Steaks are raised in battle of the ‘sexist fillet’

‘We have a lot of hen parties and had countless queries that our 10oz fillet steaks are far too big’

A STEAK restaurant in Liverpool has launched a “ladies’ fillet” as they say female diners struggle with the larger cut.

The steak “is for the ladies” boasts the menu of the Manhattan Bar and Grill on Fenwick Street. The restaurant said it introduced the 8oz steak after “countless queries” from females asking if they had anything smaller than their classic 10oz fat-free cut.

But it has come under criticism for creating a sexist gendered menu.

Karl Hassan, its managing director, said he was simply responding to demand. “We have a lot of hen parties and female visitors to our bar and grill, and we had countless queries that our 10oz fillet steaks are far too big,” he said. “So we got our supplier to send us 8oz instead and named them Ladies’ fillets.”

He said it was well received, especially as it was about 30 per cent cheaper. He added even men asked for the ladies’ fillet although he said this was “often ridiculed in male parties, but taken in good humour and spirits”. But others were less enamoured. Oisín Rogers, who runs The Guinea Grill in Mayfair, a favourite haunt of Frank Sinatra when he was in town, said gender did not define consumption limits.

He said: “We had a very elegant and knowledgeable woman from Provence and she ate a 1 kg cote de boeuf. She was delighted with it and shook my hand on the way out.

“It’s very patronising to offer women a smaller steak.”

He added the most popular steak for women was a 16oz dry aged rib on the bone “with a large strip of fat running down the middle”.

Fat free steaks, he said, should be “banned or only served to children”.

The issue cause merriment online. Vicky Andrews, the food and drink writer, said of the steak: “Perhaps it is pink and the boys’ one is blue.”

A female user said she would “order two”. But Kate Evans welcomed the smaller steak, saying: “I like steak but often can’t manage to finish a normal restaurant sized serving. Unless I’m ravenous.”