SW Steakhouse

(Last updated: April 11, 2026)

Full disclosure: I don’t know if steak is what most visitors to Macau should be eating, given that it isn’t particularly Portuguese, Chinese, or Macanese, but expats read this website too (hopefully).  And ever since Copa went into the toilet over at Sands, I think the best steakhouse in town has to be SW Steakhouse at Wynn Palace.

SW Steakhouse originated at Wynn Las Vegas as the flagship restaurant bearing Steve Wynn’s initials. When the Macau location opened, staff told me Wynn personally taste-tested the dishes and obsessed over every detail. He probably obsessed over the performances too because every half hour the lights dim and a short, two-minute show takes place at the back of the dining room.

It’s the closest thing Macau has left to Vegas like entertainment now that the Crazy Paris Show died during Covid and everyone else quietly axed their live shows around 2015. Occasionally over the top, it’s absurdly fun, and gives SW Steakhouse a personality no other restaurant in Macau has.

SW Steakhouse is one of those restaurants that acts like it already has a Michelin star, even though it’s been over a decade and the guide still refuses to hand one over.  The dining room glows in shades of bronze and amber, with white tablecloths, curved beige chairs and tiny lamps lighting every table. Huge illustrated panels depicting old Chinese port scenes cover one wall, while illuminated frames run across the ceiling and reflect off the glossy surfaces above.

The split-level layout lets almost every table face the performance area, making the whole place feel halfway between a serious steakhouse and an extremely sophisticated nightclub. Add the upbeat ’80s soundtrack and you half expect Tom Cruise to be sitting somewhere in the room.

The service made its point early, right after the bread hit the table. Our server whipped out a razor-like tool to remove crumbs you couldn’t even see, something so absurdly precise my wife actually ooh’d out loud and asked where she could buy one.

The starter bread itself was absolutely phenomenal.  Scottish-inspired and unchanged for years, it’s the best free bread in any Macau restaurant.

Seriously, you’ve got to try this bread.  5 stars.

The Foie Gras ($400) came with toasted brioche and had a rich, creamy, slippery texture that reminded me more of cheesecake than foie gras.

The flavour hit like a truck: powerful, assertive, maybe a bit too much. Not my thing at all, but if you like your foie gras intense, this one certainly doesn’t hold back.  3 stars.

The Applewood Smoked Steak Tartare ($280) arrived with instructions to break an egg over it and mix everything together. And as you may know, I am not an egg man — coo coo ca-choo — so I declined.

The waiter saw this, and the look he gave me had the same energy as my old boss at Cherry Toxic Macau. Let’s just say, he didn’t look too pleased. Without the egg, the tartare tasted smoky but incomplete. My wife said it was a lot better with bread, but I didn’t see it.  2 stars.

Then came redemption: the Crab Cake ($230), which ranks as one of the best dishes in Macau. The outside cracked cleanly under the fork, while the centre was almost entirely crab rather than breadcrumbs and filler.

The waiter told me everyone loves it, and I believe him. I’d come back for this alone.  5 stars.

The steak came last, and it was a serious one.

We went for the Margaret River Bone-In Ribeye, 850g ($1,200), a huge slab of meat with a beautiful char and a texture that went straight to the moon. Juice everywhere (bring napkins, plural). Some sections were a little fattier than I prefer, but the meat closer to the bone was excellent. Easily enough for two people. Not the best steak of my life, but a very good one nonetheless.  4 stars.

The sides arrived alongside it. The Organic Broccoli ($140) was shockingly good, and if every vegetable tasted like this, I might actually become a vegetarian (though doing that in a steakhouse feels morally wrong). The Sautéed Wild Mushrooms ($170) were solid but not essential; I’d try something different next time.

For wine, we opened a 2011 Batuta, a gorgeous bottle that costs $700 at MacauSoul and $1,550 here, which says a lot about how hotel mark-ups work. Still, it was an excellent pairing: quiet but big, strong but elegant, and a natural match for roasted and grilled meat.

The bill came to $4,324, including the wine. Bring your Wynn casino card if you have one, as the discount actually helps.

SW Steakhouse isn’t merely selling steak. You’re paying for the room, the service, the miniature casino shows and the privilege of having invisible crumbs shaved from your table. At $4,324, none of that comes cheap, but nowhere else in Macau offers quite the same night out. I’ll be back.

***UPDATE***

My second visit to SW Steakhouse was quite the step up from the first time, so much so that I’ve bumped them up to 4.5 stars.

We really splurged this time on the steak, going for the 850 gram American Wagyu ($2100). Soft and melting, it sits right in that elusive middle ground where you still get the satisfaction of a proper chew without fighting it.

The juices ran clean and sweet, and the outer crust had that deeply caramelised edge that almost reminded me of the lacquered skin on great suckling pig. Without a doubt, it’s excellent steak, with the only caveat being the price. I think the better value can still be had at Frites, where a gorgeous 600 gram rib eye runs only $650. It’s pretty much on the same level, just half price.  4.5 stars

The starters were just as good as the steak, a clear improvement over our first visit.

A seasonal Foie Gras Pâté ($250) arrived looking like a slice of cake but delivered beautifully. Not overly rich or greasy, each component supported the next until the whole thing felt harmonious, almost orchestral.

No word of a lie, it was dancing. Dancing with the stars!  5 stars

The Sea Bream with Yuzu ($250) was much lighter, with layered slices of fish giving it more bite than ordinary sashimi.

The yuzu brought the sharpness, the creamy base softened it, and the caviar supplied the salt.  4.5 stars

The only disappointments were the sides that accompanied the steak. Neither the onion rings nor potato confit were up to par.

Definitely stick with the organic broccoli that we had on our first visit.