The Best Steak in Manila: Esquire's Essential Steakhouses
A delicious steak is easy enough to define. The starting point is the the beef. It has to be good—the best if you can get it—and salted just enough to highlight its natural flavor, but not so much that people think you're hiding bad meat under the disguise of seasoning.
Everything else follows: the consistency in cooking, whether it's the recommended medium rare or the Filipino favorite well-done (gasp!); the char; the sauce (optional though Chef Adam Sorbel has a good sauce recipe); the sides; the service. Great beef is the secret to steak, and because we love steak so much (this is actually our second list!) we've once again looked around for the best steaks in Manila.
Some people like Angus, some opt for Wagyu, some love ribeye, some lean toward filet. We all have different preferences, so this list is not arranged; we're letting you rank it to your own tastes. We've narrowed the options down to steakhouses, so if you're looking for restaurants with a great steak course on the menu, like Stockton, La Spezia or Bistro Manuel, or a Japanese specialty steakhouse like Miyazaki Gyu, those are delicious stories for another day.
1| Mamou - A Home Kitchen
What can we say about Mamou that hasn't already been said? The crisp bits of fat mixed with the rice and sprinkled on top of the shiny slab of meat? The pinkish red perfection of its beef? The consistency every. single. time? What has been said about Mamou is usually true: It really does offer some of the best steak in Manila (in fact, it's the number one choice for many) so it's no wonder that it's the go-to for special occasions.
The meat of the matter:
- Dry-aged USDA Prime Bone-in Ribeye
- 28-Day Dry-aged USDA Prime Grade T-Bone
- 28-Day Dry-aged USDA Prime Grade Porterhouse
2| House of Wagyu Stone Grill
Another trusty reliable for steak, House of Wagyu is famous for serving your meaty orders on a stone grill, creating a sensorial gustatory meal for every customer. At House of Wagyu, eating steak is an experience: from the visual delight of seeing the marbling on your steak to the sizzle you hear as it cooks to the sensational smell of grilled meat. House of Wagyu even recently upped its steak game, presenting a special variety that's aged in-house for over 40 days. The owners themselves monitor the aging process (from the temperature to the humidity levels) round-the-clock through an app. This kind of commitment is what you see when you're talking about the best steaks in Manila.
The meat of the matter:
- Dry-aged Wagyu Ribeye
- Ribeye Grade 10
- Saga Ribeye Grade A4
3| Wolfgang's Steakhouse By Wolfgang Zwiener
There's a lot of history in this steakhouse. Wolfgang Zwiener served as head waiter for the famous Peter Luger Steakhouse for 40 years. When he retired, his business-oriented sons pushed him to open their own steak restaurant. Now, Wolfgang has outlets all over the world, including three in Metro Manila. To keep its status as one of the best steak places in Manila, Wolfgang is meticulous about its beef. Its flagship Philippine location in Newport Mall even has a P1M aging room! It's become such a local favorite that Wolfgang was hired by the Philippine Airlines to serve steak to its business class passengers. Pro tip: Have wine with your steak. The restaurant has a stellar wine catalogue as well.
The meat of the matter:
- Prime Rib
- Ribeye Steak
- Prime NY Sirloin Steak
Wolfgang's Steakhouse branches
4| Elbert's Steak Room
Ask a group where the best steak in Manila is and chances are many will say Elbert's. The name is practically synonymous with steak. Its specialty is prime-grade, USDA-certified premium meats imported from Wisconsin. Not only does Elbert Cuenca put a premium on his steak, people continue to patronize the restaurant on Sagittarius Street for its unparalleled privacy. If you don't have time to drop by, try making Cuenca's own special prime rib recipe at home.
The meat of the matter:
- King's Cut Prime Rib au Jus
- USDA "Super" Prime Grade NY Cut
- USDA Choice Gold Bone-in Tenderloin
Sagitarrius Building, 111 H. V. Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City; (02) 519-8665; (63) 917-5299-392; www.steakroom.com
5| La Cabrera
Argentina's dining culture centers around a grill and this steakhouse knows its way around meat. La Cabrera is run by Chef Augustin Figueroa, who loves regaling us with stories of his father handing out grilled meat to friends and family. We understood the feeling when the restaurant slashed 40 percent off the price of its steak. La Cabrera's patented grilling technique is kept under lock and key and we're not even allowed to photograph it. While it has the usual rib eye, the kitchen loves to push more unconventional steak cuts like the picanha (sirloin cap), skirt steak, and short ribs, proving that's it's never about the cut of meat, but how you cook it. La Cabrera is so good that it's even become EDSA Shangri-La's signature steak restaurant.
