Constancia

A fine Argentine steakhouse 5 minute walk from the Tower Bridge. We went on a Sunday evening, did’t need a reservation as quite a few places were available around 6:30 pm, but it seemed to get full in an hour. They offer quite a wide selection of Argetine wines and its definitely a better value for money to take a bottle rather than a glass.
We started with a choripan and fried empanadas. Choripan was delicious but the fried carne empanada was below the expectations.
We decided to share bife de chorizo for mains together with some papas fritas Provenzal and red peppers from the grill as sides. The steak was nicely done on the traditional Argentine asado and the meat was succulent.
The food was delicious all in all, the service attentive, but the atmosohere not as vibrant as in Argentina.

Service was fabulous and attentive. The bread was simply fabulous — not sure if there’s something special in the water in the UK but … A special home-​made butter with spices and herbs was simply the killer. Wine by the class — I had an Argentine variety and was very pleased. The steak was however not all that it was cracked out to be — sorry but I’ve had much more tender cuts in the US. It was cooked just the way I liked it but a bit more stringy and on the tough side than what I hoped. All in all — I still still say try Fish-​n-​Chips or Indian when in the UK.

I love specialized restaurant. You take something from your country, you open a
restaurant based on it, and you serve what you can do at best. One thing. Like a
pizzeria. Awesome.
BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT WELL.
And Constancia completely lacks of this aspect.
As an argentinian restaurant, they are specialized (of course) in meat.
Everybody know (or should know) argentinian meat (Asado anyone?) and everytime I
get to an argentinian steakhouse I expect to have an awesome piece of beef on my
dish, perfectly cooked.
And that was not what happened here. I put this place directly in concurrence
with Buen Ayre, another argentinian steakhouse in Hackney (check my review!) and
the result is embarassing for Constancia, I mean it really is embarassing. The
only winning aspect here is the price (it’s slightly cheaper) but I really don’t
care about paying 5 – 10 pounds more if what I get in exchange is a much higher
quality.
Empanadas were the best part of the meal, the beef ones are with olives, my
opinion is that olives covered too much the other flavors but at least it was
something curious to eat.
The real problem came with the steak: I specifically asked for a medium rare, I
received a medium well-​done. Damn. That’s the ONLY thing you can’t get wrong
here. The time of cooking of a steak. DAMN. DAMN. TRIPLE DAMN. It’s a steak
house, you HAVE to know how long does a steak takes for cooking. Unacceptable.
That’s a serious problem. It’s like getting to a sushi place and receiving old
fish. It’s abysmail. As important as the cooking time, the quality of the meat
itself was not as great as it should be in such a place. You are an argentinian
place, and I DO expect top quality meat. Otherwise do something else (a
suggestion, DO NOT OPEN A RESTAURANT!).
Just don’t come here, it’s wrong. And they do not deserve your money

Took some clients there for some meat!
Amazing meat! Not sure what else! Amounts ourselves we tried a few variety if meat cuts, all as good as each other. Proper Argentinian style — very very think!
Wine was good and sides of salad and (different types of) fries were good too.
In terms of cost, considering the insane piece of meat we each had and the wine reay decent offering!
Highly recommend & will definitely be back (without clients!)

Excellent open-​grill steak restaurant. Quite small, so phone ahead. The steaks compare very well to any at Gaucho, Hawksmoor or Goodmans.

Hmm…
Hmmm…
Everyone seems to love Constancia, I just thought it was ok.
My work guys are obsessed with steak. As a good Indian, I feel bad for the cows but you wont find me in any cheap gross-​out steak place.
I need to know my cows had a good life before they were slaughtered for me.
I dont really know why Im telling you this, perhaps to appease my own conscience a bit.
Anyway, I took my team climbing about a month ago (read that review), and since none of them were up for it, I said we could go for steak afterwards only if, they had a good go at the climbing. They didnt climb sh1t the jokers, (well one guy did) but we came here anyway.
Its pretty common knowledge, if you want a quality steak, you go Argentine. Constancia, in case you couldnt tell by the name, is Argentine/​
The menu here is wonderful, and good value also. I had a 14oz sirloin for £25 which is muy reasonable, with Papas Criollas (potatoes seasoned, with red onion mmmmmm), and obviously a couple of glasses of red, and I was happily waiting, my body ready to replenish the (little) climbing I’d just done.
Service was good, and staff friendly. We were seated on a long table, ladies on the sofa, and… OMG this review is making me HUNGRY!
Anyway, erm… yeah so the steak arrived but alas though I asked for medium rare, it was a little over medium, a sentiment some of the others also mentioned, which wasn’t the end of the world but I dunno, something wasn’t quite as right as I thought it was going to be.
In conclusion, we had a good experience with the wine — Malbec 2009 — pairing well, but food was a little shy of how I was hoping.
I may give Constancia another go, it’s only 10 minute walk from my house :-)

So I like Shoreditch Food Village, there are a number of cool Food vans there permanently, you and you pals can eat from any and all of them and sit at the same table. You can get your wine or beer from the nearby Tesco and drink it there while you eat. The atmosphere is very cool and it’s just a fun place to be.
Constancia sells the most wonderful steak sandwiches which are perfect with their chimichurri. It’s cheap, the food is great, it’s a cool place to be!
I love it.

