Mayfair diner The Den raising the steaks

A plush underground hideaway in the CBD turns the steak sandwich into something special, writes Simon Wilkinson

The Den at the Mayfair Hotel

You can learn a lot about a person by the choices they make in a fish and chip shop. Me, I’m a steak sandwich man. I prefer its lightly toasted bread to the bulk of a burger roll and reckon slices of grilled beef are less open to funny business than a patty of origins unknown. Just add plenty of slippery fried onion, canned beetroot and sauce, please.

The steak sandwich at The Den is a different beast altogether. For a start, it comes with a dainty little jug of pepper sauce on the side. Onions are in there but they are of the crunchy, battered kind. Sweet-and-sour cabbage, quality cheddar and more are packed into a brioche roll.

Never heard of The Den? That’s not surprising, given it is hidden away below decks in the Mayfair Hotel, on the corner of King William and Hindley streets, at the heart of the CBD.

Head down the sweeping staircase, turn right and head towards a handsome bistro/brasserie finished in black and forest green upholstery, dark timber panelling, copper trim and expanses of marble.

The Den at the Mayfair Hotel

To one side, booths are generously proportioned and come with scatter cushions. Regular tables also have plenty of real estate so private conversations can stay that way. The space looks like it might be a members’ only club but, in fact, the opposite is true.

While The Den mightn’t attract much publicity, it could barely be more accessible, open from 10am to 10pm daily and serving its full menu across this time. It’s all about keeping the guests upstairs happy. Pork belly for morning tea? Why the hell not.

The other positive of the hotel environment is that one kitchen looks after the more upmarket Mayflower, on the same floor, as well as room service. This leads to a trickle down of quality ingredients and time-consuming techniques, as well as the reassuring presence of indefatigable executive chef Bethany Finn, who oversees the lot.

So the bearnaise on the scotch fillet will have been put together the right way, just like that jug of pepper sauce that has the deep meaty/winey flavour of a proper reduction. The veal schnitzel is actually made with veal and topped with an anchovy and fried egg.

The prices are a little higher than you might find in a pub restaurant – but not much – and for that you will be looked after like a VIP (which you are, of course). No waiting to order at a counter or fetching your own cutlery. If anything, the constant attention could be toned down a tad.

Dishes are split between “Something Light”, “Something More” and a trio of burger, steak and chicken in “Hand Held” rolls. The categories are a guide only.

Four pork and veal meatballs in a lava pool of intense tomato sugo and molten cheese come with slices of grilled ciabatta to wipe up the leftovers. They are way more substantial than the modern twist on a nicoise salad, with green beans, a soft-boiled egg, two cherry tomatoes and medallions of ruby-centred yellowfin tuna that are spoilt by arriving still heavily chilled.

Salt and pepper squid is done the right way, with tentacles and strips of tube from fresh southern calamari coated by a light dusting that includes plenty of white pepper. The tartare is house-made and doesn’t skimp on the capers.

Chef Bethany Finn. Photo: Emma Brasier

A seasonal pasta is as green as a garden centre. Orecchiette, named for its rounded ear shape, is tossed with pesto and two of its unprocessed components, basil and pine nuts. Also in the mix are florets of broccoli and one of the great treats of spring, twice-peeled broad beans.

An unusually fishy tasting tranche of mulloway, presented with its slashed skin uppermost, is laid over a medley of multi-hued cherry tomatoes and their juices that have plenty of acidic punch.

All eyes, however, are on the steak sandwich, the glossy knotted roll, the grilled meat and cheese poking out either side, the jug of sauce and a beaker loaded with shoestring fries. Whether you pour over the sauce or dunk small pieces, this is definitely something to eat with fingers rather than a fork. And, unlike the fish and chip shop, there are proper cloth napkins to clean up the mess afterwards.

THE DEN

45 King William St, city; 8210 8888; mayfairhotel.com.au/the-den

OWNER Mayfair Hotel

CHEFBethany Finn

FOOD Contemporary

SMALL $10-$22 MAIN$29-$36

DESSERT$12

DRINKSDozen choices by glass, all local, up to a 2014 Henschke blend. More by bottle, as well as beer and cocktail selection.

OPEN LUNCH and DINNER daily

SCORE 13.5/20