Bern's Steak House

Walking into Bern's Steak House for the first time is a small piece of theatre, and that is before any food has arrived.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: red-velvet maze of dining rooms. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with bone marrow with a small salad of capers and parsley, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered Rioja gran reserva, decanted at the table, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: chateaubriand, the dish that puts Bern's Steak House on every short list. It was, frankly, the best version of this cut I have had this year. The signature touch — the half-million-bottle wine cellar — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for potato gratin with a dark crust and asparagus with hollandaise. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was panna cotta with stewed cherries, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

If you are passing through Tampa, do not pass Bern's Steak House by.