Miller & Carter Sheffield: Save up and pick a special occasion for a luscious night of steak, wine and sides

The high-end UK chain’s latest restaurant in the Steel City could not have picked a better spot, for us and for them. Finally, someone has dusted off the former Halifax at the corner of Surrey Street and given it the shine it needed. The curving glass-fronted venue has been begging for development since the bank pulled out circa 2018 and it’s tragic it has taken five years to see it restored from a boarded-up, graffitied shame to a glitzy highlight of Sheffield’s high street, and for that I’m grateful.

After two months of refitting and polishing, the construction boards came down in April to reveal the Winter Gardens’ glamourous new neighbour. Deep red carpets, luscious brown tables and dimmed-lights-through-champagne-glass shine, it’s the very picture of all a steak restaurant should be, complete with wine vault and two bars decorated with refreshing green aromatics. It’s a sight to see through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the evening and entice you to think up a special occasion to afford a visit – maybe an anniversary date or an A-Level results celebration for the family.

Miller & Carter means paying a premium for your meal, easily reaching into the triple digits even just for two people. Thankfully, the staff were effortless in making every penny count. Our waiter Tom stood out as a welcoming, friendly and professional guide to picking the best combinations all evening, because I know nothing about wine. Manager Jamie and assistant manager Marie were as full of character as they were expertise. They were all as much interested in our order as they were our evening plans, and my friend and I felt very well looked after start to finish.

You want to hear about the steaks, but the starters need celebrating all on their own. Spiced aubergine boa buns with dipping sauce you could drink, wild scallops with chorizo I could have had and left and still be happy, to say nothing of the mind-blowing stuffed bone marrow available as a side. Do not skip this decadent step in the evening.

The menu’s main event announces itself as “The Steak Experience” and does not lie. Pick from a pallet of 14 prime cuts ranging of £35 12oz Sirloins to £100 côte de bœuf, and feel the regret of not getting to try them all. Each, I’m sure, is just a gorgeously seared on the outside and lusciously pink on the inside as one another, beautifully seasoned and juicy. Like nothing else I’ve ever had in the UK to date.

Each is lavished your choice of five steak sauces (has to be bearnaise, in my opinion) and side. The only startling thing – they all come with an entire quarter or iceberg lettuce drizzled with your choice of dressing. I was confused when it arrived, but between meaty mouthfuls it did prove very refreshing (it’s almost like they know what they’re doing).

Save up, pick an upcoming special occasion and go all out at Sheffield’s new premium steak restaurant. They will make sure you don’t regret it.