First Look: Fatcow Is Reopening in Luxe New James Street Digs with Gold-Wrapped Steaks on the Menu

Fatcow may no longer be able to boast a riverside location, but the steakhouse is dialling up the luxury when it reopens at its new James Street address on Wednesday, May 8. The look: lavish. This is also the kind of place where every booth is surrounded by curtains stretching from the floor to the ceiling, to screen patrons off to give them their own private dining experience. Also, a gold-wrapped 400-gram rib fillet is on the menu.

If the literally shiny steak stands out immediately, it's called the Golden Fatcow, encloses a 150-plus-day grain-fed black angus cut from the Riverina region in gold leaf, and unsurprisingly does not come cheap. The cost: $190. It's one of the restaurant's three new signature dishes, alongside a $199 steak-and-lobster combo and the butcher's choice, which varies in price. Yes, this is a treat yo'self type of restaurant.

It was back in late 2023 that Tassis Group announced that Fatcow on James Street — which was known as Fatcow Steak & Lobster during its Eagle Street Pier days — would return in 2024. It lost its former digs, where it had operated since December 2020 in the site that was formerly home to fellow upscale steak joint Cha Cha Char, when the Brisbane CBD precinct was torn down to make way for an upcoming new $2.1-billion waterfront precinct.

Now, Fatcow is relaunching in the Fortitude Valley spot that Space Furniture and David Jones have previously called home, with the abode getting a revamp as a hospitality establishment. The design led by Allo Creative and Clui Design harks back to steak-slinging eateries in the mid-20th century, complete with a bar made out of solid marble, those circular booths and two private dining rooms. Patrons can also peer through a window to the chef's grill to see where the culinary magic happens.

"Getting the chance to design a world-class steakhouse from scratch is a dream come true,' says Michael Tassis, the restaurateur whose hospitality portfolio also includes fellow steak-focused joint Rich & Rare, plus Yamas Greek + Drink, Massimo, Opa Bar + Mezze, Fosh and Longwang (and will gain an overwater restaurant and bar, plus a landing cafe, as part of Kangaroo Point's new green bridge).

"With the original Fatcow, we inherited the old Cha Cha Char space and had to make it our own. This time, we're taking a site that's never been a restaurant before and turning it into the ideal version of Fatcow."

Under Head Chef Garry Newton, a Fatcow alum who also has Herve's and Rich & Rare on his resume, the new Fatcow's menu also features more than 16 steaks, wagyu tasting boards with three types and three sides, and mains such as wagyu burgers and lamb shoulder. Caviar is among the options, as are oysters fresh from Brisbane's only live oyster tank, raw scallops and beef tenderloin tartare as entrees, and tank-fresh lobster. The restaurant is taking a 24-hour approach to seafood — that's how long, maximum, the journey from the trawler to your plate will be.

Dessert choices span a chocolate tart, lime sorbet and basque cheesecake, plus ten cheeses that come served in 50-gram pieces. To drink, a 300-strong wine list combines local and international drops. Cocktails are also among the beverages.

And Caio Rosetto, who managed the OG eatery, is back at Fatcow as well, via Rico Bar and Dining and Yamas Greek + Drink.

Find Fatcow on James Street at 10 James Street, Fortitude Valley from Wednesday, May 8 — open daily from 11.30am–late. Head to the restaurant's website for more details.