15.5/20Critics' Pick

Updated October 26, 2026,first published November 11, 2024

15.5/20Critics' Pick

Clam Bar

Steakhouse$$$

An NYC-style grill with great steaks and an even better burger.

Firstly, this is no clam bar. It’s a steakhouse in the grand New York tradition of Gallaghers, Keens and Peter Luger. Chefs Daniel Pepperell and Michael Clift, with sommelier Andy Tyson, have carved out a slab of Midtown Manhattan and set it down in Sydney’s CBD, in the handsome corner site once home to The Bridge Room. They’ve hit all the marks, too: the dark wood panelling is present and correct, as is a signature amber glow, courtesy of vintage shell-shaped sconces.

Expect candlelit tables crowded with frosted martinis and tiger prawns splayed over ice, plus reserve-cut steaks seared over charcoal draped in your choice of bearnaise, anchovy butter or diane sauce. The moves aren’t all classic – caesar salad sees boats of witlof leaves slicked in anchovy cream, while oysters are offered with lemongrass-scented chipolatas – but the house cheeseburger has become a classic in its own right.

Featuring a wood-grilled patty of brisket and chuck under oozy American cheese, it’s finished with a ripsnorting sauce made with three types of mustard and a slug of pickle juice, then skewered with a steak knife. It may cost 40 clams, but it’s unmissable.

Good to know: Rather drink a barolo? You can also order wine from their Italian restaurant Neptune’s Grotto downstairs.

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Last visited: September 2026

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Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

At a glance

Topic
World
Country
🇦🇺 AU
Publisher language
EN
Added to Allnira