‘Well-paced and thoroughly enjoyable’: Gaucho, reviewed

I don’t like steak. A bold claim, I know. But, every time I’ve had it - even the nicest cuts from the swankiest restaurants - I can’t stomach more than a mouthful. 

The most I’ve managed to politely shovel into my mouth at events is a slither of lightly seared wagyu, but even then it has to be slathered in an accompanying sauce. Call it sacrilege, immature taste buds, whatever you want… but I’m not a fan.  

I think it’s down to the iron-y taste that’s left in the mouth after swallowing. Some people crave that, but I don’t.

So when my editor requested I visit the esteemed Argentinian steak restaurant, Gaucho, I knew I had to have a trick up my sleeve. That trick was Finn, the latest addition to our sales team, who just so happens to bloody love steak.

Gaucho greets you with moody lighting and glimmering silver tables with flashes of cow print on the soft furnishings, the walls, wherever the restaurant can fit it. The interior treads a fine line between nightclub and restaurant but does so carefully and you quickly become adjusted. 

There's a bar area, a vast wine selection that's displayed in an impressive glass cabinet (or 'cupboard' as Gaucho's website modestly states). The venue then opens up into a spacious and inviting dining area with an open kitchen where the meat sizzles. 

To the far corner of the room, opposite the cow print spiral staircase (yes, there’s one of those too), there’s an organ painted white to match the decor: a relic retained from the restaurant’s former life as a Methodist meeting hall. 

I admit, the scents wafting over from the open kitchen made ordering the steak incredibly tempting; even for someone who doesn’t like steak.

Our server listened to our wine preferences and recommended the Trapiche Melodias Malbec, a fruity and medium bodied tipple ideal for a Thursday afternoon steak (or lack thereof for me). 

I ordered the truffle arancini with provoleta and truffle mayonnaise. It’s very easy to go overboard with truffle and end up with a flavour so strong it completely overpowers the rest of your meal, but Gaucho had got the balance right. The arancini itself had great structure, was crispy on the outside and wasn’t too claggy, while the provoleta provided a sharp tang that cut through the truffle flavours. Plus, with three generously-sized balls of ooey-gooey goodness on the plate, the portion sizes weren’t too bad either.

Finn ordered the sea bass ceviche with picante rojo, avocado and an arepa bread for mopping up any leftover juices. He described the sea bass as delicate and ‘not too fishy’. The avocado and picante rojo complemented it nicely, providing a fiery punch followed by a creamy finish. The arepa was nicely crisped on the outside and had a slightly fluffy centre, adding just the right amount of carbs to an otherwise light starter.

For my main, I went with the gnocchi with kale pesto and parmesan. These beautiful potato dumplings were perfectly cooked, well seasoned and could be sliced through with the side of a fork. The portion size was generous but not too overwhelming and the amalgamation of kale pesto and parmesan was just a delight.

Finn, unsurprisingly, chose steak. 300 grams of ribeye, cooked medium rare and served with a pot of peppercorn sauce, to be exact. Verging ever so slightly on the rare side, Finn said his steak was delicately marbled, succulent, tender and packed with flavour. 

The knife glided through the ribeye with ease and was complemented nicely with a hearty portion of seasoned chips, as well as some sauteed tenderstem broccoli with confit garlic, roasted almond and lemon zest on the side. Drizzled with lashings of bubbling peppercorn sauce, he described it as “probably the best” steak he’d ever tasted.

I had no reason to doubt him, it certainly looked the part from where I was sitting. 

Rounding off the meal, I chose the salted dulce de leche cheesecake with toasted marshmallow for dessert. A well presented mini cheesecake as opposed to a slice, with a buttery base and creamy filling which paired nicely with the salted caramel sauce that had been used to garnish the plate.

Finn went with the lemon tart, served with strawberries and crème fraîche - a beautifully presented dessert that looked like it was fresh out of a picture film. Finn said the tart had the perfect amount of lemon zest and tartness without being too sickly, acting as both a palate cleanser and a welcome end to a pleasant lunch.

We finished our bottle of wine and settled the bill before heading back to the office, full and satisfied.

Publisher Gordo was so impressed by our feedback he decided to take a trip of his own. Here’s his account.

Gordo goes to Gaucho

When I was working as a butcher back in 1971, we had our first delivery of Argentinian beef. It had been dealt with in Buenos Aries, packed boneless into cryovac bags which protected them from oxygen, moisture and other environmental elements and shipped to England. I think it took nearly six weeks to arrive. The process was called ‘wet ageing’. 

My two uncles and I took the first full sirloin out of the box; a metre long and I cut a fat steak off it, went round to the kitchen and pan fried it, two minutes each side in a mixture of bacon fat and butter. Lots of pepper. Lea and Perrins.

The three of us gathered round the block, sliced it and ate those first mouthfuls. 

Angel food.

I’ll never forget it. It was a beauty. You could have cut it with a spoon. We joined the EEC in 1973 and were thereafter banned from buying the product.

In Gaucho Grill a couple of weeks ago I ordered a 400g rib eye, and my guest Andy Golpys ordered a 400g sirloin. My ribeye was ace. But the sirloin Andy had chosen, oh my. I instantly remembered that first one. This was better. The fat crisp, the meat soft and with that unmistakable oh-so-slightly gamey flavour from the pampas grass it had been reared on. This is a front runner in my steak challenge this autumn.

Gaucho, 2A St Mary's St, Manchester M3 2LB

Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young

Follow Gordo on X @GordoManchester