The meat of the matter:
- Entraña
- Picanha
- Asado del Centro
EDSA Shangri-La, 1 Garden Way, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City; (63) 967-236-7940; Ayala Business Center, 6750 Ayala Avenue, Glorietta Complex, Makati City; (63) 905-290-0703, (63) 917-9840-9035
6| Finestra Italian Steakhouse
This Solaire eatery had the tough challenge of converting itself from an Italian restaurant into one of the finer steakhouses in the city. To fully realize the transformation, it brought in the world's top beef brands, like USDA Omaha Angus Beef, Snake River Wagyu Beef, Australian Blackmore Wagyu, and more. It's value-for-money, too. The cuts are enormous and good enough to share, for those who aren't voracious carnivores.
The meat of the matter:
- Japanese Omi Ribeye 9+
- Meat Sampler
- USDA Ribeye
Solaire Resort & Casino, Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Parañaque; (02) 246-9069 local 642
7| Myron's
Monica Papa Eugenio and her partners began the business 13 years ago at the Salcedo Market, selling Angus roast beef, lamb, and pasta. Myron's was dedicated to her dad, financial whiz Myron Papa, who loved hosting family and friends. Myron's became better known when it opened shop in Greenbelt, turning itself into a staple in every steak lover's heart and stomach. The kitchen even takes its USDA certified Angus beef a step further by offering a foie gras option! In 2017, Myron's left the Greenbelt location to run the F&B of Ascott Residences a few blocks away.
The meat of the matter:
- The President (500-grams of pure beef)
- Steak Diane
- Myron's Cut
Ascott Residences Hotel, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City; (02) 755-8898
8| Melo's
Don't mess with a classic. For most of us, Melo's was our introduction to finer varieties of meat. It has an entire library of steaks, from Angus to Wagyu, all proudly presented via a steak cart, allowing the customer to choose marbling, thickness, and cut preferences. Melo Santiago's daughter, Cristina, has expanded her family's meaty empire with the Wagyu-specialist Carmelo's in Greenbelt.
The meat of the matter:
- Australian Wagyu Ribeye Grade 10-11
- Chateaubriand
- Kagoshima Ribeye
9| Raging Bull Chophouse and Bar
A standalone restaurant situated at Shangri-La at the Fort, Raging Bull blurs the line between casual and fine-dining. The classic American steakhouse specializes in steak from dry-aged and grain-and grass-fed beef from all over the world, cooked perfectly on a Josper grill. Though it sources meat from Japan, Ireland, and other countries, Raging Bull's prized supplier is Australia's Jacks Creek, which won the World's Best Steak award two years in a row. Make sure to try the cocktails and wine, too.
The meat of the matter:
- Tomahawk Wagyu MS 5+ Grain fed Jacks Creek NSW Australia
- Robbins Island 22 day dry-aged Wagyu MS 7+ grass-raised, grain-finished Tasmania
- Darling Downs Wagyu MS 5+ grass-raised, grain-finished, Queensland
Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; www.ragingbullchophouse-fort.com
10| Smith Butcher and Grill Room
Behind an unassuming facade is an intensive steak sanctuary. Chef Tom Hines' Smith Butcher and Grill Room takes you on a delicious tour of the world with steaks from Japan, Australia, USA, Ireland, and France, all cooked in a variety of ways, including blue rare, where the slab quickly kisses the grill at high temp and that's it.
The meat of the matter:
- Japanese Matsusaka Ribeye
- Prime Angus Corn-fed Dry-aged for 45 Days
- Prime Angus Grain-fed Wet-aged for 3 days
ACI Building, 147 H. V. Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City; (63) 915-429-5167, (63) 906-293-9359
11| Stoned Steaks
This Quezon City haunt is famous in the area for its all-you-can-eat sirloin steaks, but that's only a draw. The folks behind Stoned Steaks are serious about offering top-quality beef in the city and they hook you in with an even more exciting meat menu. Only U.S. Angus and prime Australian Wagyu are allowed to cross the threshold. It even has a special German-made box to properly dry-age the meats. The steaks are stored right in the middle of the restaurant on a well-deserved pedestal.
