http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur <b>Santa Maria del Sur</b><br />London, 129 Queenstown Rd, SW8 3RH, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/1y7qe7
Review by gilka

Rating: 3.00
Tags:
I heard many good things about this place and had a bad experience. My steak was chewy and my friend's steak was so rare that she had to stop eating it (asked for medium).
The dessert that we got was disappointing as well.
For such a high price (around 50£ per head with wine)
you expect much more.]]> Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:42:04 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/1y7qe7790348402 gilka 51.470235 -0.149524 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/133pz8
Review by herb

Rating: 4.00
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just around the corner you can find argentina, well santa maria del sur, a very nice and amazing place to go for a meal. its good value for money, and the food is realy good.

try it...and then let me now]]> Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:59:58 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/133pz8972772343 herb 51.470235 -0.149524 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/1l2a08
Review by chrisp

Rating: 4.00
Tags:
Things are definitely on the up in my corner of South West London. Fitting in nicely next to the refined French atmosphere of the Food Room, Queenstown Road now has another quality eatery from a whole different continent. Santa Maria del Sur has one other branch out in Hackney somewhere, and has obviously proved so popular with the 'Enders that now the other side of the river gets a taste too.

We turned up on-spec fairly early - 6:30 or so - and were surprised to discover that they were fully booked for that Friday night. That they managed to fit us in is an indicator of the level of service, and that they were fully booked - well that's always a good sign.

It has traditionally been the case that a quality steak has been very hard to come by in London. I think part of the problem is the cost of the raw ingredients - Hawksmoor in the city do a fantastic aged Longhorn sirloin with triple-cooked chips and as many cocktails as you can fit inside you, but at £30 for the meat alone this is something you really pay through the nose for. Prices at Santa Maria immediately strike you as much more reasonable, £17 for a fillet for example, or £15 for sirloin. Quality steaks will never be cheap in England, but it's nice to find somewhere that treads that tricky middle ground between the very top-end (Hawksmoor, Groucho Grill) and the dross that is Angus Steakhouse. The sight of a miserable German family trapped in the window of a Covent Garden Angus Steakhouse of a Saturday night always turns my stomach. I feel like picketing the entrance sometimes - unwary tourists should not be subjected to that kind of torture.

These steaks however, were very good. Not as completely drop-dead gorgeous as the Hawksmoor (or Peter Luger) specimens, but extremely tasty, cooked to the required medium-rare in all cases, and served with sharp slice of pickled pepper.

Sides included parsley and garlic chips (nice enough, though the chips were a bit dry), and butter beans, which were a real hit with everyone - oily and herby and went very well with the steaks. It was all washed down with an Argentinian (of course) Mendoza which was a fantastic drink.

I should also say that the restaurant itself was decorated in a very comfortable rustic style, the Argentinian staff were charming and added an extra air of authenticity, and service throughout was not only efficient but attentive, friendly and informal - pretty much spot on for this style of place. I feel a bit guilty about denegrating their open kitchen the other day, but I hope they'll forgive me. Santa Maria del Sur is a lovely little restaurant.
]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:18:48 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/1l2a081793403000 chrisp 51.470235 -0.149524 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/1413i9
Review by carlonicora

Rating: 5.00
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If you love those big juicy steaks, this is the place for you!
The food is really good and the place is very nice indeed! Good for a nice dinner for two!

Rare, Medium or Well Cooked, the meat is very good, with a good choice of wines.]]> Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:59:29 +0000 /review/uk/london/restaurant/1o22t80/santa-maria-del-sur/1413i9456319542 carlonicora 51.470235 -0.149524