked so that it’s still crunch and had almond flakes on it. I would have liked more flavour but I guess they’re just there as a side really. Our waiter asked us if we wanted something to drink with our mains. We asked him what he would recommend and his response seemed very unsure and untrained eventually recommending a Pinot noir, however thankfully we saw him ask one of the other waiters who came over with a Shiraz from South Africa. Overall the food and wine was great, I would certainly recommend and go...

Our first time tonight at Meat & Wine Co

Entree we ordered the wagyu tartare - beautiful and very tasty, the bread and butter - the brown bread isn’t something I would have chosen but was all that was offered. The butter was so delicious though. We also ordered the pork belly which was super disappointing. No crackling on it whatsoever.

Mains we ordered the dry aged rib eye. The steak itself was cooked well but was seasoned wayyyy too much. The salt was very overpowering and it was frustrating that such an expensive piece of steak was ruined by too much salt. I found myself needing to constantly reach for the water to be able to eat the steak.

We ordered mash, salad and truffle Mac and cheese for the sides. Mash was delicious - definitely did not need any more salt or again would have been overpowering. They totally forgot to bring our salad so we didn’t even up getting it and the truffle Mac and cheese was very poor. The macaroni was undercooked and the truffle was super overpowering.

For desert we ordered a cheese board and the crème brûlée. Crème brûlée was lovely, and the cheese board was very average. The cheddar was very bland - they definitely need to consider getting a different sort. The goats and blue cheese were both really nice though.

Overall the food was a little disappointing and there were many things that could have been easily avoidable.

The service was very slow. Staff in general very polite and friendly. However we were constantly waiting for a waiter to come over. Food needed to come out a little quicker and staff need to be clearing tables sooner and be more attentive. Even the table next to us had commented on how slow they were. I feel as though the service provided at Rashay’s (for lack of better examples) far exceeds what we experienced tonight.

The restaurant itself has an appealing interior and the tables are spaced nicely.

This will be the first and last time we come to...

We enjoyed a pleasant family birthday celebration at this restaurant recently. When our server introduced himself and left his card on our table we were thinking we were in for a treat with five star service. The food was definitely 5 ⭐️ with perfectly cooked steak as well as fish for the non meat eaters. The pork belly on our tasting plate entree was divine and i’d go back just for that. The crunchy chips and side dishes were also delicious. The sauce for each meat main dish was very ordinary and seemed generic with each one looking exactly the same and tasting bland. Fortunately the meat did not need any dressing. There is a good wine and cocktail selection and an extensive, attractive looking bar. The service was definitely not five star - we never did get a look at the desert menu despite asking for it and everything was a little rushed and impersonal. Despite this I’d return for the pork belly and a good steak. My husband did not appreciate having the eftpos machine thrust six inches in front of his nose and asked if he would like to pay one of the three tip options available. It certainly takes the pleasure away from paying for a good meal and service from shear pleasure and gratitude. It’s 5 ⭐️ from me for the food and 3 ⭐️ for service so 4 ⭐️ overall.

Return visit February 2023. Took a dear friend here for her birthday when the concert we were going to was cancelled. So pleased I returned as we had a lovely evening with good food, warm ambience and pleasant staff.. Did not feel rushed this time - possibly because Tuesday evening is not quite as busy. The lychee cocktail was delicious and the creme brûlée for desert just divine❣️ excellent wine and cocktail list. This time I would give...