REVIEW: Gaucho

Steak is certainly one of life’s little treats, and when we think Argentine steak, well it’s a no brainer that it’s going to be a winner. Gaucho is known by most people, as serving up great Argentine steak, with an impressive thirteen branches in London.

We went to the Hampstead restaurant, which is a short walk from Hampstead station, the restaurant is luxurious, with low lighting, giving off a glamorous vibe and the staff were welcoming from the minute we walked through the doors. A selection of bread along with sea salt, cracked pepper and oil with herbs were served first while we browsed the wine list, which was a nice touch. The waiter was kind enough to let us taste 4 different red wines, which lead us onto choosing the ‘Seleccion G Bodega Fabre’ Malbec, a nice light red wine.

For starters we opted for the beef empanadas, which I must say I got very excited about, when I saw it on the menu, mainly because it triggered a memory of being back in Argentina, where I lived off eating them. The beef empanadas came with hand-diced beef, red peppers, raisins and Spanish onions and cumin. It was bursting with flavor and I could have easily ordered more. We also had the Roasted Beetroot salad which, came with cauliflower couscous, watercress and almonds. This was a nice light dish, to get us started before we dived into the steak.
(Above: Fillet Steak, Below: Sirloin steak)

Before we choose our the type of steak we wanted, the waiter came over with a board, which had raw meat on it, he explained each cut to us to help us choose the right one, and it was great to be informed all had been aged for 35 days, free range and grass fed. I opted for the fillet at 225g (a safe amount for me, as I wanted to save space for desert) whilst my guest opted for the Sirloin 300g, we both went with medium-rare. The fillet was incredibly tender and very easy to cut, it was flavorsome and I have to say it was the best fillet steak I hve had, so yes I can easily say that Gaucho is at the top of my list when it comes to cooking the best steaks, it certainly lived up to the Gaucho hype. The fillet steak, went down nicely with the sides of spinach, mashed potatoes and thin chips. For those with a bigger appetite for steak, you also have a choice of 300g, 400g, 500g or 600g.

My guest’s sirloin steak (300g) was the Churrasco de Chorizo, marinated in garlic, parsley and olive oil, cooked perfectly, although a little more meatier than the fillet, it had more flavour, and it was marinated to perfection.

We were very full by the end of it so sadly (mainly for me) we ordered just one desert, which was the Milk Chocolate and Praline Mousse, which came with biscotti and toasted hazelnuts. It was sweet and utterly divine, the melt in your mouth type of desert. If you are a fan of chocolate this desert is your best option, top marks for presentation as well.

So to wrap it up, going for a three course meal with sides and wine, yes Gaucho, is on the pretty pricey side but if you want to eat incredible Argentine steak, which will have you talking about it way after you have left the restaurant, then Gaucho is the place to go! The restaurant oozed opulence and luxury and the staff were very attentive and friendly, It’s a winner in our books!

ADDRESS:

Gaucho Hampstead,
64 Heath Street,
London,
NW3 1DN

Review by Nyla Sammons
Photography by Nyla Sammons