Peter Luger Steak House

Peter Luger has been serving steak in Williamsburg since 1887, in a corner building close to the Brooklyn end of the Williamsburg Bridge. Inside, the wood-panelled rooms, scrubbed tables and beer-hall atmosphere feel unchanged by fashion, and the waiters, many of them long-serving, are part of the show. For generations of New Yorkers it has been the place for a celebratory steak dinner.

The menu is short and the formula has hardly changed. The house speciality is the dry-aged porterhouse, ordered for two, three or four, which arrives sliced and sizzling on a tilted platter so that the butter and juices run to one end for spooning back over the meat. Classic sides include creamed spinach, German fried potatoes and onion rings, and many diners start with a thick slice of bacon. The house steak sauce, sold in bottles, is a long-standing favourite, and desserts are traditional, with whipped cream served generously.

Payment is the thing to plan for. The Brooklyn restaurant does not accept credit cards. It takes cash, US debit cards, US cheques with ID and its own Peter Luger Card, and credit cards are only accepted for online orders. Overseas visitors should bring cash or a debit card that works in the United States.

Reservations are made through Resy, linked from the website, and parties of ten or fewer can also book by phone. For banquets of more than ten people and private functions, the restaurant asks you to email. Evenings and weekends fill up, so book ahead, or try for an earlier or later table. Peter Luger is a splurge, priced at the top end, and it suits groups and celebrations best, since the steaks are designed to be shared. Beyond Brooklyn there are branches in Great Neck on Long Island, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and in Tokyo.

The restaurant is at 178 Broadway in Brooklyn, a short walk from Marcy Avenue station on the J, M and Z lines, which crosses the Williamsburg Bridge from Manhattan in a few minutes. After dinner, the bars of Williamsburg and the waterfront along Kent Avenue, with its views of the Manhattan skyline, are close by, as are the Wythe Hotel and The Hoxton.