Just Opened - Manzo Bisteccheria

Manzo Bisteccheria at Circular Quay is a brand new restaurant that specialises in premium dry-aged beef, steak flights and classic and innovative Italian dishes. Find out what it is like and what unique dishes are on offer here.

It's a mild winter Friday night when Mr NQN and I arrive at Manzo Bisteccheria. The Italian steakhouse is located in the former site of Penelope's in Circular Quay on the northern side of Quay Quarter. The dining room hugs one curved end of the building and it's early days for the steak restaurant.

Service is very friendly and accommodating and the space is seductively and darkly lit. Our table is situated very close to other tables and it feels like we're dining with our neighbours so it does restrict our conversation somewhat. Some of the outside tables have views of the Harbour Bridge and all of its Vivid light-soaked glory.

Manzo means beef and Bisteccheria means steakhouse in Italian and at Manzo Bisteccheria it's really all about steak particularly dry aged steak with everything from Bistecca Fiorentina to Thor's Hammer beef shank for 2. There's even a $210 steak sandwich on the menu as well as a steak flight designed to mirror the concept of a wine flight.

To start we make a selection from the burrata bar with a creamy locally made burrata and a choice of four accompaniments. We go with the recommendation of the Zia Pina Nduja and hot honey which is good. While it is divinely creamy, we both feel like it needs more nduja and hot honey and a couple more slices of the crisp bread.

We also tried the skewers of mortadella also glazed with hot honey which are good. I can see this really working if it was super thinly sliced like tongue.

There's a small break and then our mains are ready. We are sharing the steak flight which involves three 120g fillets of steak with three different salts. The three steaks are a Sirloin Bone in, Dry Aged Wagyu, MBS3 from Queensland; a Striploin, Sher Wagyu, MBS 9 from Central Victoria and a Cube Roll, A5 Wagyu from Kagoshima in Japan. There are also sauces to go with the steak if you want to add these, but I really prefer a good steak just with salt. We also ask the sommelier to match the steaks to a glass of wine rather than go with a matching wine flight.

The steaks are presented in ascending order of richness starting with the sirloin dry aged wagyu to the richest A5 Wagyu from Kagoshima. The first steak is Mr NQN's favourite but I really love the Sher Wagyu MBS 9 steak which is a really nice compromise between the flavour and the lusciousness of the A5 Wagyu cube. The three salts are herbed, pink and paprika salt.

Our other main is the Millefoglie Wagyu Lasagna that is made with fresh pasta sheets and is doubled up with beef with a Wagyu ragu as well as layers of MB5 striploin. There's also aged parmigiano and rosemary bechamel. Each slice is then deep-fried until crispy on the edges. It comes as two large thick slices. I think there's merit in perhaps offering one slice for half the price and more people would be tempted to try it as it is a delicious, rich lasagne with crispy crunchy bites on the outside.

The sweet potato terrine is layers of very thinly sliced sweet potato with a very light aroma of truffle with a layer of melted cheese and breadcrumbs on top for texture.

We also paired it with a salad of wedges of charred cos lettuce, nduja crumbs and caesar dressing drizzled on top.

We are both very full as we hadn't anticipated the lasagne being as large as it was and honestly I think that a steak flight for two is perfect especially when paired with one of the sides.

There are two desserts that stand out on the menu. The pistachio tiramisu is made with coffee dipped savoiardi biscuits and pistachio cream. This is a generously soaked tiramisu, topped with plenty of crunchy pistachio rubble for contrast and texture

However, our favourite dessert is the deconstructed cannolo with an incredibly creamy ricotta as well as orange gel and deep-fried cannoli shells shaped like sails much like the Opera House nearby. Mr NQN turns to whisper to me, "I actually prefer this to a regular cannoli," and I have to agree, this is perfect and not a drop goes back to the kitchen. No notes!

So tell me Dear Reader, what do you think of the steak flight? Would you enjoy that and would you share it or have one to your own?

NQN and Mr NQN were guests of Manzo Bisteccheria but all opinions remain her own.

Manzo Bisteccheria

Quay Quarter, Level R1/50 Bridge St, Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: 1300 626 962

Open Monday to Saturday 12–10 pm

Closed Sundays