If you're into 80's kitsch in a good way, and remember the days of long lunches, red wine and George Benson get your should pads out and order a steak here. Decor is older, wine list and booth seating all in keeping with the theme. Food never disappoints, with quality steak, salads, sautéed mushrooms and potatoes. Just excellent. Always look forward to returning to this place - but then, I remember George Benson.
Classic quality steak and potato with trimmings. Consistent and dependable standard. If your feeling particularly wicked try the deep fried Brie!
Adventures In Winterland
+4
Arriving at Charcoal felt like stepping back into another decade. I was one of the only women there, and the red leather seats and trolley cart service gave the atmosphere of an old school boy’s club. However, none of this detracted from the dining experience. Charcoal is a steak restaurant, so everyone in the group ordered one cut of steak or another. We ordered the anchovy bread to start, which must have been pan fried in butter is was so good – crispy, salty and morish there was nothing healthy and everything delicious about it. For my main, I picked the cajun fillet – something about meal with a good spice rub is always appealing. Our meals came out at the same time, and I liked the touch of a floret of butter served atop my steak. I’d ordered medium-rare and medium-rare I received, with tender pink hiding inside the charred outer meat. The cajun flavour was spicier than I expected, but I really enjoyed the smokey, vibrant taste. We received salad with our meals which was nice to break up the meat-fest. Charcoal isn’t cheap, but the quality was excellent and the setting is certainly unique.
Thanks Guys, took clients on Wednesday night for some steaks and everyone loved it- my Pepper steak was spot on. one collegue had to pop out and the staff held back the grill- much appreciated!! be back. had a few polies in the house too (Pine was painfully loud)
Desert was nice also, really enjoyed the small layout.
THANKS!
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Hideous prices for what it is. You get a good steak here and a very nice, basic meal with quite good service - just what I am looking for often when I am on the road for work. That being said, I would never eat here if I were paying myself. The menu is WAY overpriced. Also expect to pay extra for everything- even sauce on your steak! When asked if I would like a sauce on the steak I ordered, I decided to go with a pepper sauce. When I received the bill I was surprised to see I had been charged $5 for the sauce on my $45 steak!
The restaurant is very dated inside, though I find it cosy and the atmosphere reminds me of some of the great "hole in the wall" restaurants I have been to in older cities of the USA.
They have some great wines on the menu if you are dining with others and order by the bottle, but sadly nothing really decent available by the glass if you are dining alone (as is often the case with my business travel).
They tend to err on the rare side with the steaks, so if you normally order a "medium rare", you may want to consider ordering a "medium" here instead.
My biggest complaint with the restaurant though would have to be the cutlery. The steak knives are so worn that the serrations for 2/3 the length of the blade are completely worn down so that it more resembles a blunt fillet knife than a steak knife. This I find particularly outrageous for a restaurant pretending to be in this price bracket.
I have eaten here 4 times over the last 5 months I have been travelling to Canberra and will likely eat here again when I am in the mood for a simple, good, steak and vege meal, and of course only when my company is paying the bill!
Authentic 70s steakhouse experience - enjoy it for what it is. This place is a step back in time, from the menu to the decor. Even the service in some ways. The only thing missing would be if everyone in their was smoking.
It's expensive for what it is, but thats Canberra for you.
I found the experience rally enjoyable, but you have to enjoy it for what it is. Don't judge by modern standards.
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A classic!. I've been here quite a few times now. I'm not actually much of a steak eater, so if I'm getting steak it better be good! And at Charcoal it is. Step back to 1964 and pretend you're Peggy Olsen celebrating winning that new account. Order a classic garlic prawns or deep-fried Camembert or pate with toast points for an entree, they're all tasty. A little pricy though, but that's ok, you're a big shot now!
I'm one of those dreadful people who likes their steak well done. No pink. Some chefs don't know how to cook a steak well done without it getting all tough but Charcoal can do a tender and juicy well-done! The trick is picking the right type of steak. A big t-bone isn't going to work, it'll take forever. Filet mignon is better. My dining partners prefer a rarer steak and only once has it been cooked beyond what they requested. Not too bad a record. The sauces are very traditional in style and taste, which some may not be used to. The salads are even more traditional: iceberg lettuce all the way; none of your fancy Jamie's dandelion and sorrel concoctions. The wine list is robust and very red. Dessert is also retro (and probably a bit overpriced really).
