Gaucho Hampstead - They Don't Just Do Steak

Yet again the issue of getting a decent cocktail on a Friday night in an environment that doesn't make you want to cover your ears and run away recently reared its ugly head. This time it was trying to find somewhere decent near Hampstead tube, a spot (quite insistently) selected by a friend for a quieter cocktail evening ('maybe with something more exciting to go on to after...'). Well we started at the now defunct Dach & Sons, an establishment which had a decent sized cocktail 'room' upstairs and a fairly sparse restaurant downstairs serving greasy sliders and a single cocktail option. We were denied access to the upstairs room in a rather snooty way and as we could no long stomach the unpleasant tasting 'grog' they were calling a cocktail downstairs we started walking back towards the tube.

'But what about Gaucho?' Said my friend as we walked past the steak restaurant that looked dark and glamorous and inviting. As I looked in a noticed that actually there was a fairly good sized bar area and there were seats....

So in we went and the relief of welcoming polite service in comparison to the snobby superiority of Dach & Sons was a welcome rush. We were presented with a range of drinks to delight even the most picky of cocktail lovers with all the usual accoutrements including the proper glasses (this is key to a good cocktail experience, trust me).

The drinks were divided into Buenos Aires Classics, Bloody & Rare and Gaucho's Own Cocktails and were created by Tato Giovannoni recently named Argentine barman of the decade. We opted for Argentine gimlets and then a concoction of cognac, cherry liquor and coffee that was an instant boosting burst of taste. The flavours were defined, the drinks were well mixed and the variety would no doubt give us terrible hangovers the next day but they were that good that you just didn't care. We paid through the nose for the service but I'd say overall it was worth it.

So if you're looking to go for cocktails around Hampstead and you want something a bit more glamorous than a pub then take a look at Gaucho. They don't just do steak you know.