Happy little local Argentine grill Constansia has been dishing out steaks to a satisfied stream of regulars for over three years. They’re obviously doing something right.
Sat on an unlovely stretch of Tower Bridge Road, if it’s on the foodie’s radar at all it’s only due to the fact you walk past on the way to Maltby Street Market. On the evidence of this experience, I’d be happy recommending a closer examination.
Based around a central grill, you can’t get away from the pervading heavenly scent of steak. After a pair of freshly cooked and suitably spicy beef empanadas, we dived straight into a mixed parrilida containing steaks and sausages.
Two big lumps of beefsteak, rump and ribeye, sizzle away on the compact coal fired tabletop grill. Two plump Argentine sausages are dense, spicy and uncommonly good. Morcilla, crumbly homemade black pudding, is also a treat. The whole plate load, combined with a bowl of parsley and garlic packed chips is verging on the excessive. We struggle manfully through, what with us being men, but it’s a massive hit of fat and protein. I love it.
The meat sizzling away on the brazier is flavoursome, but unless plucked from the coals at the exact right moment inclined to toughness. There’s no chance for it to rest when it’s cooked at the table.
It’s not the cheapest of meals, with a decent bottle of peppery Malbec we spent just under £50 a head, though compares well to the likes of Hawksmoor or Goodman and is a whole lot better than the nearby Gaucho. It’s great to have another option locally though and I’ll definitely be back when next hankering for a hunk of cow.

One of my favourite London restaurants — great food, great service… without the attitude BS or ludicrous pricing of most London restaurants — long may it last!
This is my favourite steak restaurant in London — good steak, well cooked, good sides, good wine, good service at a good price — ticks all the boxes for me. You can get a similar steak at Gaucho… for 4 times the price.
Always a good idea to book ahead; it’s always full when I’ve been (doesn’t matter what day of the week — walk up’s easier earlier in the week, of course).

Two of us went on Monday night a few weeks back. Greeted by pleasant staff we were lucky to get a table without a reservation. Restaurant was bustling but intermit. We didn’t hold back, two steaks, two sausages and some provolone cheese. The entire meal arrived in great time on a warmer for the centre of the table. Was a real sharing, carnivorous feast. Quality steak meat was cooked as desired and was succulent and juicy. Would definitely go back!

This family run Argentine Grill is simply fabulous. We went for Parrillada Constancia (Special Grill Selection (minimum two people) with Two steaks of your choice, two Argentine Style Pork Sausages, Black Pudding, Provolone Cheese with oregano) for a reasonable £24.50/person (minimum 2). We also had Cebolla Asada con Pimienta Negra (Roasted Onion w/​Black Pepper) and way too much wine between our large party of 8 – 10. There was generally an abundance of food on offer and it would have been easy to miss the quality of food amidst all that chaos. However, the steak held its own; I ordered mine medium rare, while some of my more purist friends went for the practically-​mooing rare version, and neither of us parties had anything to complain about. The meat was juicy and tasty, and notably with no side sauces to disguise its flavour. They don’t skimp on the portion sizes around here, so expect to leave with your seams bursting if you go for the grill selections.
The service was great, and the waitress was patient with our rather boisterous group. The place seemed new but you could sense the pride with which they served their food. That said, the atmosphere was friendly rather than pretentious. The open grill always makes for a fascinating setting.
I am no steak connoisseur — I don’t go looking for steak places around town, but I do know that I liked this place way more than Gaucho where I have been a few times now.

A really great steak place. I wished I’d had my steak rarer but that was my fault in the ordering. The sirloin was huge and had loads of flavour and I was able to counter the slight dryness (hence wanting it rarer) with the special Argentinian sauce. The wine list was well suited to steaks and the side dishes were all nicely done. Very friendly service.

So, I mostly choose to blame the volcano, but I would be remiss if I did not say that the steak I had last night on my second trip to Constancia was not as scrumptious as the first.
In fairness to them, the meat was still beautifully cooked and the sides were equally good (and deliciously full of garlic). However, the beef itself just wasn’t up to scratch. My hope is that this is a result of a one-​off cow-​related failure, or the volcano preventing imports, or something…
Still a decent steak, but last night was not one to crow about.

Constancia — hmmm.
I read the enthusiastic reviews, I noted the excited bloggers and I finally had the excuse to go. A friend who is a pure carnivore suggested a meet (I resisted the pun) up so we ended up there on a Tuesday night.
Considering the new financial world we live in, this place is doing well, especially as it has only just opened.
The menu is Spanish/​English which reflects the authentic Argentinian feel of the place. The staff seem to have been transplanted over and the décor is much like the parrillas/​steakhouses I went to in Buenos Aires (relaxed and dark décor).
We ordered empanadas (fantastic) and a meat platter. The meat platter had blood, sausage and steak. Only the steak disappointed which was just an uninteresting cut. I kind of blame myself and will probably go back and try a different one. That said, I might just go to Hawksmoor instead.
All in all an enjoyable meal but the steak was no highlight… and that is kind of why you go right?
Price — £50 with some malbec and meat