The meat of the matter:
- Wagyu Ribeye Grade 7
- Wagyu Sirloin Grade 4
- Angus Ribeye
55 Scout Rallos Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City; (63) 917-707-3837; (02) 866-3807
12| Ruby Jack's Steakhouse and Bar
Chef Matthew Crabbe, Edward Baffoe, and Nathan Smith founded this Tokyo franchise in 2014. It's famous for its dry-aged selection as well as its unique approach to serving steak. It even has a 45-day dry-aged ribeye that's wrapped in a cheese cloth then doused in whisky. Cool!
The meat of the matter:
- USA (Midwest) USDA Prime Ribeye
- 45-Day Dry-Aged Australian Prime
- Premium Saga Wagyu Sirloin
City of Dreams, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Parañaque; (02) 801-8888
13| Alfredo's Steaks
Though this Quezon City staple has flown under the radar in the time of social media marketing, it's still a revered place for steaks. and, like Melo's, it introduced us to a higher level of dining.
The meat of the matter:
- Tenderloin Steak
- Filet Mignon
- Ribeye
Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Lazscano Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City; (02) 374-3576, (02) 413-7820
14| L'entrecote Bistro and Upper Room
This little French restaurant is often forgotten, but we're putting it here now so you'll always remember it. L'Entrecote was in Burgos Circle before Burgos Circle became what it is now. Its steak menu boasts of only Certified Angus Beef while its special is a delicious sirloin (here, it's even better than ribeye, which is also available). The showstopper, however, is a 12-ounce sirloin flambéed with whisky. The technique is similar to Gordon Ramsey's.
The meat of the matter:
- L'entrecote CAB Signature
- Certified Black Angus Beef Sampler
- US Certified Black Angus Sirloin
Bellagio 2, Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; (02) 246-9069
15| Hai Chix and Steaks
Hai Chix's combination of steak and Hainanese chicken may seem unusual, but good food is easy enough to understand and this odd fusion doesn't confuse. The original Ortigas Home Depot was the type of hole-in-the-wall-ish situation that foodies love to sniff out. Despite its no-frills venue, the steaks are superb, juicy, perfectly tender, and so good. When you're at Hai Chix, consider yourself lucky to have not only stumbled into one of the best steaks in Manila but also some stellar chicken.
The meat of the matter:
- US Angus Ribeye
- US Angus Porterhouse
- Steak Paella
16| Meat Depot
It's actually a meat shop that let's you enjoy your steak on the side. Apart from beef (wagyu, Angus, local, Korean), it has Kurobuta pork (the Wagyu of pork), lamb, burger patties, sausages, and more.
17| Cru Steakhouse
Another meat haven, the award-winning Cru offers some of the best steak in Manila for a variety of reasons: the steaks are hand-cut, well seasoned, and carefully prepared. The Cru kitchen is extremely detail-oriented when it comes to prepping its steak: Dry-aged (10 to 28 days) is preferred and the meat is kept at a specific temperature and humidity. Did you know that they offer unlimited steak on Sundays?
The meat of the matter:
- US Prime Ribeye
- Grill Australian Cape Grim Tenderloin
- Australian Mulwarra Wagyu
Marriott Manila, Pasay; (02) 988-9999
18| 22 Prime
Twenty-two floors up and you're taken straight to steak heaven. Discovery Suites' signature restaurant uses only choice cuts of beef paired with grilled asparagus, tomato parmesan, or potato gratin and steak sauce (which you don't really need, but you'll love it if you're extra about your steak).
The meat of the matter:
- 850-Gram tomahawk
- 28-Day Dry-Aged UDA Prime Angus Ribeye
- Signature Steak Platter
Discovery Suites, 22nd Floor, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Pasig City; (02) 719-6822
19| Texas Roadhouse
The real Texas Roadhouse opened in the Philippines in 2016. The global chain, founded by Kent Taylor in 1993, is famous for its big, burly steaks and in-house baked bread. Though it appears to be the usual family joint, Texas Roadhouse adheres to pretty strict standards when it comes to steak. All the beef is hand-carried into the country and everything is timed to make sure that it's aged only between 21 to 48 days (never chilled). It's also hand-cut by a craftmaster who ensures that each piece has proper marbling proportions.
The meat of the matter:
- Bone-in Ribeye
- Fort Worth Ribeye
- New York Strip
