Margaret

30 Bay street, double bay, sydney

the digest

Order

Blackmore Mishima steak (if it hasn’t already sold out!); miso-glazed Southern Calamari; twice-cooked potatoes; Sam & Neil’s Wedding Cake

Pay

Circa $200+ per person with a wine or two

Consider

A trek to Baker Bleu next door for pastries and sourdough

Wear

Dress to impress - you’re in Double Bay at a World’s Best 101 Steak Restaurant after all!

Reserve

An inside table by the window, or go alfresco for people watching

Travel

Car – Street parks are hot property, ride share recommended

Ferry – Double Bay Wharf is a 20 min ride from Circular Quay

Bus – Edgecliff Station, 1.3km

full REVIEW

Originally posted 18 November 2025 on Instagram

Accolades on the world stage can be a double edged sword. Prestige, recognition and an inevitable surge in bookings are wonderful – but they bring immense pressure to deliver, service after service. Chef Neil Perry recently shared that after Margaret was declared #2 by the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants in May, the restaurant jumped from selling 140 steaks a week to 260.

Margaret, named in honour of Neil’s late mother, has been on my must-visit list since it opened in 2021. While not a dedicated steakhouse, Neil’s longstanding relationship with Wagyu pioneer David Blackmore and his son Ben grants him access to their exceptionally exclusive Mishima and Rohne breeds, which is enough to intrigue any beef devotee.

I arrived at opening to find a queue forming outside, but beyond the initial frenzy, the atmosphere softened into something calmer and distinctly Double Bay. The open kitchen energy, the neutral palette with white tablecloths, the ivory Perceval 9.47 knives… it was inviting and quietly elegant.

Unfortunately, the first human touch point didn’t quite match that warmth. A polite but perfunctory hello and no offer to check my coat – one of the smallest but most telling gestures in a restaurant of this calibre. In fact, it was the only venue on my trip (out of five) where that courtesy wasn’t offered, and it subtly set the tone for what would ultimately be the weakest part of the experience: the service.

The menu itself is beautiful with its gilded feature, each place setting receiving a unique design. While it leans heavily towards seafood, I was there for one thing: the purebred Mishima steak. David Blackmore has created this composite breed over a period of 25 years and I was curious to compare its flavour to his acclaimed full blood Wagyu.

Just my luck that it had already sold out – disappointing yes, but understandable given the hype. I settled on the ration-fed Blackmore Wagyu which was, surprisingly, very well priced. For context: a Brisbane restaurant charged $198 for 300g; here it’s $295 for 600g of the same cut.

Then came an odd exchange. Without asking for recommendations (which I usually welcome), our server confidently volunteered his preferences – even discouraging us from ordering the eye of chuck steak purely because he personally didn’t like the cut. Unless a server knows a guest’s palate intimately, personal aversions aren’t helpful or appropriate.

And then came the eyebrow-raiser: misinformation.

Wagyu is one of my passions, but regardless, boldly delivered inaccuracies never sit well – especially for guests who may not know otherwise. There were no marbling details on the menu (unexpected for a restaurant ranked so highly for steak), and the server insisted that Blackmore cattle aren’t graded, offering his estimated marbling guesses for each cut (‘MB2-3 for the Rump, the Denver higher, and the Sirloin closer to 9+’).

This is simply incorrect. Blackmore Wagyu is renowned for its strict grading, and while a carcass is assessed by the ribeye area, anything below MB9+ doesn’t go to market under the Blackmore name. Knowing Neil’s inimitable relationship with the producer and his passionate advocacy for the product, it was disappointing to see such gaps at the front of house. I questioned it gently, then let it go for the sake of the table.

As for the food? Interestingly, plates from the sea outshone the land.

The fried coral trout wings with lime and chilli ($32) and the miso-glazed Corner Inlet Southern Calamari with kimchi salad and shallot oil ($34) were standouts; the flavours thoughtfully layered to champion the produce. Ben’s coral trout with XO butter ($65) could have used a crispier skin, but the restrained sauce allowed the delicate sweetness of the fish to shine.

Sharing was encouraged but not always considered. Our CopperTree steak tartare ($32) was beautifully cooked with charred pepper paste and dashi shoyu, but arrived with five crisps for three diners – a tiny oversight, but one that matters at this level.  

Then came the anticipated centrepiece: the steak.

Our 240g Denver ($145), recommended medium, arrived medium rare and I would have preferred the tarragon salsa drizzled over the top to be served on the side given its divisive aniseed notes. For a restaurant celebrated globally for steak, the execution didn’t do justice to the world class Blackmore product.

Sides were varied and well priced with most sub $20, and the twice-cooked potatoes easily the MVP – crisp, creamy and memorable.

Dessert brought another moment of conflicting guidance: our server warned us somewhat discouragingly that Sam and Neil’s Wedding Cake was ‘very, very sweet’.  But when Neil himself stopped by moments later (a lovely touch) and described it warmly, we ordered it – and adored it. Inspired by America’s Lady Baltimore cake, its bourbon laced sponge and meringue felt unique and nostalgic.

Service, however, continued to fray. My $37 glass of Chablis arrived without any reference to the bottle (it was finally presented half an hour after my request). No one offered a red to pair with the steak. My green sencha tea, ordered with dessert, never arrived – with no follow up or apology. These weren’t signs of inexperience; they read as carelessness, and by that point, even my usual empathy for front-of-house teams was wearing thin.

Not wanting to dampen the mood for my friends, I sent written feedback the next day.  To Margaret’s credit, the CEO personally called to apologise and discuss the missed opportunities – something I genuinely appreciated.

In full transparency, this visit took place some five months ago, and I procrastinated writing the review despite many requests for it.  Critiquing such a prominent restaurant, helmed by a chef of Neil Perry’s stature, isn’t something I take lightly.

Would I return? Yes – for the seafood. But it won’t be a high priority revisit among the many Sydney spots on my radar.

I’d heard mixed reviews about Margaret and wanted to form my own, and I still encourage you to do the same. The weight of being named the #2 steak restaurant in the world undoubtedly heightened expectations, but even setting that aside, the service alone left the lunch feeling lacklustre.  

At this level, dining is never just about the food – it’s about the collective experience.  And on this occasion, for me, it simply didn’t land the punch it promised.

Visit their website: Margaret