It’s true that a good steak tartare is not for the faint of heart; raw steak rendered immaculately tasty with the addition of an equally raw egg and tongue-tantalising condiments. You could argue that it’s the pinnacle of any menu’s carnivorous offering and the best possible way to showcase good beef.

Long-popularised in Eastern Europe and rendered endlessly glamorous by the French — whose preference is to devour it on a fresh baguette with a side of fries — the dish was originally referred to as ‘steak à la tartare’ in reference to the sauce that it was made with. Tartare sauce, of course, is a tangy mayonnaise-like amalgamation of egg yolk and oil with the added dimension of tangy pickles or capers, lemon juice, mustard and fresh parsley that works beautifully with the depth of the uncooked meat.

Modern-day interpretations embody the same ability to cut through its rich, savoury flavour, moving away from the traditional tartare to incorporate a kick from wasabi, Worcestershire sauce, or Tabasco alongside umami flavours such as parmesan to complement the quintessential yolk that binds it all together. Not to mention it should always be served with some form of crispy, starchy vegetable (read: potato chips). So when only the finest will do, we call upon the following institutions to deliver on all the tartare’s lofty qualities with aptitude and finesse:

Making a name for French fare with finesse, it comes as no surprise that the tartare is on point at Augustus Bistro (pictured above). And if you ask your waiter nicely, he might even mix it for you.

There’s something to be said for the fact that the dish has been on Jervois Steak House’s menu for years now in various incarnations. One thing we can guarantee; these meat masters know what they’re doing.

Expect the unexpected at Euro where their tartare is executed in a fashion that’s anything but your average. With grass-fed beef, smoky egg yolk, hot sauce, cacao and kumara chips it’s a flavour-filled affair.

A Sean Connolly speciality, regulars head to The Grill for the tartare alone, where diced eye fillet and its various condiments are wheeled out on a trolley and the dish is prepared tableside.