Tartare on a menu means raw meat or fish chopped small with a sharp knife, seasoned and served without cooking. Classic steak tartare is chopped or minced raw beef bound with raw egg yolk and seasoned with mustard, capers and similar ingredients, and the same name now covers salmon and tuna tartare.[1] Because nothing is heated, it is one of the raw or undercooked items that the FDA model Food Code asks restaurants to flag, often with an asterisk and a consumer advisory.[2]
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What to order
- Steak tartare: the classic uses high-quality beef such as sirloin or tenderloin trimmed of fat and sinew, often topped with a raw yolk and served with toast or fried potatoes.[1] Ask whether the yolk comes mixed in or on the side, and how large the portion is if you plan to share it as a starter.
- Tuna or salmon tartare: the same knife-chopped preparation made with raw fish.[1] If you want to know how the fish was handled, ask whether it was frozen first; FDA notes that freezing kills parasites but not all harmful germs.[3]
- Yukhoe: Korea's raw beef dish uses lean cuts without fat and light seasoning, so read it as a relative of tartare rather than the same recipe.[4]
- Allergens to ask about: classic steak tartare seasonings can include raw egg yolk, mustard and chopped anchovies, and Asian-style fish tartares may use soy sauce or sesame.[1] Egg, fish, soy and sesame are among FDA's major food allergens, so ask what is in the dressing.[5]
- Prefer it cooked: tartare has no cooked version, so ask for a different dish if you want beef that has been heated. USDA advises cooking whole cuts of beef to at least 145°F and ground beef to 160°F.[1][6]
68 menus
Laser Wolf Philadelphia- Tuna Tartare18
Middle Eastern
Le Bouchon- Steak Tartare24
French
Le Diplomate- Salmon Tartare$19
- Steak Tartare du Parc$24
French
Mamma Maria- Tuna Tartare$25
Italian
Morimoto- Toro Tartare$29
- Hamachi Tartare$25
Japanese
Naro- Beef Tartare24
Korean
Nixta Taqueria- beet "tartare" tostada$10
Mexican
Obélix- Steak Tartare55
French
Pagu- TUNA TARTARE20
Japanese
Paladar 511- Wagyu Beef Tartare18
New American
Parc- Salmon Tartare$18
- Steak Tartare$21
French
Parks BBQ 박대감네- Beef Tartare36
Korean BBQ
Frequently asked questions
Is hand-chopped tartare safer than ground beef?
Chopping by hand is how the classic is made, not a safety step. FSIS explains that grinding mixes any bacteria on the meat's surface throughout the batch, which is why ground beef is cooked to 160°F, while tartare is not cooked at all.[6] USDA warns that eating raw or undercooked meat carries a high risk of bacterial or viral foodborne illness.[1]
Who should skip tartare?
FDA lists pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems among those who should avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs.[7] Steak tartare usually combines two of these, raw beef and raw egg yolk. If you are in one of these groups, ask your clinician before ordering it.
Was tartare originally made with horse meat?
The story is common, but Britannica calls it likely a myth. It links the name to the French word for the Tatars, first used for a sauce, and says steak tartare appeared on some French bistro menus in the late 19th century and became truly popular in the 1950s.[1]
Related guides
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Steak tartare. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food Code 2022. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely. Accessed
- Korean Food Promotion Institute (KFPI). Yukhoe, A Vividly Authentic Taste. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergies. Accessed
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Ground Beef and Food Safety. Accessed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. People at Risk of Foodborne Illness. Accessed