Gaucho

This is a review for my Friday night dinner for two in December. Booked reservation via OpenTable the previous night except they couldn’t find me in the system. Guess they must have found me afterwards because I ended up getting points for my visit.
There was a table available so they sat us immediately. Our waitress was attentive and was able to answer our questions about the different cuts of steak, and gave us her recommendations as well.
The food was on par with a typical good U.S. steakhouse but nothing particularly amazing when considering the price (I’m from NYC and the top steakhouses there are much better after taking into account the exchange rate). But the ambiance and décor here is much better than in NYC and has the old world charm that I love about London. The restaurant itself is quite pretty actually.
All in all, this is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in London. I would recommend you come here at least once if price is not an issue.

A steak lovers place, so why 3 stars? Our service was very slow (yes, I know it’s London but still…) and the «Argentinian sourced meat» makes it expensive for my liking. The food was lovely but the beef (for all of us) had a bit too much fat/​gristle. And there could be more beer options for us connoisseurs but the wine was good.
Decent experience so give them a shot. I’m pretty sure you’ll like their food. I just feel like I could get a great British steak for half their price. However, I do want to go to Argentina for the real deal.

One of my favorite steakhouses in London. I’m not a huge fan of chain restaurants but Gaucho are an exception as they are almost all exceptional!
I love the décor and ambiance in all of these restaurants and try and make a point to get back to Gaucho on trips back to London.
I love that they bring the cuts of meat to your table and talk you through each one and the different flavors and textures.
After some delicious bread washed down with a great Pinot Noir I decided to split the 800g Rib Eye with my friend. It was so flavorful and perfectly cooked and well complemented by the delicious sweet potatoes and green beans. They have a good choice of sauces too and I recommend the Bearnaise.
I’m lucky enough to have some of the best steak houses in the world in New York, but this place holds its own in my humble opinion

My friend recommended this place for a Friday lunch because they have outdoor seating and it was the sunniest day of the week. We went there at 12pm, the perfect time to snag the perfect seat in the sun, as the minute we sat down the entire place got full!
We ordered two cocktails and scallops as the starters and they were all great choices. For the main we got a bottle of the red wine, fillet/​steak, and Argentian ice-​cream to finish off. All were phenomenal, though I would have preferred the fillet to be more tender.
The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. I have to say a great choice to bring a client, would definitely go back!

I brought a friend visiting London here for dinner, after a few recommendations of other branches.
The food was great!
The staff is very busy but also very attentive and willing to please. I couldn’t decide on a wine to go with my Trio of Medallions and our waiter brought over a few for me to taste test before I chose. I think that’s above and beyond!
Great place, cool ambience– I’d recommend!

The best meal I have had in a long time! Very tasty and tender beef, excellent service!

Service, excellent. Ambiance, chic. Food, amazing.
Water, sparkling
London, brilliant!
Not having to pay the bill because of work, priceless
Cheers

Ok it has been a few years since I’ve eaten here. But since I am on a Unilocal review mood I thought I would tell you that this was the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. Horrific service. Completely unaccommodating. We asked for a seat at an empty table and told no the section is closed. When I asked for a steak knife I got a lecture on why their steaks don’t need steak knives. Yeah the honest truth is you don’t need a steak knife at most upscale steaks. But you know what? I prefer it. It just feels better. That’s like someone telling me their wine is so good that you can drink it in a normal cup and it will still be better than other wine. That may be true too but give me the glass because you know, well, I’m the one paying for it and I like drinking it out of a proper wine glass. I asked for a bowl of ketchup and they refused at first. They could only bring me out a small bit at a time they said. I was shocked. And then they asked us to leave in the middle of desert because they were closing up. The staff there obviously don’t care about the business. There are many alternatives to steak now in the city. Don’t go to gaucho.

So, given the breadth and depth of high-​end great steak houses (both Argentinian and Texas style) in Houston, going out to one in London probably wasn’t the best choice for my colleagues and I. While the food was flavorful and the service fine — it just couldn’t stack up to other steak houses I’ve been — particularly since the prices were even higher than a Vic & Anthony’s, Pappas, Churasco’s or Americas. Here were the ups and downs for me:
— Ambiance: B-​/​C For me, despite the lovely cowhide chairs, the dark, night club vibe (barely able to see the food or menu when presented; glossy, slick bar with noone sitting at it; And the worst, a table for three that was smaller than most bar 2-​tops and couldn’t hold the food and wine ordered) just didn’t fit with the menu. As someone else pointed out — seems to be a place where people go to see and be seen (though it’s hard to see anyone :-)
— Service: B+ They present the various steak options on a platter to you, and service remained attentive throughout as they tried to juggle our sides and mains on the too small table.
— Food: B I had a marinated rump — probably not the best choice since it was a little gristly. All the sides were fantastic — particularly the Asparagus. But, none stand out as something I’d particularly go back to have. The wine paired for us by the waiter was superb.
— Value;C It’s an Argentinian steak house. I expect high prices. But, the experience wasn’t in line to me for the price. Others who don’t have so many strong steak contenders from wherever they are from might feel differently.
BOTTOM LINE: Pricey, night club feeling steak house with decent food, service and will probably impress a date or colleagues. For a less pricey, more entertiaining and good steak option — I’d head over Steak & Co. another chain I found while there — that’s more casual but serves its steaks cooked to order, but on plates that you then finish the cooking by searing yourself at the table in butter.

