Gaucho

My buddy and I were running around like the clueless tourists we were and found ourselves in a nice part of London without dinner reservations. While the first few places we went to chuckled at our plight, Gaucho told us we could have a table only if we’d be out in two hours. Deal.
We were seated in a room with three, maybe four, tables which were empty when we got there and stayed empty throughout even when we were nicely asked to leave at ten minutes past our time limit. We had the room to ourselves.
If you don’t want to read any further: Gaucho is in the top tier of steakhouses that I have ever dined at.
More: The service was impeccable and much more friendly than you would expect at such an elegant restaurant. Despite the time limit, we were given more than ample time to read through the entire menus before selecting our drinks and courses. The prices were dwarfed by the big-​bad-​American steakhouses that I am used to. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised upon checking my credit card statement to find that it was about as costly as a small-​town steakhouse blowout back in the states.
I would highly recommend this restaurant.

This restaurant is bizarre. From outside its dark & unassuming but then you enter & its huge with a ton of people inside. The décor is all black with cow print liberally used, which isn’t to my taste. But I love the long, open kitchen that runs alongside the dining area. The food is really tasty and the cocktail menu has some really tasty options. This is definitely more of a «treat» than a regular night out because the prices add up quickly. Dinner for two, 2 drinks and no dessert came to £140 with tip.

El alimento aquí está como un poco de la Argentina en el Reino Unido. El alimento fue muy bueno y el servicio fue tan bueno, también. Especializan en carne de vaca que es buena desde que la Argentina es una carne de vaca que come país. Lo adoré.
Me gusta mucho las comidas aqui. Muy bien.
«Yo soy Nisman.»

Ate there probably for the fifth time last saturday, this is my favourite of the Gaucho branches, and probably due to the way it’s laid out, the service, and the atmosphere.
Just before Christmas we had an awful experience at the Gaucho near Piccadilly — had to wait 90mins for our booking and we weren’t hungry.
This time, despite the restaurant being completely packed, we only had to wait 10mins at the bar (great cocktails, though I wouldn’t normally put slices of lemon in a whisky sour).
Service was impeccable, they do the normal show and tell bringing different cuts of meat to the table and, being indecisive I took the trio of cuts, as well as a wine tasting flight which was a trio of malbecs.
On the wide, being Argentinian, it’s no surprise that they have Malbecs. But they have over 40!!! If this wine is to your taste… do come.
Anyway, food great, service great — again we were too full but got a doggy box to take home. We’ll be back again.

Great food, fantastic wine selection, great service, only negative that the room was a little too loud.

First thing I want to say is how much I love the chic decorations of the restaurant. It looks high class yet modern and trendy, with walls and chairs covered with cow skin leather. very cute and makes u very happy. Toilets are a bit too dark for my liking but u can live with that.
Onto the food. OMG the best sirloin I have ever had. Been to many expensive steak places and no one beats gaucho’s sirloin steak. We actually ordered the share platter where u get to try all types of steak they offer. But sirloin is definitely my all time ffavourite, even more than the more expensive rib eye and fillet.
The bread is so amazing !! There’s a cheese dough looking one served hot and with garlic. SOoooooo good.
did I mention they don’t charge service charge for party less than 6? Another plus!

I have been here three times. Always a great meal. Super wine selection.
Über expensive but I go when it is a business expense.
Great service.

One evening last week I decided to sample the Argentinian take on one of my favourite foods… STEAK!
This was my first visit to Gaucho and for an upscale chain restaurant I was surprised it had taken me this long but after hearing a lot of my friends raving about them I decided it was about time…
We decided late to come here so arrived late, just after 10pm, without a reservation and although the place was packed they were able to seat us in their covered outdoor area.
I was glad about this because it was a nice warm evening and I didn’t fancy sitting in what looked and sounded like a nightclub in a cowhide swivel chair!
An unexpected delight was the free bread they bring you. There are these brazilian dough ball shaped bread pieces with cheese powder on them called Pao de Queijo. They’re essentially Brazilian cheese puffs and they are amazing!!! You have to try them! If they sold them I would have had them as my starter but they don’t :(I’ll just have to find out the recipe somewhere…
I went with the sirlion called Bife de Chorizo, which was cooked to perfection, with a side of sweet potato chips and chorizo, twice cooked with parsley. The steak was juicy, mouth watering and tasted fantastic! The sweet potato chips were soft, flavourful and very satisfying.
For the evening I was drinking one of their cocktails known as Pommelina, an Argentinian take on one of my favourite drinks — Caipirinha. It was refreshing, sweet and the addition of different fruit added a nice twist to a classic favourite of mine.
There was however one bad point which slightly affected my overall enjoyment of the experience — our waiter. He went walkabout the entire time. Not something I expect for the amount of money you’re paying to eat here. Other than that no complaints!
For effectively what was steak and chips I paid it’s quite expensive but it’s definitely one of the best steaks you can get in London!

Nice stake with lots of beer choices. It’s definitely a nice place for lunch but it’s not so appropriate to take the whole family with you it’s just not the right scenery. However, the great food and friendly staff drives many customers in.

My filet marinated in Argentinian seasoning was AMAZING! The chimichiri was delicious and the cheese bread was incredible. The atmosphere was fantastic and we had great service. The sweat potato side was only so/​so and the potato side dish left a bit to be desired. A definite must try for a great night out.

They made the mistake of seating me at a swiveling chair made of cow hide. Never give me a swiveling chair, it’s too tempting! I was spinning back and forth all night and my friend told me to sit still.
THAT being said. MMM, Gaucho, how lovely you were to me. From the awesome wine selection to my delicious filet (albeit it was a tiny bit overcooked– medium rare is more like a medium), it was fantastic.
The spiced sweet mashed potatoes are a MUST try. YOU MUST YOU MUST!

