Many restaurants in the city claim the status of ‘steakhouse’ but not many can back up that claim. Which begs the question: what qualities does a good steakhouse make?

Surely it goes beyond just having steak on the menu. Even your local sandwich shop down the road stocks Australian grass-fed beef these days. And don’t even get me started on wagyu, which is now two-for-one at most supermarkets.

To be a decent steakhouse then, I am going to say you need to have three things going for you.

First, you need to stock meat of multiple cuts from multiple breeds of cow or different farms (knowing the names of the cows is a bonus).

Two, cook it with fire. None of this charbroiled nonsense. If the meat doesn’t feel a searing hot lick of flame then it may as well be microwaved. And three, I want to be able to choose my own steak knife from a well-sharpened table arsenal before the meal; the more deadly looking the better.

Now that the steak stakes are set. Let’s see if LaVille’s own Graze Gastro Grill & Bar makes the cut.

Graze Gastro Grill & Bar: what’s the vibe?

If any vegan accidentally walked through the doors at Graze, they’d soon know it.

The walls are adorned with pictures of cows, funny illustrations of cows (bovine humour?) and one bust of a cow’s head wearing a top hat. Throw in an open kitchen that gives you full view of what chunk of cow is being cooked at any given time, and it doesn’t take the savviest diner to figure out what they’ve walked into.

Live entertainment consists of an acoustic guitar (loud enough to add some atmosphere, but not enough to deafen a crowd), and the large tables have been moved around to fit around 80 or so diners all socially distanced apart.

Graze Gastro Grill & Bar: how’s the food?

Graze’s Gastro Grill & Bar is known for its generous portions of prime-cut meat (and obligatory two veg). Its new supper club concept aims to take that up a notch, serving diners a set menu of some of the restaurant’s best dishes.

Appetizers come when they are ready, and include the likes of burrata and grilled octopus. But as previously discussed, we’re not here for some wet cheese and an eight footed mollusk. Bring on the meat!

Dinner arrives when it hits the table. You get three cuts, Black Angus Filet, smoked brisket and a braised short rib, which has been sourced from either Stanbroke farm in Australia or Westholme in Somerset (tick). Most steaks are cooked over a fiery Josper grill (tick two), and you can smell the sizzle from the dining room.

The meat is all cooked perfectly, and comes with the usual steakhouse sides (mac and cheese, fries, asparagus, etc.)

Graze Gastro Grill & Bar: the verdict?

Those keeping score will notice so far we’ve received two out of three necessary ticks to qualify Graze as a good steakhouse.

First the bad news; no knife arsenal was forthcoming, effectively robbing me the chance to pick my dinner weapon of choice. But my crippling disappointment aside, I can’t quite hold that against Graze – which got everything else very right.

Graze Gastro Grill & Bar is a solid steakhouse, and its supper club is a great way to sample its wares without breaking the bank.

Graze Gastro Grill & Bar: where is it?

Graze Gastro Grill & Bar is located at Citywalk Dubai’s LaVille Hotel.

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