There’s nothing quite like a slab of succulently cooked meat served alongside stacks of crisp, moreish fries — the classic steak-frites is a carnivore’s dream. With the title of the best in town yet to be won, we’ve narrowed it down to these top seven contenders.

Mission Bay Pavilion
This Mission Bay restaurant knows exactly how to indulge our primal urges. Their charred Taupo Angus sirloin is enriched by Café de Paris butter whilst the rocket, parmesan and pomegranate dressing takes it to a heavenly new level — not forgetting the batch of crispy, shoestring fries on the side. We recommend adding a few of their succulently grilled king prawns to surf up this turf.

Jervois Steak House
For connoisseurs who take their steak seriously, Jervois Steak House is a place that gets the job done right. Unleash your inner T-Rex and wrap your chops around the grass-fed prime rib or the Wakanui, the Taupo T-Bone or the Wagyu Scotch — and while the ‘best’ steak is up for debate, the generously cut steak fries are non-negotiable. Beefy appetite? We suggest you add a generous portion of melt-in-the-mouth, truffle mac ‘n’ cheese to your order.

Ponsonby Road Bistro
Those after a fuss-free steak experience should opt for the steak-frites combo courtesy of this Ponsonby Road stalwart. A juicy chargrilled steak, either a Scotch or eye fillet, is drizzled with hearty, garlic-parsley butter and served alongside chunky-cut chips. Escorted by a watercress salad, we suggest ordering an extra side of seasonal greens to round this delicious meal out.

The Grill by Sean Connolly
With a library of steaks lengthy enough to give even the most zealous carnivores pause for thought, SKYCITY’s The Grill is the real deal. We’re talking Taupo (eye fillet, sirloin), Tasmanian Angus and the premium Jack’s Creek Wagyu — consecutive winner of the World’s Best Steak. Here, you can drizzle yo’ sizzle with a selection of enticing sauces and compound butters before ordering a gratifying side of the duck fat chips.

Augustus
Stirring us into a red-blooded frenzy are Augustus’ one-of-two-ways steak-frites. While the Wilkins Angus reserve scotch fillet can be doused in a red wine jus or drenched in a Béarnaise sauce, the Angus pure eye fillet comes swathed in Café de Paris Butter or a devilish chartreuse jus. Both are served alongside the restaurant’s signature parmesan and truffle oil french fries. We recommend adding the onions — sizzled in mustard, comté cheese and persillade — for a flavoursome kick.     

The Engine Room
Northcote’s The Engine Room sticks to the ‘if it ain’t broke’ ethos, with a classic serving of steak-frites. Tender Hereford scotch is doused in a hearty drizzle of Maitre d’hôtel butter before being paired with a serving of shoestring fries. The breadcrumb-topped, sautéed Brussels sprouts or a serving of the fresh, green salad — depending on the season — make a refreshing accompaniment to round out the meal.

Teddy’s
Teddy’s variation of the delicious pairing sees crispy shoestring fries alongside 250g of sirloin steak, topped with an inch thick slab of flavoursome Café de Paris butter to moreish effect. Don’t be shy when it comes to adding sides; the chargrilled broccolini topped with goat’s cheese makes just as much a mouth-watering accompaniment as does the roasted cauliflower with spiced yoghurt.