Good steak. Great atmosphere. The corn and pumpkin side dish was excellent.

To be honest, I think Gaucho is a lot of hype.
It seems to be such a big thing in London, but they are only ok in my book.
My reasons are:
1. They are very expensive, all showy and I felt I was paying for the name and to be seen eating there.
2. Food was not very good, I’ve had better a a fraction of the price in Miami, and evens some of the chain steakhouses are better, Mortons, Christies, even Texas de Brazil!
3. Waiters were very full of themselves, I mean, as they are wait staff, why would they be so snobby?
Essentially, I think this is a bit like the «Emperor has no clothes», much better food at some of the smaller, non-​chain bistros located around Covent Garden.

Hard to find but worth the second glance, and then some!
Located down the stairs from an alley, the restaurant is a hybrid of club and dining ballroom with elements of the rugged country. Up beat music keeps the ambience modern and sociable.
Great and hospitable staff, everything from visual verification of meat to sleek and discrete service. Meat is their thing, and it literally melts in your mouth. Excellent drink selection.
Worth every penny and more. Definitely warrants a visit.

I enjoyed trying a bunch of new foods at Gaucho last week in London. The ambiance of the restaurant was dark and night club-​ish. The menu is exotic, but includes great descriptions and the waitress brought uncooked steaks to our table before we perused the menu to describe the differences between the cuts and preparations. It was very helpful.
London is experiencing a bit of a heat wave now and they did not have any detectable air conditioning – they had the front door open, but with no other ventilation to stimulate airflow, we all had a lot of difficulty enjoying our meal with the heat. We had a fairly early reservation and were seated when the restaurant was basically empty. The place got stuffier and stuffier as the restaurant filled up with patrons.
I’d like to say that the meal would have been 5-​star in the winter, however our waitress started the night very attentive but we had increasing difficulty getting her attention as she got more tables to serve. We took the opportunity to really exercise the Gaucho menu, enjoying their specialty drinks, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and after dinner drinks. We literally had to go ask for someone to take our orders throughout the night and it took about 20 minutes to get our check when we were done.
I love steak and was excited to try new food at Gaucho. I found Gaucho’s preparation to be decent.
We started our meal with the house bread (delicious) and the sausage platter, an appetizer that includes a variety of the restaurant’s sausages served on a wood plank with a grilled red sweet pepper. This platter was a highlight of the meal because none of us had tried sausages like these before. At £19.95 we were glad that there was enough for the 3 of us to share.
Members of my party tried several of the items from the Gaucho drink menu, including the Pommelina and Bocharav. They had 2nds and I think 3rds. The drinks were also a highlight.
For dinner we ordered a variety of the steaks, including one spiral cut, and we were all a little underwhelmed with the output. I seriously do love me some steak and I’ve had much better. My steak, Tapa de Ancho, a 300g rib-​eye was bland and tough… I really didn’t experience the flavorful marbling she showed us in the uncooked steaks at the start of the meal. Others in my group felt the same way I did about the steaks. My mother even had the Gaucho sampler and got to try a variety, so we sort of know it wasn’t a single-​steak thing.
For sides we shared chips, sauteed oyster mushrooms, humita salteno, and black quinoa tamal salteno. The sides were better than the steaks. We loved the humita salteno, which is a sort of mash of sweet corn, pumpkin and savory herbs served in a corn husk. The sides were delicious and I should have made a meal of them.
For dessert we had the caramel flan. It was the best part of the meal and I loved it and I now need to learn to make flan so that I can feed this new nagging craving I just can’t seem to shake since tasting it. Thank goodness I’m not in London anymore or I’d be at risk of a flan with coconut crumble addiction (and I just don’t have time for that right now).
We had fresh mint tea and cappuccinos following the meal and then attempted to get the check for about 20 minutes in the increasing heat. Our waitress was definitely busy the whole time, so I’m not saying she was snobby or avoiding us. We actually found her to be incredibly sweet, friendly, and helpful when she was available to give us attention
…it just wasn’t great service, comfort, or particularly impressive food for the price.

I was the last in for breakfast. Lovely staff, comfortable seating. Super coffee. High point was the Chet’s special concoction of Greek yogurt, granola, honey, and citris wedges. I thought I would be getting the usual desultory little bowl of fruit and then this heavenly surprise. Tart, yet sweet with the creamiest yogurt ever!

