Gaucho City

It's nice when you're invited to a red lunch on the company. Red meat. Red wine.

12 of us were seated in reasonable comfort at an oval table opposite the bar in the centre of the restaurant. We were granted the fixed price menu and some nice bottles of Red.

From the fixed menu on offer I chose the prawn ceviche to start. The prawns were large and meaty, but didn't suffer from tasting plain like some large prawns at chain restaurants do. Tasty.

Main was a wisely chosen steak - a lovely cut with enough, but not too much fat, cooked to medium perfection as requested. Yummy potato sides too.

Dessert choice was the chocolate truffle cake, which was extremely rich, so much so that I had trouble finishing it, but some may see that as a really good thing.

The service in particular was impressive without being intrusive. All staff have an earpiece and collar microphone to communicate the whims of their whingey clients. The 3 girls attending to our table remembered all the orders of waters, wines, beers, and food for everyone without having to ask twice.

Be warned - one trick they do pull at Gaucho is to appear at your tables with a boxed bottle of their fine wine, recommending it for your choice of food. Be sure to check the price before accepting - friends had a very nasty surprise on the bill after falling for this one.

Despite the place being rammed with pre-chistmas business lunchers, we ate in good time, and all were able to chat to their third of the table without yelling.

I'd go again - especially if the company offers to pick up the tab.