As Gauchos go, the Charlotte Street restaurant certainly isn’t the grandest but the South American cuisine is still well worth writing home about.

The Venue
From outside in the street, Gaucho Charlotte Street isn’t that impressive. Once through the door however, the familiar luxe styling is very much in evidence. On the ground floor, the private dining room is resplendent with a colossal chandelier that hangs heavily above the glossy white table and illuminates the floor to ceiling bottles and it is already proving a popular space for wine tasting. However, to reach the bar and restaurant you’ll need to descend down into the bowels of the building.

On the mezzanine level, the bar area with its open kitchen strikes the perfect balance. Both stylish and cosy, it’s ideal first date territory. Unfortunately, they struggle to replicate this so effectively in the formal restaurant area, that’s reached via a further flight of stairs. It’s just too square and the double height ceiling merely serves to highlight its boxy proportions.

The Atmosphere
True to form, at the Gaucho Charlotte Street restaurant, lighting is kept watch-your-step low and the inky walls and deep pile dark carpet create a distorted perception of time passing – several seasons could come and go in the street way above your head and you’d be none the wiser. If you’re fraught from the frenetic pace of keeping up with life in the capital, the cocooned feeling of calm will certainly appeal. However, there’s still some fine tuning to be done. The icy blast of air con is more likely to transport you to Siberia than South America and the lights are just so dim that you have to squint to read the menu. Both inconveniences that are easily avoided.

The Food
The Tuna Tiraditos (£12.50) is a welcome change from ceviche and fans out across the plate like pale pink petals. The wafer thin slices of tuna are prepared with lime juice, chilli and onion which prevents them from tasting too bland and the slices of avocado and lemon and orange pieces add colour to the dish. Half a dozen oysters (£9.95) are simply served on ice and they are accompanied by shallots in red wine vinegar. Light starters are a must given the substantial servings you move onto with main courses.

Choosing steak at any Gaucho restaurant is a serious business and Gaucho Charlotte Street is no exception. Before you order, slabs of raw steak are presented on a wooden board and you’re talked through the different cuts, the best cooking methods for each type of beef and what makes each cut unique – you won’t get away with just opting for rare, medium or well done here. In such a shrine to steak it’s hard to imagine ordering anything but, and you’ll be glad that you did. If you’re in a group and feeling indecisive opt for the Gaucho Sampler (£75) and you won’t have to worry about which cut of steak to choose – they’ll bring out all four.

The steaks are served traditionally with chimichurri as an accompaniment (olive oil, garlic, parsley) but if you want any other sauces you have to pay extra. Admittedly an additional £2.50 isn’t likely to tip you into the red when you’re paying so much for the steak itself but at these prices you’d expect to have the choice of bearnaise, peppercorn, mustard and mushroom sauces without having to pay more for the privilege. The vegetable portions are sized for two to share and the light metallic taste of the spinach served with garlic and lemon (£3.75) works well with the steak as do the asparagus which are best when dipped into the chilled accompanying mayonnaise-style gribiche sauce.

After such vast quantities of red meat you may be hard pressed to manage dessert but you’d be wise to try and make room. The Dulche de Leche Cheesecake (£7.25) is a vast portion even when shared between two which justifies the high price tag. If you haven’t a sweet tooth there’s a choice of three (£7.50), four (£9.75) or five (£11) cheeses. The choice of British hard and soft cheese is extensive and the accompanying Malbec chutney is pleasingly chunky with plenty of well soaked fruit.

The Drink
Great care is taken over the pre and post dinner cocktails. In fact, the bar area is a destination its own right. With a bar menu and an open kitchen running along the far wall, it’s cosy and vibrant. The Gaucho Bloody Mary (£8) has a decent kick to it and is an interesting interpretation of the classic cocktail. A slug of chimichurri, lemon juice, Tabasco and Worcester Sauce are shaken into the fresh tomato juice and the drink is served in a long glass brushed around the rim with salt and pepper. The Pisco Sour (£8) is marginally less successful. It could do with the traditional creamy froth of whipped egg white to bind the sweet and sour elements of the drink together.

When choosing which wine to order with your food there really is no contest. Gaucho restaurants played a major part in introducing the capital’s food connoisseurs to Malbec, Argentina’s much loved wine, and they are still educating with their extensive list. There are over thirty bottles of Malbec on the wine list and the large glasses that the red wine is poured into really allow you to appreciate the depth of the wine. Particularly recommended is the Terrazas De Los Andes Reserva 2007/2008 at £9.65 a glass or £38.50 a bottle which is rich and heavy without being soporific.

The Last Word
Whilst similar in furnishings to other Gaucho restaurants across the capital, the boxy appearance and the excessive use of cow hide on seemingly every available surface of the subterranean restaurant at Gaucho Charlotte Street lets it down. The linear style of the room with its double height ceiling is off-putting and at odds with the fiery warmth of the cuisine and you'd be wise to remember an extra jumper - they're really trying to get their money's worth from the air con. However, the food is easily as good as it is at other locations and if you can’t make it to Argentina any time soon, this is a good place to find your South American food fix.

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