Review of La Patagonia
After three years, I return to La Patagonia hungry for some prime Argentine beef.
Hand of God?
It’s hard not to love La Patagonia. Located in Camden, North London, it’s one of those few restaurants that combines authenticity, charm and decent food. The walls in this small restaurant are covered in Argentine memorabilia including a campy reinterpretation of Michelangelo’s hand of God (where Diego Maradona reaches out to Lionel Messi). La Patagonia is the antithesis of fellow Argentine steakhouse (chain) ‘Gaucho’.
La Patagonia offers a large and traditional Argentine menu from empanadas to milanesas to a large variety of Argentine steak cuts. I ordered empanadas and provolone cheese to start with a 300g Rib eye paired with a bottle of Malbec.
Got beef with this
The starters of beef Empanadas and provolone cheese were generously portioned and delicious.
The steak was cooked medium-rare but oozed juices, usually a sign that the steak hadn’t been rested for long enough. The steak was tender, but not tasty or particularly juicy. I combined the steak with the chimichurri sauce and the steak was significantly more edible. The steak was cooked inconsistently. While mine was cooked medium rare, anything ordered medium appeared to be cooked well done.
The steak wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t that great either. It was a-run-of-the-mill steak that needed dousing in chimichurri sauce and to be drowned with a glass of Malbec.
Like the starters and unlike the steak, the desserts were excellent. I shared the Panqueque con Dulche de Leche (pancakes with cream caramel sauce), Flan Casero and ice creams.
Verdict
It feels harsh giving La Patagonia 3/5 especially when I had a great evening there. The starters and desserts were excellent, but unfortunately the steak just doesn’t stand out. If only the steak had half as much taste as La Patagonia has in charm.
