Cocktails and Steak with Mates at Gaucho Manchester Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Becky B

Anyone who knows anything about steak will tell you that Argentinian steak is among the best in the world, and it has been on my list of ‘to do’ food experiences for some time, so I was thrilled to be invited to review Gaucho restaurant Manchester and I can honestly say, the experience was ‘a cut above’ (a little pun intended).

Our visit was scheduled for a Friday evening for the ‘Cocktails and Steak with Mates’ experience, and along with my mate, we headed over, parked nearby and found what was a stylish but somewhat unassuming frontage to the restaurant. We received a warm welcome from the hosts and were able to put our outerwear in the cloak room before being shown to our table. There isn’t a dress code as such, but we went smart casual, and this seemed to be appropriate.

Wow is all I can say! From the outside of the building, there were no clues on what to expect inside! The building is a former church that has been renovated and updated, but still retains some original features, including vaulted ceilings and the impressive pipes from the church organ, elegantly decorated in black and white, with glass balcony features and impressive chandeliers. We were seated on the mezzanine floor, right next to the DJ, which gave a great view of the entire restaurant, including the kitchen where our food would be cooked. Music was played through the evening and gave a relaxed but ‘out out’ atmosphere, which was perfect for a Friday night. The music was played at just the right volume that we could appreciate it but were still able to talk comfortably.

Our waitress was super attentive and helpful throughout our visit providing information about the food and pre-empting any needs or requirements we might have, sometimes before we had even thought of this ourselves. 

The Cocktails and Steak with Mates is a set menu which includes 3 cocktails and having been given a few minutes to review the menu, we were able to order our first cocktail, there were two to choose from and we took the opportunity to try one of each between us.

For starters, we ordered the salmon tacos and beef empanada, the main course is a sharing platter of three different cuts of steak cooked to our liking, we ordered ours cooked medium and were told it would be served with unlimited chips and chimichurri sauce – a nice bonus. We also added a side order of chargrilled baby gem with Caesar dressing, pancetta lardons and parmesan.

Our first cocktails arrived quickly. My favourite of the two was the kiwi gimlet, a sweet and tangy gin cocktail served with a piece of kiwi leather (who knew this was a thing, but it was explained to us that at Gaucho, they try to make use of all the fruit to minimise waste), but it was a great little accompaniment. My mate preferred his cocktail, the Jerba Mate Jasmine Fizz, which was another gin cocktail mixed with sparkling wine which had a really delicate flavour.

The salmon tacos were delicious, but the beef empanada was the real highlight for us. It was delicious and the salsa golf was a great accompaniment with a little bit of a spicy kick. Along with our starters we also had our next cocktail and between us we chose one of each again. A Margarita with chimichurri salt and a Malbec El Chueco. For me, the Margarita was probably my favourite of the whole evening. I loved its tangy, salty and slightly smoky flavour. It was great to be able to try something different and not just run of the mill cocktails, all had a unique Gaucho twist, and it was clear a lot of planning had gone into the cocktail menu.

We had a short wait between the starter and the main course, which was not excessive and gave us time to enjoy the atmosphere, do some people watching and have a catch up. When the main course arrived, it was served on induvial plates, which I think is better than the sharing board as it allows you to choose how you prefer your steak to be cooked in case it’s different from your mate. There was 100g of each of the three cuts of steak which is a very reasonably sized portion and certainly filled us up. The cuts were churrasco cuadril (rump), chorizo (sirloin) and ancho (rib eye). We both agreed that the steaks exceeded our expectations and were easily the best steak we had tasted. I loved the ancho and found it to be full of flavour, while my mate preferred the lighter flavour of the melt in the mouth chorizo. The steak was well cooked and melted in the mouth. We loved the chimichurri sauce too. It was not at all what I was expecting of a steak sauce but was full of flavour which enhanced the flavour of the steak, rather than overpowering it as some sauces can do. The fries were also tasty and well cooked, with a light seasoning and good their word, as we were halfway through them, our waitress came back to check if we wanted more, which we took up the offer of, we had one refill, but were offered more and would have felt comfortable ordering more if we hadn’t been totally full up. The grilled baby gem side we ordered was a game changer. I would have never considered that you could grill lettuce, but the flavour this gave the baby gem, without it becoming soggy or wilted was exceptional and the toppings made it perfection.

After we finished our main, our final cocktail of the evening was bought to us. The Alfajores is a desert cocktail made with cognac and whiskey, with dulce de leche liqueur and sprinkled with coconut. This was really like having a desert in liquid form and was my mate’s favourite cocktail of the evening. We were also offered the option of adding on a dessert, and as I read the menu, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try one of the mouth-watering desserts and although there were lots to choose from, I settled on the Basque Dulche de Leche cheesecake with sour cherry compote. Our waitress told us that a Basque cheesecake is a baked cheesecake and a little different to what we may have had previously. When it arrived, we noted it didn’t have crust layer. By this time, my second (desert) my stomach had kicked in and I managed to finish the whole portion. The cheesecake was very different than what I would expect from cheesecake, but in such a good way. It had a light, almost souffle like texture and was sweet without being overpowering, the sour cherry compote complemented the sweetness, and this was the perfect ending to our meal.

We had a fantastic visit and would definitely return. The service was helpful and friendly but without being intrusive, the venue was stylish yet comfortable and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Above all, the food and cocktails were amazing. The price of the ‘Cocktails and Steak with Mates’ package was £65 per person, and the cost of the side order and dessert was extra (£6.50 for the Grilled Baby Gem and £10.50 for the Basque Dulche de Leche Cheesecake).

When we thought about what we got for the price, we felt this represented really good value for money, especially given the quality of the food and cocktails. This was not just going out for food, it was a whole experience with the carefully considered and unique cocktails, designed to pair perfectly with the food courses, the atmosphere and exceptional service all in the heart of the city centre made for a great night out and I can imagine doing it again with a gang of my besties, so gather your tribe for a perfect evening of cocktails and steak with your mates at Gaucho!

Rating: 5/5
Cocktails and Steak with Mates costs £65 per person
For more information or to book the Gaucho Cocktails and Steak with Mates visit gauchorestaurants.com.