Gauchos Piccadilly Entrance
My friends always hype about this ‘amazing’ restaurant called Gauchos which sounded great but, in my opinion, didn’t live up to its reputation after we dined there.
As I am not a Londoner myself, I still have many restaurants to visit in the capital and Gauchos was at the top of my bucket list, which is why I suggested we should dine at the Argentinian restaurant for a friend’s birthday.
The story behind its name ‘Gauchos’ is iconic to Argentinians as it symbolises “bravery, honour, and independence.”
Their story explains that “the gaucho is an embodiment of national pride. In fact, a gauchada means a good deed or an act of heroism, courage or heartfelt generosity.”
Gauchos is a steakhouse with 12 restaurants around London and two in the North of England; the chain can also be found in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Buenos Aires and they serve a variety of dishes from seafood to poultry and vegetarian options.
Gauchos Piccadilly interior
At the entrance of Gauchos, Piccadilly, we were greeted by the doorman who was elegantly dressed in a suit.
He allocated my friends and I to the reception and then directed us to our table.
The first thing you will notice about this restaurant is the designer furnishings and the cowhide fabrics which creates a lavish backdrop.
The theme is very chic with a white and black colour code; perfect for taking prestigious-looking pictures.
I most certainly took the opportunity to take a picture on their crowned white chair that sits beside the reception.
Once we were placed on our table the waitress, who was extremely friendly and welcoming, announced that she will be looking after us.
The staff were extremely kind, super polite, and helpful, especially when asked to take pictures of my friends and I.
Thin chips £4.95 and Gauchos burger £15.95
Rib-Eye 300g £24.95 and Stilton garnish £1.50
They tried very hard to meet all of our requirements from providing us with sauces when asked and personalising my friend’s dessert with a birthday message.
We chose the Dulce de Leche cheesecake, which cost £9.25.
I don’t know about you, but I would say that is very expensive for a cheesecake that’s almost the size of your palm.
However, we were very happy with the customer service as they really did put in the effort to make it a special night.
But that wasn’t the only other disappointment with the food.
I had a Gaucho burger, which is “a blend of Gauchos four cuts with smoked bacon, caramelised onions, provolone cheese, garlic mayonnaise, and homemade ketchup, served with chips,” for only £15.95 – a reasonable price I say.
However, I felt like there was too much in the burger and it was very dry even though it had dressings which I didn’t taste much of.
The bun was very messy and crummy, which made it hard to eat.
We didn’t bother with alcoholic drinks so we stuck with water, only to find out that they charged us £14.95 for three bottles. We were not happy about that!
If you are planning to dine out at this fine restaurant I would definitely recommend the sirloin steak, I regret not trying it out.
Maybe next time – if there is a next time.
The restaurant we tried was:
Gaucho Piccadilly, 25 Swallow Street, London, W1B 4QR
Opening times: Monday – Saturday: 12:00 – 00:00; Sunday: 12:00 – 23:00
All images by Annabelle Baka