Try it at least once.
Good steak. We had read the reviews and decided it was worth trying given how long its been around. It was exactly what we expected - good steaks traditionally served with old fashioned favourites. No attempt to modernise or change just good quality steaks generous serves, good sauces and pleasantly quiet so we could talk. We werent surprised it wasnt a hit for an 18th birthday dinner - it didnt ever claim to be a family restaurant or trendy. We would go back and know that again we would get a good steak well cooked.
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Quality and tradition. Time to revisit the Charcoal Restaurant, to celebrate a mate's new job. If the little restaurant was somewhat quiet for a Thursday lunch, like us, the other diners were all pleased to be there.
The Charcoal has been a Canberra gem for decades: a carefully maintained balance of high quality and long tradition. It's not cheap eats in a hurry. It's serious, simple food, well chosen, prepared with care, and well presented - in a very traditional style.
You'll not find poncy towers, smears, foams, swirls or scattered petals here.
What you'll get is absolutely top-class beef, cooked exactly the way you ask. Exactly.
The menu is pretty simple, but if a steak doen't suit, you can choose fish, chicken or veal. All are good, familiar recipes, all done with that certain flair.
For a celebration lunch, we ordered filet mignon and a cajun fillet. Both were generous cuts, of really top class beef, dense, tender and full-flavoured, cooked exactly as asked. The extras were excellent, as ever, the mushrooms particularly memorable. The wine list is as good as ever, with plenty of choice by the glass.
Thanks, Charcoal - a restaurant where tradition and quality still have real meaning. Four stars from me.
Never Fails..... I have eaten at this restaurant for nearly (dare I admit it...) 24 years. I have never had a bad meal there. I love the "old fashioned" feel of the restaurant and the menu. It's not the cheapest, but worth it for the 2-3 times a year I would eat there.
I'm boring, I don't often change from the sizzling garlic prawns as an entree, and the steak Diane as my main. But I do also occasionally enjoy the deep fried Camembert with redcurrant jelly, and chicken with avocado. Each meal comes with a baked potato and a side of vegetables, and it's nice that the waitress will then personally top up the potato with butter, sour cream and chives if you want them (dinner only, they serve chips and vegetables at lunch). The wine list is good also.
If you would like good "non trendy" food, and good service then I can really recommend the Charcoal restaurant.
The steak just cannot be beaten. Generous portions, cooked beautifully to order. Comes with a side of veg (not extra like so many places these days) and is a decent, although not stunning wine selection.
If you are in for an entree do yourself a favour and try the fried Camembert- but it is very rich and is served for two.
Staff are attentive without being at all fawning. The only down side is the small space and limited room between tables but don't let that stop you, it is all part of the charm and ambience.
My partner and I have been going out in Canberra looking for a nice restaurant. I think we found it tonight. The service is top of the game. The food was so excellent, and for a steak house, it had plenty to offer, from soup to chicken, even had pasta dishes. One of the best steak and chicken dishes in town and not to mention the creme brûlée’s were to die for!!
Fantastic steak, top quality and cooked well. Unchanged decor from probably when opened in the 60s. Worth a visit.
A mate and I have been doing a steak tour around Canberra, and this place easily takes the cake. Quality meat, cooked to perfection, great sauces (though very expensive for just sauce), and classic sides. The only thing that comes close is Marble and Grain...but Charcoal is still in a league of its own.
Canberras oldest resteraunt and a reliable steak house at that. I had a prawn cocktail entree which was good and for main a 1.5kg tomahawk and was not disappointed, the steak was good; cooked to order and came out hot with yummy side dishes
Charcoal is an institution in Canberra and all lifers know it and talk about it, it’s supposed to be one of our finest joints and our most iconic steakhouse which is why I was disappointed to see them selling pod coffee and not real, fresh ground coffee. For me that removes them from being fine dining and takes them back a notch.
The service staff are exceptional and really made for a pleasant evening.
Steak was cooked exactly as requested, staff were friendly and attentive. Overall a great feed.
Very nice food, great service, prices are a little steep. Small prawns as an entree a piece of crusty toasted bread would have been lovely to dip in the garlic sauce as it was delicious.
The steak was very good, a little more seafood toppings would have been nice for the price.
Sticky date pudding was lovely.
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