Walter's Steakhouse

The first thing you’re encouraged to do at Walter’s Steakhouse is wait. If you have time, a bow-tied bartender will see you to a deep-set couch in a sitting room lifted from a European country villa. There you might enjoy a Martini or a signature Mineral House cocktail before you’re led into a main dining room of white marble tables and Tasmanian oak.

It’s this homey and attentive service that perhaps best defines Walter’s Steakhouse, which is in the iconic Old Mineral House premises formerly occupied by Restaurant Two.

Walter’s has completely reimagined the space – the only detail remaining is the wooden floor. The separate bar and dining areas are divided by an ironbark partition.

The restaurant is named after Sir Walter Hill, the first superintendent of the City Botanic Gardens that sit opposite the restaurant. A portrait of Hill hangs above the bar.

The botanical theme reaches inside, with walls painted with Australian natives and floor-length curtains detailed in patterns of flowers. The walls are covered in framed botanical drawings, paintings of hunting dogs and still lifes.

All the meat on the menu is cut and dry-aged on premises, the house specialty an Australian grain-fed porterhouse beef. The grain-fed beef delivers an earthier taste, the higher fat content adding a particular flavour profile.

Beyond the signature cocktail and selection of Martinis there’s a lengthy list of wines, liqueurs and beers.