Restaurants

Tuesday night in Clapham Junction is about as far as it gets (in terms of atmosphere, architecture and alegría) from Buenos Aires. La Pampa is a rather unexciting experience, and on our visit the waiters were almost as tired as the decor (unchanged for years – a mix of Spanish bull-fighting posters, Blues Brothers memorabilia and farmyard animals on a faux-rustic rooftop tableau). The music was mainly Colombian, with the odd Cuban number. There was an unmistakeable whiff of bleach in the air, which again, has been here for years. The sole means of salvation is to attack a piece of meat. Both the strip loin (porterhouse) and fillet were magnificent, the latter (at least when grilled to medium) as soft as butter and as tasty as a steak gets. The chips were good too: chunky, crisp and nicely browned. Everything else, though, was either below par (the chorizos lacked a peppery bite) or non-existent. Such basics of pampas cuisine as black pudding, kidneys, sweetbreads, provolone cheese and mixed salad were absent. La Pampa has the feel of a chain that relies on pulling in passing trade.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008