Ala Cruz

The most amazing Argentinean experience in meat outside Argentina Try empanadas and Asado. Great value for money.

The food is great here. I actually love their bread and to eat the vacio here is like one step closer to heaven. Tender, bloody beef- just the way I like it. I actually think the service here is great, but then I tend to always ask for the same waiter and I knew him from his previous job. Nonetheless, the price here is great for the portions and quality of the food. I find the wine list a little lacking, but if you ask me definitely go for the Catena.

I was treated to a dinner and and had a fantastic time. The staff was very, very helpful and charming and the meat amazing.

The only downside were the massively overpriced side dishes. £5 for a small bowl of ships or a tomato salad is too much, even for London. Better option would be having a starter together with the main dish.
Definitely coming back.

I came here for a late lunch on the weekend. Only two minutes from Exmouth market but judging from the totally empty restaurant that short distance has massively impacted on them.
The restaurant is beautifully laid out, dark wood and an amazing asador. Considering we were the only people there, we were welcomed and felt comfortable.
The mix of meats we ordered was far too large for me and I ended up taking a sizable doggy bag home. I really liked the different sausages, especially the Galician and black pudding. The flank was extremely tough and the rump disappointing. Doubt I would go again, but if you really enjoy eating ridiculous amounts of meat, maybe you would enjoy it.
The wine was delicious and reasonably priced.

While Gaucho have cornered the market in the pricier end of fine Argentine dining they're not the only cooks on the block specialising in the meat heavy cuisine of the region. John Rattagan, of Buen Ayre fame, is making his own slower push into the market. His original has been a popular authentic local staple on Hackney's Broadway Market since 2004 and the management team have moved a little up market to a converted pub between Farringdon and Exmouth Market. Opened in 2009, it's the first proper asador (named after the traditional fire pit that cooks most of the meat) in the UK.

Where the original is a little rough and ready with a large open firepit on which hunks of meat sit and sizzle, they've tricked this one out slightly differently. White walls, dark woods and a more refined air should justify a higher end price tag, but thankfully they don't hike the prices to match. You can eat well here for not much more than a starter at Gaucho. Thankfully too, the grill at the heart of the restaurant remains.

Empanadas, the rock and roll brother of the Cornish pastie, stuffed with densely packed spiced mince (beef naturally) and deep-fried for extra emphasis, they are a staple of Latino street food. Here they're petit recreations, almost a little too refined, served with a fairly forgettable salad of roast veggies and thankfully, lest we saw them as too healthy, a slice of melted provolone cheese.

These were followed swiftly by plates of mixed sausages and charred, chewy sweetbreads, known as Mollejas in Argentine. The latter were served with vegetarian taunting similarity to barbequed halloumi, jazzed up with a sharp lemon drizzle. The sausages were fine in the main though the morcilla, Argentine blood sausage based on pork, was best. Dark, herby and with a subtle chilli tang, it was soft enough to spread on bread and truly a thing of beauty.

Nice as these all were, the steak's the thing. Served to the table on Parillada grills, thin metal trays heated with charcoal, they're mighty meaty lumps of rump and rib-eye. The advertised 300g per head feels like an under-estimation initially but it's more than enough to tame the most savage beast and we're forced to send shamefacedly for doggy bags. Great cuts, cooked well. The secret here is to get enough onto your plate before the residual heat of the grill takes it past the desired level of done.

Unable to give it true justice, I remember enjoying a dulce de leche ice-cream and some fine coffee to finish, but I only had thoughts for home, my bed, and a long snooze. Meat dreams are made of this...

Great restaurant, can't be beaten in London for meat.

Looks very authentic with a very professional assador ( bbq) behind glass so you can see whole carcasses being cooked.The chef looked quite warm...

Food was very good, all meat of course. My son ordered for us in his best south american accent honed from 6 months in the bars and barrios of BA.

We had a great time, I dont think it was overexpensive, and we'll return.

The sweetbreads in this restaurant are incredible. Before I went, I'd already heard fantastic things about them on the grapevine and so just had to try them for myself - they were rich, buttery and just tasted completley divine. My partner was a bit wary about eating the thymus glands, so chose the provoleta, but couldn't resist stealing sweetbreads from my plate!

We both opted for the vacio for our main course, a cut of meat cooked on the restaurant's asador - which is essentially a large barbecue style-pit where sides of meat are roasted on giant metal spikes. We were both given huge cuts of meat, which made us wish that we hadn't over-indulged on the bread basket! The meat was very flavoursome and extremely tasty - I just wish that we could have managed more.

The restaurant has an extensive wine list, but I chose beer instead which came in at pretty standard price. My only gripe with the restaurant is that the waiters could have been a little more attentive, after finishing my drink I wasn't asked if I wanted another and I had trouble finding a waiter when I wanted to query my order.

I went to this new Argentinian restaurant on a Sunday lunch at the beginning of the year. We were the only table and had a wonderful time. We were able to have a sample of different cuts of meats with a variety of sausages. We ordered our meat to be medium rare and it arrived on our table a bit too overcooked. They did not have any problem at all to cook again. Behind this glass screen you can see a whole lamb being roasted which for all lamb lovers will make you have a taste of it. The staff was friendly. They have a private room quite nice for private parties. Difficult to judge the atmosphere but a definite come back. Bueno appetito!

Noticed that a new restaurant had just open at this location and called in to check this out. It's an Argentinian restaurant with a big asador (a smokey, bbq type pit where sides of meat are roasted on metal spikes) as a focal point. Staff were really friendly and gave us big samples of beef and lamb which were really tasty. We were just after a meal so didn't have room to order any more food. Cocktails were also top class. Definately going to go back for full meal