Beginning the day with a good breakfast is always a good idea. When such breakfast is an opportunity to try out new dishes from established Argentinian steak house Gaucho Grill, it is definitely going to be a great morning.
We were invited to the Hampstead branch in late July to discover their newly launched breakfast service, at the moment only available here and at their Richmond branch(‘two of the most oasis-like pockets of London around’), where there is an outdoor terrace for al fresco dining.
Classics such as Eggs Benedict and Latin inspired options such as beans on toast with chorizo and manchego cheese appear on the mouthwatering list.
We started our meal with mini croissants, very fresh and crispy, served with peanut butter and dulce de leche spread, sweet, rich and delicious. The main dishes arrived after a short while, all well presented and in good sized portions.
We tried a potato cake (oven-baked shredded potato with butter and fresh thyme) with Scottish smoked salmon, smashed avocado, crème fraîche and chives, a good alternative for those wishing to avoid bread but still enjoy a mix of carbs and protein.
The potato cake was well cooked and held its ground despite being nicely soft in the middle; well seasoned, it complemented the cold creme fraiche and salmon very well, the chive being a strong but not overpowering element in the dish.
Our companion opted for smashed avocado on toasted sourdough and coriander cress with poached eggs, the eggs perfectly cooked but perhaps a touch too much lemon juice in the creamy avocado.
We couldn’t leave without trying some of the sweet options, which are aplenty: pancakes and french toast are valid proposals, and if the pancake with the dulce de leche and peanut butter is the most indulgent, the fresh, macerated berries topped one is pretty pleasant and on the lighter side.
The egg-dipped brioche served with fresh strawberries, almonds and whipped dulce de leche peanut butter is possibly the most decadent item on the menu, and looked delicious.
Other choices include the’Full Gaucho’ which promises a large amount of food in one plate (bacon, Cumberland sausage, morcilla, confit mushrooms, grilled tomato, baked beans, potato rosti, toast and two eggs cooked any way), and the above mentioned Beans on toast (which we hope to try on our next visit).
A selection of fresh juices, teas and coffees as well as the Gaucho Bloody Mary are the liquid options; we tried both regular and decaf coffees and found them very good, especially the decaf which can often disappoint. Friendly service make the whole experience a perfect start of the day.