I’m new to Unilocal and felt like I had to go back and review my favorite restaurants and this one definitely makes my list! A co-​worker took me and my friend here (we’d never heard of Gaucho before) and were very impressed by the presentation and décor of the restaurant. The entrance makes it seem like you’re going down into a hidden cave. We emerged into, well, not a cave, but a dark, candle-​lit restaurant. I absolutely loved the ambiance and atmosphere. Our waiter was incredibly attentive and brought out all of the cuts on a huge wooden board. We were told to choose which cut we’d like and pick a sauce. Plus sides and wine — wow what a meal! I wish I could go back. Next time in London I will be making a visit!

Great Argentinian food, high end restaurant, great décor and ambience. definitely recommmend one of these as there are heaps of them around town now.
Very attentive waiting staff (a bit too much for my liking), they really know their cuts of meat and their drinks. All of the food is fantastic!!! Recommend as a treat!

The people I went with told me this was a Brazilian churrascaria. They were all mistaken. There were no swords of meats and green/​red signs to flip. Instead, I would refer to Gaucho as the London, Argentinian version of Ruth’s Chris.
Nothing wrong with a chain restaurant when the food is good. I enjoyed a baby squid starter and then ordered the rib-​eye (bife ancho). The meat was excellent and tender and perfect at medium-​rare. Another person at the table ordered the Chorizo Churrasco, which is seasoned, and this was delicious as well.
The quality of meat was excellent but the ambience was a bit too dark (the venue used to be a bank’s holding vault for gold). Overall a decent experience.

I left work on a Friday evening deciding between eating steak or sushi. It’s only been a few days since | arrived here which meant I was still doing many of my random exploring of the area by myself. (I do plan to change this next week and hope that coworkers will take me up on my request to hang out and grab a bite to eat after work!).
That said, I felt sushi would be a more appropriate setting to socialize with friends/​coworkers. And, I’ve been eyeing Gaucho Grill since finding the restaurant on Unilocal from the day before.
After not getting lost (that’s a win for me) navigating from work to Gaucho Grill, I was pleasantly surprised that this restaurant location was slightly tucked away from a «main street» entrance — just off to the side of the main street, Gracechurch St. Entering the restaurant, you will need to go down a flight of stairs before entering a relatively dark setting.
I was very warmly greeted by the hostess. She made me feel welcomed (and not embarrassed!) for asking for a party of one while I waited.
The staff pays a great deal of attention to service with a smile — a prime example would be allowing for ample time to look at the menu, but keen to possibly quzzled looks or needing to ask a question. They also brought out a cutting board worth of very cuts and explained which cut tasted best cooked a certain way. I was sold. Granted, the prices here are on the pricier side (that should be expected coming from an Argentine steak restaurant) and thus the detail in superior service.
While the cut of steak I ordered ordered with the bernaise sauce was delicious — I ordered the 300g fillet with garlic rub — I think what really made me enjoy the meal was the cheese bread ball they gave as part of their complimentary bread! Otherwise known as «pan de bono,» the Columbian name for the product, it’s a savory chewy bread. Chewy on the inside with a delicate half-​crispy layer on the outside. It’s no bigger than a miniature sized dinner roll, but the flavor is explosive and very welcoming! As you might can already tell, this was my first time trying this.
To finish my dinner meal, I ordered a strawberry mojito and water. While the mojito was great, I failed (again) to remember «water» in restaurant does not always come free and paid the price for it – water was four pounds or equivalent to about $ 6 — extremely steep in my world.
All in all this was a great experience even if I enjoyed it by myself. There were only a handful of customers there so the service was fantastic and I very well enjoyed my meal. Now, I can’t quite give this restaurant five stars as tihis was my first steak restaurant experience, but it’s a solid four star rating with a future revisit opportunity. :)

Cheese-​bread balls. I almost drowned in my own saliva whilst biting in (come on you’ve all choked on your own drool at some point in time) Honestly though, a delicious intro to an overall lovely and memorable birthday lunch.
I got a juicy, medium rare 225g sirloin. It was perfectly cooked, and my side of mash (or potato purée… pshhh fancy pants nomenclature) was seasoned and buttered to my complete schoolgirl delight. Add a bit of mushroom sauce on top of that and I was ready to pass out, probably from a soon-​to-​be-​coronary though…
Wait, add a lime daiquiri — not safe for the lunch hours… it was a diesel fuel drink. Great amounts of liquor for the price. I highly recommend this place for a long lunch… and definitely put some reservations down because the suits will engulf all empty space within a matter of minutes if not!!!

I came here recently with about 10 colleagues for a work dinner, we ate in our own private dining room which I liked very much.
The food was attractively presented and very tasty! Aptly housed in what were once the gold holding vaults of the Bank of England.
A little tip: Interesting place to come for a drink at the bar if it’s cleb spotting you are into.