What To Wear To A Nice Steakhouse: 10 Great Options For Men

Wondering what to wear to a steakhouse? Whether it’s for a date or a work dinner, you’ve got to dress the part. Not to mention, plenty of nice restaurants require a polished dress code, meaning that keeping your outfit on par is not even a choice in some cases.

Since you have better things to worry about—like impressing your date, we’ve put in the elbow grease to come up with ten of the best clothing options to wear for a night at the steakhouse.

Without further ado, let’s jump in!

1. A Suit

When in doubt, go for a suit. A streamlined, well-fitted suit adds instant class to a nice night out, especially when you’re heading to dinner. Opt for a modern, sleek, coordinated slim-fit suit that will highlight all of your best qualities while allowing your personality to do the talking.

Black, navy, or grey are always great choices. However, if you want to spice things up in an elusive way, try a burgundy suit.

Pair your suit with a clean, pressed Oxford dress shirt and some modern dress shoes. Depending on your chosen level of formality, you could even wear some subtle brogues. Even loafers will work well to dress your suit down a bit. Regardless, keep things cohesive.

Add a black or brown belt—matched to your shoes. A tie also adds some formality to a suit, so if you’re going for a laid-back yet classy look, leave the tie in the closet.

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2. A Button-Down Dress Shirt

To step up a casual outfit, a button-down shirt is always a reliable option. Depending on the dress code, you can either toss on a blazer or leave it at home. Nonetheless, here is a solid idea:

Wear a crisp Oxford button-down alongside some pleated dress trousers. If you’re feeling bold, try a patterned shirt with a solid tie—showcase your personality, but try not to go too crazy. Don’t forget to tuck your shirt in and wear a black or brown belt.

Toss on a clean, classy bomber jacket to tie things together. The more formal your pants, the more formal your shoes should be. But, a nice pair of wingtips or leather Oxfords should fit the bill. For an additional accessory, a sleek watch never hurt anyone.

3. A Sport Coat Or Blazer

Nothing says sophisticated and classy like a well-fitted blazer or sport coat. If you’re going for the blazer look, try it with a pair of tapered, pleated pants or chinos. If you’re going for patterns, try a patterned blazer alongside coordinating solid pants, or vice versa. Otherwise, a solid blazer is a great choice.

Toss in an Oxford dress shirt, but go tieless and leave a button undone around your neck. Depending on your jacket, a patterned or solid shirt would do.

If you’re not into that idea, even a solid cashmere sweater would be a stellar choice. Always tuck your shirt in and add a coordinating belt.

Loafers or brogues pair beautifully with this ensemble. And, of course, wear a classy, subtle watch, or add in a fun pocket square.

4. Sweater

If it’s a bit chilly, try the classic pullover crewneck sweater look. It’s dependable, keeping things warm and classy.

Wear a patterned dress shirt beneath your solid-colored sweater, and tuck it in. Leave the sweater untucked, but add a solid, clean belt to accessorize.

Pair the sweater with some tapered slacks or a pair of slim-fit dark denim for more of a dressed-down look. A classic pair of wingtips is a lovely fit. And, as always, wear a sophisticated watch to tie the look together. If the weather isn’t trustworthy, add a fitted overcoat or a solid blazer.

5. Chinos

If you’re steering clear of denim and you’re saving your uncomfortable dress slacks for the office, chinos have your back. Chinos are perfect for nearly any occasion, including a nice steakhouse dinner.

For a classic look, go for navy or blue chinos. Pair them alongside a white button-down and a grey blazer. To keep things simple, avoid the tie. To dress it up, add a patterned one. A pocket square should be considered in either case.

Don’t forget to tuck in and wear a sleek belt. Then add a silver watch and some brown tassel loafers to polish it off.

6. Slacks

Dress slacks are never a bad option when it comes to a fancy dinner. They go well with anything and always bump an outfit up a notch or two in the formal realm.

To keep things more casual, wear a loose tee and blazer alongside a pair of loafers. Or, if a dress code is not required, try a pair of clean, white sneakers.

Tuck the tee into a pair of crisply pleated pants but avoid a belt. To take things up a notch, go for an Oxford shirt and tie beneath a buttoned cardigan. Add a brown belt and brown leather shoes with some blue slacks.

7. Dark Denim

Usually, if there isn’t a strict dress code, you can get away with wearing dark denim jeans to a steakhouse dinner. However, if you’re not confident that your jeans will be formal enough, it could be suitable to dress them up as much as possible.

For starters, opt for dark-wash denim to maintain a classy and sophisticated look. It’s beneficial to keep them slim or skinny-legged and avoid wearing your dad’s pants from the 80s.

Also, don’t go for your classic guy’s-night tee shirt. Instead, to give you the best of both worlds, pair your denim with a sport coat and cashmere sweater.

Avoid sneakers and go for some classic brogues or some leather loafers and add a matching belt. Dress your jacket up with a pocket square.

8. A Polo

A polo is a less-formal choice, but it can still be a wardrobe workhorse by dressing it up or down depending on your style and any dress code requirements.

If you’re opting for a polo at a steakhouse, try this option:
Tuck your polo into some pleated slacks, ensuring that they’re slim fits. Then, slip on a pair of clean leather or suede loafers. Go monochromatic with an all-black polo and slacks or wear a crisp white polo alongside a pair of grey slacks and some tan loafers.

Add a belt to dress it up even more, or avoid it if you’re keeping things low-key. A classic watch will complete and elevate the look.

9. An Overcoat

If you’re going out in colder temperatures, an overcoat is a perfect, classy, and sophisticated avenue toward formality. Not to mention, it’s a staple that can be worn for any occasion and with anything.

For a classic look with an overcoat, opt for some black, tapered slacks and a blue dress shirt. Add a dark grey wool overcoat and some espresso tassel loafers.
A tie is optional, but add a matching brown belt and a classy scarf to tie everything together.

10. Black Tie

On the super formal end of the spectrum is a black-tie dress code. It may be rare to find a steakhouse request black tie, but it’s certainly not unheard of. While a black-tie outfit might sound intimidating, it doesn’t need to be. Besides, it’ll have you looking dapper as ever.

If you choose to go black tie, then a sleek, black suit is the most classic choice. Your jacket is more along the lines of a tuxedo jacket, with pockets and lapels being a different shade or texture than the body.

Opting for an all-black, textured body with smooth highlights is the way to go bold without being too bold.

Pair your jacket with black, tailored dress pants and a crisp, white dress shirt with wingtips to highlight a solid black bowtie. Try some dress shoes with a bit of shine to truly stand out.

And, last but not least, accessorize with a black belt and some polished cufflinks. Viola!

What NOT To Wear To A Steakhouse

Now that you know what you should wear to a steakhouse, we should cover some basics about what not to wear.

Although various restaurants don’t require you to dress in any particular way, it’s essential that you save your dad socks and cargo shorts for mowing the lawn. Even if the steakhouse doesn’t state what they’d like guests to wear, opt to dress nicely in respect of the restaurant.

Regardless of the occasion, the dress code to fall back on when attending a nice dinner, in general, should be semi-formal or formal.

That said, avoid shorts, sneakers, baseball caps, t-shirts, and sandals. While we love all of those options, they might work best for weekend barbecues and bowling dates.

Conclusion

Regardless of what you choose to wear to a fancy steakhouse, keep things simple and at least somewhat dressy to remain respectful of the restaurant and any dress codes. Just remember to let your personality shine through the ensemble you choose and wear it with confidence.