This review is only for the bar /​cocktails as we’ve not actually eaten here. Whenever we want a cocktail in our neighbourhood, this is where we go as there aren’t any other bars in Hampstead (believe it or not) that make proper cocktails. Always tasty and the bar staff are super nice and know what they’re doing. If you’re in the hood, craving a martini or a manhattan, this is your destination. Yes, it’s a chain but hey, there’s no other bar in Hampstead with proper drinks and the staff make it 5 star.

Final verdict: L’entrecôte beats Gaucho.
That being said, the steak WAS good (got one of the most expensive fillet cuts — churrasco de lomo), even great. But at twice the cost of L’entrecôte even though they were about the same calibre. I liked how the waitress came around with a demonstration of all the cuts of meat, it made picking way easier. For starters, the empanadas were good but not amazing. The sweet potato and chorizo chips and sautéed mushroom side dishes were actually a bit disappointing. I know it sounds ridiculous to mention the free bread at a steak place like this, but omg. The free round bread that came at the beginning of the meal was out of this world. The bread was fresh, doughy, and just indescribably good, like best bread I ever had in my life. And I’ve spent quite a lot of time in France.
All in all, if I had visiting friends in town, I’d DEFINITELY take them to L’entrecôte over Gaucho. Gaucho had its ups and downs (downs being the side dishes and excessive pricing), but L’entrecôte had NO downs at all (steak, chips, salad, even the house wine, AND the price were all excellent). Done and done.

I used to consider this the best steak restaurant in London but fortunately I’ve got to know Le Entrecôte. It’s a good restaurant with nice drinks and a fantastic and exclusive caramel cheese cake, but price is a bit abusive.

A chain is a chain — all the links are all the same. Sometimes there is a pendent, the flagship link that’s bigger and better than the rest but basically the point is uniformity, you know what to expect.
This can definitely be a good thing. If you like what the chain is about. Gaucho is all about Argentinean steak set in a dark, masculine atmosphere of leather, animal skins and cocktails. The meat quality is good here — this part of South America does produce amazing meat and here you’ll find them priced between £12 and £36, depending on the cut. They also do burgers and the like at the cheaper end of the price range. Go when you’re hungry.

This is a very classy place. the ambiance from when you walk through the door is great. it’s not one of those places where you sit and struggle to catch the attention of a waiter/​waitress, one is assigned to you before you get to the table.
They have a very very fine selection of beef, as steak is their specialty, they bring it to you for you to see, and explain the differences amongst the variety they have in the menu. They are patient and try to answer questions on the taste et al. A little pricey but well worth every penny. The food is done to your specifications, you can even stand and watch the chef prepare it.
In case I somehow blabbered on and lost the plot, it is very impressive on comfort and exquisite on taste.

I love a steak and on my first visit to this great restaurant, I could not really make my mind up on what steak to choose and what sauce to have etc, so the beautiful waitress actually brought a board displaying what type of meats they have, and each one should be cooked. The detail in her speech only j got me even more excited.
The décor is amazing with wonderful colours everywhere, comfortable seats and a lighting arrangement that really sets a mood.
Goucho Grill is probably one of my most favorite looking restaurants, and baring in mind that they make the meanest, tastiest steak in the land. It is Argentinean after all, so that explains why it is so good. I have always heard from interviews with Diego Maradonna and meeting Argentineans that they do the best steaks in the world, and I probably agree.
Goucho Grill in Hampstead is not the best looking from the Goucho chain, but the standards are high, as they all are.

I find it hard to justify the prices here. You are paying for a man to cook you a steak you could buy yourself for a fifth of the price. If the rest of the menu was delicious you might be tempted to stay but the fact is anything that isnt from a cow seems to be too much for this kitchen. The wine list is somewhat unambitious and I think they could have done more to dredgeup some Argentinian producers who were a bit more interesting but I suppose it’s ok. This place smacks of complacency and I think it will struggle in the coming months. I really didnt enjoy my experience there.

There are a few of these Argentinian steak houses around. This one in Hampstead is, as you’d expect, fairly well-​heeled. You may have to wait if you haven’t booked, but the modern tables in front that serve as a bar area do just fine. Expect modern prices for your cocktails, too.
The menu is extensive, and provides lots of options for cuts of steak, ways of cooking, sauces, and side dishes. The staff are very friendly and will happily explain each of the options. It’s not a problem to take your time here. That’s good because the upscale, chic décor and the chattering buzz of the crowd make it worth taking your time.

This is a beautiful place to go for a romantic evening or a very special occasion. It is expensive, but worth every penny. The restaurant is filled with dim lighting, the seating is covered with cow prints and if you fancy eating outside the back there are heaters and it is covered.
Your evening starts with a member of staff taking your coat to a cloakroom, seating you for a cocktail by the bar and chili flavoured popcorn! When you are ready you get seated at a table of your choice and they bring over a whole board full of steaks and describe each one to you if you ask. You really do get a good piece of meat here and can watch them make your meal. You also get a good range of bread before your dinner, which is free and doughy.
This is the best restaurant in London I have seen so far. The food will not leave you hungry and the service is very professional.

The best steak I have ever had in my whole life!
I don’t usually choose steak, but when someone takes you to an Argentinian style steak resturant it would be rude to choose anything else (when in Rome!). The waiting staff were incredibly helpful and knowledgable — they offered to explain the different cuts of steak, and bought out different cuts to illustrate. Perfect for a steak virgin like me!
The décor inside is fabulous — it’s quite dark and moody, chandeliers, cowhide covered chairs etc — but we sat outside at the back.
Not cheap, but totally worth it!
Nearest tube station — Hampstead