The best steakhouses in New York City

On a hunt for the best steakhouses in New York City? Indulging in a sumptuous steak is a must for all carnivores who plan to visit the Big Apple. Our beefy picks include splurge-worthy favourites, old-time classics, modern twists and restaurants that offer stunning views of the city. Who’s ready to feast on sublime steaks?

One of New York City’s best-known steakhouses, this iconic eatery opened in 1887 as Carl Luger’s Café, Billiards and Bowling Alley in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and has been packing in meat-lovers ever since. Peter Luger dry-ages its USDA prime steaks on site and serves them with classic steakhouse side dishes, such as baked potatoes with sour cream, creamed spinach, iceberg wedge salad, sliced tomatoes, and onion rings.

Occupying the same building in the theatre district since it opened in 1885, Keens Steakhouse lays claim to a fascinating history. Luminaries such as Albert Einstein and Babe Ruth have dined here, and in 1905, when it was a gentlemen-only establishment, actress Lily Langtry took Keens to court to gain access to the restaurant and won. Today, Keens features a room in Langtry’s honour and an impressive collection of antique clay churchwarden pipes, hanging in rows from the ceiling. Keens is known for its mutton chops and other specialities, including Chateaubriand steak for two, prime New York sirloin, T-bone, prime rib, and porterhouse steak. Desserts range from cheesecake and crème brûlée to Lady M chocolate cake, ice cream sundaes, and carrot cake.

At this Flatiron favourite, owner Simon Kim inventively blends the American steakhouse concept with the Korean barbecue experience. Cote features an in-house dry-aging room and each table features a smokeless grill, so you can watch your meat sizzle right before your eyes. Cuts run the gamut from hanger and skirt steaks to New York strip, filet mignon and rib-eye. Korean-style accompaniments include kimchi stew, jan-chi somyun (Korean angel hair served in a piping hot anchovy broth) and dol-sot bibimbap (rice served in sizzling earthenware with fried egg).

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Since 1868, Old Homestead has served choice cuts of meat, such as porterhouse, filet mignon, and sirloin, in what was formerly New York City’s meatpacking district and is now home to scores of cutting-edge restaurants, clubs, and hotels. You can also order from a stellar seafood selection, including lobster, oysters, shrimp, crab, sashimi, and caviar. Desserts such as the gargantuan chocolate cake and apple strudel are perfect for sharing. You’ll know Old Homestead by the distinctive life-size cow replica affixed to its red brick facade.

With dishes ranging from cheesesteak egg rolls to coffee-braised pork shank, Del Frisco’s has deliciously upended and expanded the traditional steakhouse menu. The three storey steakhouse in Midtown has floor-to-ceiling windows, so that you can enjoy views of Rockefeller Center while digging into such outsized selections as a 24-ounce prime porterhouse and decadent side dishes like lobster macaroni and cheese.

If you like your steak served with a dash of drama and Turkish flair, a dinner at Midtown’s Nusr-Et makes for an entertaining evening. Some dishes from chef and owner Nusret Gokce’s menu are cut, salted, or gas-torched tableside to theatrical effect. Appetisers include carpaccio and steak tartare, and entrees range from marinated sliced beef, Kobe steak, and beef tenderloin to meatballs and barbecued Turkish sausage. Ottoman-influenced desserts include sobiyet, a cream-stuffed Turkish pastry, and baklava.

Wall Street steakhouse Reserve Cut’s owner Albert Allaham’s family descends from two centuries of master butchers, so to say that meat is in his blood is no exaggeration. (He also owns The Prime Cut butcher shop in Brooklyn.) At Reserve Cut, entrees include an 18-ounce pastrami-rubbed wagyu boneless steak served with beef marrow, a 12-ounce Steak au Poivre, and oven-roasted Colorado rack of lamb. Meat-centric appetisers range from teriyaki beef jerky to short rib tacos. Seafood-lovers have options too, as Reserve Cut also offers sushi and main courses such as pan-roasted Norwegian salmon and Chilean sea bass.

Along with a menu showcasing Romanian dishes, this down-to-earth Lower East Side steakhouse has communal tables, a friendly atmosphere and live entertainment that sometimes encourages the participation of guests. Dishes range from tenderloin, rib steak, and lamb chops to broiled sweetbreads, karnatzlach (a Romanian garlic sausage), and calves’ liver steak with fried onions.

– TEXT BY EVA LEONARD

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Please check the establishments’ respective websites for opening hours as well as booking and seating requirements before visiting, and remember to adhere to safe-distancing measures while out and about.
PHOTOS: MERAKIA, IKINARI STEAK, DEL FRISCO’S, COTE KOREAN STEAKHOUSE, THE OLD HOMESTEAD STEAKHOUSE FACEBOOK, FLICKR USER MOODY MAN (PETER LUGER), NUSR-ET, RESERVE CUT FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM
This article was originally published by Singapore Press Holdings.