Gaucho Restaurant Review

David Bootle heads to the heart of Newcastle to try out Gaucho’s steaks and their new festive menu

Gaucho in Newcastle offers more than just good food, it provides a truly life-affirming culinary experience.

The food here has a unique quality – it’s not just about satisfying your taste buds; it’s about making you feel good. It’s a sensory journey that allows us to revel in a food fest that touches every corner of our palates and souls. Food can do that to you … good food at least. And this was the essence of good food.

Gaucho Newcastle opened its first restaurant in the North East on Saturday 11 March. The upmarket, Argentine steak restaurant is ideally situated on Market Street and Pilgrim Street, a great and historic location and we are headed there with lots of anticipation.

Gaucho had already gotten into my good books. It offers carbon-neutral beef in its restaurants. I personally love this commitment to sustainability. The brand’s sustainable drinks programme promotes biodynamic and organic wines, and all restaurants operate a zero food-to-landfill policy as well as running on 100% renewable energy. By 2040, all Gaucho restaurants aim to be net zero with all their carbon emissions.

Any restaurant that is able to define its commitment to net zero has to be lauded and applauded.

Individuality all around

In addition, Gaucho Newcastle offers a glamorous cocktail bar and private dining room which can be hired out for intimate occasions. Tables and private dining rooms are now available to reserve.

Each restaurant that makes up the Gaucho collection celebrates its own personality, allowing for individuality in design to complement its location and surrounding neighbourhood. The design was cool, modern and welcoming. In addition, the service is excellent: attentive, but not over the top. You could tell the staff loves food and drink and know plenty about it too. Their attention to detail, combined with their warm and friendly demeanour, elevates the experience. It isn’t just a meal; it’s an interaction.

In terms of the culinary experience, we are greeted with Prosecco – crisp and flavoursome. We also decide to try the cocktails – My choice is the tasty-sounding Honey punch (Ron Zacapa 23 rum, Hennessy VS Cognac, Remy Martin 1738 Cognac, black walnut, honey) – and it does not not disappoint.

My partner goes for the Citrus negroni Tanqueray with Nectarine aperitivo, Campari, reconstructed lemon juice, gomme, tangerine espuma. She loves its sharp, striking flavour.

Our waitress brings out the meat cuts to explain the different steak cuts. The assistant manager comes over too and asks us about our experience, describing the Gaucho concept. You could sense his pride in what they are achieving and the team’s professional but personable approach. All are friendly and passionate about the brand. And every guest gets this experience.

Wines for tasting allow us to compare and contrast what we might prefer with our food. We decide upon the Malbec 2021 Bodega Trapiche, Luján de Cuyo. It’s subtlety complements the robust flavours of the steaks.

Gaucho Restaurant Review: Menu

The starters are delightful – scallops and prawns cooked to perfection. Then the mains. Wow! My partner has a ribeye steak which is juicy and tasty while my churrasco de chorizo (sirloin) has just the right balance of marinate infusing delightful flavours of garlic, parsley and olive oil. It’s a spiral cut – a particular style explained to us by our waitress.

Desserts are just as stunning – Lemon tart with Strawberry and crème fraîche for me and Salted dulce de leche cheesecake for my partner. We share some of course!

At the end of the meal, I say to my partner: ‘Do we have to go home?’ Not that home isn’t lovely. But we are both in a state of nirvana. A resplendent state of contentment.

Gaucho in Newcastle is a place where food transcends mere sustenance and becomes a source of genuine happiness. And on that very notion of happiness is their festive menu – which we get a sneak preview of, looks just as stunning. It looks like they’re going all out for the end of 2023.

Gaucho: Festive Menu

The signature festive menu is a masterpiece, featuring a tantalising array of dishes that combine traditional flavours with a Gaucho twist.

For the starter, you could opt for burrata tomato salad infused with truffle, aged balsamic and toasted sourdough, or beef empanada served with salsa, while heritage beetroots, mango nectar dressing, red onion, chilli, coriander is on offer. There’s also a scrumptious-looking sea bass ceviche, with picante rojo, avocado and arepa bread.

For the mains, the chimichurri butter roasted turkey, with pincho criollo stuffing, malbec and cranberry just look divine, as does the whole grilled sea bass. Or there’s the gnocchi: kale pesto and parmesan. All are served with roast potatoes and a selection of festive vegetables.

With the lemon tart and cheesecake that we sample again on this dessert list, we can assure you of a great finale to the meal.

For those looking for a more communal dining experience, Gaucho also offers a Festive Feast and Festive Sharing menu. These options allow you to enjoy the holiday spirit with friends and family, making it an ideal choice for larger gatherings or corporate celebrations.

Gaucho is quite simply great.