Buen Ayre
Argentinian Restaurant in Dalston
6 / 10 from 3 reviews
Address
50 Broadway Market
Dalston
London
E8 4QJ
50 Broadway Market
Dalston
London
E8 4QJ
Telephone
020 7275 9900
020 7275 9900
Cuisine
Argentinian
Argentinian
Region
Dalston
Dalston
Opening Times
Monday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
Tuesday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
Wednesday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
Thursday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
Friday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
Saturday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
Sunday
Opens 12:00 - Closes 15:00
Opens 18:00 - Closes 00:00
All In London Review
Argentina is famous for its steak and Buen Ayre does that reputation proud.
Buen Ayre was a Broadway Market stalwart before the street got hip to bursting. It was the premium place, a destination. And it still is. But when it comes to eating out at great expense, you want a place you can rely on and while the food has, almost without exception, always been outstanding, the service can sometimes feel a little fast and rough for those who like to be taken care of.
With bright lighting, a sparse, no frills décor and a simple menu, Buen Ayre leaves it all up to the food and the staff. And if you want smiley, fastidious waiting to be afforded you, then Buen Ayre probably isn’t your kind of place. The casualness can grate and the lack of formality may annoy. Fortunately, I like a restaurant where the staff leaves you to get on with things and I don’t judge slow service too harshly - at least not when the meat is good. And the meat is really good here. Argentina is famous for its steak and Buen Ayre does the reputation proud.
The menu offers separate steak dishes but as a greedy couple we order the mixed meat grill – or Parrilllada - to share. Charged at £26.50 per person, this isn’t the cheapest option but it is the option that allows you to sample the most meat, thus becoming the only option. Included on the table hot plate is a mountain that includes sirloin, rib eye, Argentine sausages, black pudding, provolone cheese and mushrooms. The steak is deliciously tender, juicy and rich – especially the rib eye - and having the hot plate on the table tends to alleviate the key problem of coldness when eating your steak bloody. The sausage and black pudding are sticky, sickly (in a good way) hunks of meat and they add a touch of dirtiness that compliments the platter. Order chips as a side but share.
Wine has to be red, obviously, and you’ll find it hard to see a menu with more Malbec anywhere in London. It’s a case of choosing your price point and going with it. That could mean opting for the Santa Rosa at £15.50 or going premium and ordering a bottle of the Susana Balbo at £43.50. Whatever works for you. Alternatively you could just drink Argentina’s Quilmes lager instead.
Having had conversations with people about Buen Ayre, it’s clear that the prices involved with such a simple restaurant split opinions about what is expected. However, if you’re really focused on the search for the best steak – with wine to match –then this is an informal slice of meat heaven that you need to enjoy.
Reviewed by T.A.O
Published on Aug 13, 2013
Best For
Our favourite steak restaurants
Mmmm. Steak.
Steak is a simple dish. If the meat is right then chances are you’re going to have a superb meal. Buen Ayre is all about simplicity and it’s what gives the Argentinean steak house on Broadway Market such appeal. Served up to the table on a candle-lit hot plate you should always opt for the platter. Steak accompanied by Argentinean sausage and grilled cheeses.
User Reviews
Robertina
Aug 28, 2012
Went there with friends. Nice table for five people. Good service. Meat very good, tasty side dishes, wonderful dessert. Liked the place, the staff and the food. Good money for value. Will certainly go again.
Anonymous
Nov 10, 2009
After being recommended this restaurant by several friends I was looking forward to a birthday dinner with my partner. As it turned out I was very disappointed, the reasons being so many I will try to compact it coherently!
Firstly we were put at a table that, literally, got tapped by the front door when it opened. When we asked to move further into the restaurant we were told it was booked but it stayed vacant all night and was only used when a table walked in and asked about availability! We had reserved several weeks in advance so this was strange to me.
All the starters involved a cured meat and a tinned vegetable (In my case Serrano with tinned palm hearts) and were smothered in Mary Rose sauce. (Sounds fancy but is just ketchup and mayo mixed together!). My steak, which was admittedly a nice piece of meat, came undercooked by several degrees and when I asked for it to be cooked more the chef very lazily just butter flied it (twice!) and cremated it. We asked if there was some garnish with the steak and were told, yes salad. It didn't. Desserts were so awful we asked for them to be taken off the bill to which we got the reply "we don't take things off the bill just because you don't like them"! That's the food! Wait 'til you hear about the service!
Firstly it was slap-dash. The waiter was disinterested, knocking back shots with his friends there drinking! He cleared our plates with arms full of other dirties, going so far as to put somebody else’s dirty plate on our table while he re-jigged! During our meal he knocked over a full glass of wine and offered no apology or replacement. When paying I asked to remove service, he asked why, I said because it was not satisfactory. At this he threw the credit card machine on our table and huffily declared he didn't care what we said he KNEW he was a good waiter. I may have snorted, which didn't help! His poor colleague had to diffuse the situation. And all this cost us £115(no service of course!). Never ag
Firstly we were put at a table that, literally, got tapped by the front door when it opened. When we asked to move further into the restaurant we were told it was booked but it stayed vacant all night and was only used when a table walked in and asked about availability! We had reserved several weeks in advance so this was strange to me.
All the starters involved a cured meat and a tinned vegetable (In my case Serrano with tinned palm hearts) and were smothered in Mary Rose sauce. (Sounds fancy but is just ketchup and mayo mixed together!). My steak, which was admittedly a nice piece of meat, came undercooked by several degrees and when I asked for it to be cooked more the chef very lazily just butter flied it (twice!) and cremated it. We asked if there was some garnish with the steak and were told, yes salad. It didn't. Desserts were so awful we asked for them to be taken off the bill to which we got the reply "we don't take things off the bill just because you don't like them"! That's the food! Wait 'til you hear about the service!
Firstly it was slap-dash. The waiter was disinterested, knocking back shots with his friends there drinking! He cleared our plates with arms full of other dirties, going so far as to put somebody else’s dirty plate on our table while he re-jigged! During our meal he knocked over a full glass of wine and offered no apology or replacement. When paying I asked to remove service, he asked why, I said because it was not satisfactory. At this he threw the credit card machine on our table and huffily declared he didn't care what we said he KNEW he was a good waiter. I may have snorted, which didn't help! His poor colleague had to diffuse the situation. And all this cost us £115(no service of course!). Never ag
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