The highly-anticipated fiery new restaurant, Steer Bar & Grill, has opened. Located beneath one of Melbourne’s popular Art Series boutique hotels, The Olsen, Steer combines the best elements of dining from South America, Europe and Australia in a space that is stylishly chic, innovative and inviting.

Dasch Associates brief was to push limits of expectations and to meet the brief they designed the space to be warm and dramatically lit, playing with textures, light and shade to create the drama for the back drop. Then they worked to get unexpected vistas through the space to influence your dining experience.

To enter the restaurant you need to pass a full size angry black steer sculpture by artist Cezary Stulgis. This steer is on his way out of the restaurant after carving a path through the subtly Brazilian influenced streets.

On left hand side is an area a little less formal where you can have a quick bite to eat for those who are time poor or just after a light meal.

White tiles, warm timber and leather give a subliminal old school butcher shop feel to the space with a fusion of 1960 cafe. All the materials used will just get better over time as the clean edges are worn away.

The main dining space is designed for 130 settings with the capacity to have a number of guests in the bar/waiting area.

Materials here include steel, timber and stone with a warehouse or industrial take on finishes. The high ceiling height is one of the spaces biggest assets helping to create one large, `grand `dining room.

There are controlled views into the theatre of the kitchen, an important part of the experience, with a large cellar bar and operating wine storage display area, a VIP function area and a la carte dining area.

On the other side of this wine store is the chefs table where you’re invited to share the excitement and performance of preparing good food within a busy kitchen - a first for Melbourne.