The 203

The Valley is undergoing a serious makeover at the moment, with stellar food and drink venues opening on almost every corner, and many more to come. One such arrival is The 203 at 6 Marshall Street—a space that has seen a revolving door of nightclubs but is now an elevated spot for dry-aged steaks and Italian pastas. 

The interiors here are pretty much unrecognisable from their former life as multiple nightclubs (anyone remember Mono?), now featuring tiled flooring, plush pink seating and glass walls that let in lashings of natural light, all of it looking over an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs firing up the charcoal grill.

Now this is no ordinary steak restaurant—the venue is owned by the generational cattle farming family-owned Stanbroke, meaning the cuts of beef come direct from the farm, ready to be aged in house. Even the gidgee wood charcoal they use in the wood fire oven comes from Stanbroke’s north Queensland properties—talk about paddock-to-plate. Along with your usual Angus and Wagyu cuts, the steak lineup features a signature tomahawk and Florence-style Bistecca di Fiorentina T-Bone, so best to bring  a group. 

The whole menu is designed to share, from entrees like beef tartare with truffle crisps and whipped buffalo ricotta with lemon and truffle honey, to pastas like the wagyu sirloin bolognese and scampi linguine. If the steaks aren’t enough for you, other mains include the likes of quail saltimbocca and half or whole grilled lobsters, which you can pair with sides of charred asparagus, grilled leeks topped with gorgonzola fonduta or classic shoestring fries. 

If you're keen to check it out but on a budget, we're happy to report that The 203 has also just launched a new two-course lunch menu for $50pp that is seriously good value. Choose from entrees like their wagyu carpaccio or whipped buffalo ricotta cannoli before tucking into steak and fries, their signature double smashed cheeseburger or wagyu sirloin bolognese, plus the option of tiramisu for dessert for an extra $10. It's only available Wednesdays and Thursdays, so leave lunch at home for a day. 

Image credit: The 203 | Supplied