Log in to My Time Out for your personalised guide to what's on in London. It's fast, easy and FREE!
Follow A La Cruz to receive updates on special offers here.
What is 'following'?Voted for by over 100 experts including Simon Pegg and Roger Corman
The hip-hop impro duo work 2012 comedy highlights into a freestyle rap.
The Shakespeare Olympics begin April 22 at the Globe
Buen Ayre in Hackney's Broadway Market, is a well-regarded Argentinian grill that we rate as one of the best places to eat in east London. We were delighted to hear they were opening a new branch behind Exmouth Market, this time with a fire pit, or 'asador', in addition to the more usual parrilla (grill).
On a quiet night we were seated in Siberia by the door, with a cold draught whistling through. We asked to be reseated, near the asador. This particular asador is on display but enclosed by panels of safety glass, with silhouettes of metal cages surrounding the open flame, trapping the butchered carcasses within. It's a dramatic sight if you're sitting near the asado - but if you are, be warned that your clothes may also be smelling kippered by the end of the evening, as smoke still escapes.
It's shame then that our visit was marked by slow and inattentive service, and indifferent food. Our drinks orders were forgotten, twice. Our food took nearly an hour to arrive, and when it did, it went to an adjacent table first.
For a restaurant that stakes its reputation of meat, we were disappointed that a cut of beef flank was cooked so dry and tough it was the consistency of rope, and therefore remained barely touched on the plate. Better was the beef flank on the bone, which although well-cooked, was nothing extraordinary. Maybe they were still getting to grips with this new asado. Other Argentinian grills in the capital, of which there are now several, do a more consistent job.
The starters were better, if prosaic. A tomato salad consisted of whole greenhouse tomatoes, slightly underripe, topped with some white onion rings. Empanadas had good, crumbly pastry and simple fillings, but came with no salsa accompaniment. Black pudding was the tastiest dish, though again was just that - a sausage-sized pudding on a plate, moist and well-flavoured, with no accompaniments, salad or garnishes.
We really wanted to like A La Cruz, but on the basis of our visit, it has to make a lot of improvements before we're able to recommend it to anyone except hard-core Buen Ayre enthusiasts and camp followers.
Follow A La Cruz to receive updates on special offers here.
What is 'following'?020 7837 1999
Open 6-10pm Mon-Fri; 12.30-10pm Sat, Sun
I was so excited when this place opened and went quite a few times, but have now stopped because of the consistently bad attitude of the staff. This is actually not just bad, but verges on the confrontational - a waiter going back to the bar and making obvious comments about a member of my group, to laughter and openly hostile stares from his colleagues! Astonishing. The management need to give their staff a serious talking to or they will alienate more customers. I can't stress strongly enough how much I think you should not go. Ambassador and Medcalf do very good meat in this area, if you want Argentinian its worth paying for a taxi to Buen Ayre.
Ate there last night and the rib eye steaks we ordered were the best I have eaten in a long time. Service was fine, nothing to write home about but not as bad as described below. My one gripe is the temperature levels - it's a bit chilly and I'm a central heating addict but after getting stuck into the fabulous food it didn't seem to matter too much.
A somewhat soulless place with very little atmosphere. Waitress really tried her hardest to make us have a large glass of wine (we were driving so wanted small). The food was mediocre, but the side order of garlic mushrooms looked as though they had not even been cooked, let alone seen a sliver of garlic. Steak was OK though but service slow. My friend actually had her side plate taken away when she was using it and had the knife still in her hand - most strange.
A very mediocre experience and wouldn't bother going back again.
I saw the two star rating on timeout of this restaurant and felt very reluctant to go when a friend was desperate to go there with me, so I arrived there with very low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in that we were both enthusiastically and warmly greeted (not immediately because it was busy but that kind of thing doesn't bother me) and shown to our table which was in a darkish room away from the bar and grill action, but it was still cosy and candlelit. The service was slightly slow at times but the staff were very nice and it was packed which is understandable. We ordered a lovely Luigi Bosca malbec which was around £30 or so but the quality of it could probably sell for more in other places. The food was diviine and so well presented: I ordered a medium-rare rib-eye steak which was cooked to perfection and I could clearly tell the difference between having a coal heated steak to a pan cooked steak - the former being much nicer and the latter being done everywhere else, including the 'argentine' gaucho grill. I love the place, the food and its atmosphere. I highly recommend it.
The best steak I had in my life, even though I am from Argentina! Even the deserts tasted better than my grandma's. The staff are also very friendly and there's a great atmosphere. Highly recommended!
This place is really disappointing. The argentinean stuff are the most dismissive waiting staff in the whole of london, Why!!!!!!!! people are lovely in buenos aires. The food is another matter, why to served a rotten avocado, when the choice is so little, the meat is ok, but i will go the Ambassador in Exmoor market for better quality.
Went to A La Cruz last night, fully packed, amazing atmosphere, the meal was just heaven, the wine the best one and the Staff so friendly. this is a MUST GO restaurant!
Well done A La Cruz
Really great place for the best steaks (all meat) in town, friendly and modest. Good background music and great to see D.Tremlett's work on walls. Will go back for sure!!!!
Four of us had a good experience at A La Cruz last night.The steaks were tender and cooked as requested,salads fresh and chips crispy.The service could do with sharpening up,but apart from that it seemed like a great place to have steak and chips at a reasonable price- if you had the same thing at Hawksmoor it would be twice the price!
Lovely place, nice atmosphere, great food and attentive service.
Prices are on the average of other Argentian resturants in London, so nothing to unexpected in that regard!
Wine was good and we were served timely really delicious food.
I hope to go back there soon.
I visited A la Cruz on 8 December 10 for our team christmas lunch for work (3 of us only), the service was very slow despite we were the only ones in the restaurant; it took 45 mins for us to get our food; the food was fantastic I must admit! but the service very poor! I asked for my steak to take away as I couldn't finish 450gr of meat so they agreed to it, after clearing up the table the waiter comes back saying that they haven't got any take away containers so I could not believe that a restaurant would not have even a bag for me take my £20 steak away so I was so unhappy!!! when the bill comes they charge us with £11 of service charges! when the service was so bad!!! So we are not going back there again! A shame really that a bad service spoilt the whole experience of a tasty meal!
This place is GREAT. I don't know why are there so many bad comments. The meat is perfectly cooked, the service is very attentive and the place is nice.
I celebrated my last birthday there and they even offered a private area for us to be confortable and geve a complementary birthday cake. I couldn't be happier. Everybody LOVED the place and we all had a fantastic time. I deffinitely recommend it.
Went to the restaurant last night as we couldn't get in at Buen Ayre. It's a very different experience to Buen Ayre but one that we enjoyed.
Thankfully we were sitting opposite the Asador and it is the first time I have seen one of these and it's a fascinating site.
For starter we had Argentinian sausage and sweet breat both delicous and large portions. I ordred the fatty on the bone cut from the asador and it was absolutely delicious, really tasty although a little salty. My partner had a fillet off the grill which isn't the tastiest fillet we have ever treid but was ok.
By this stage we were very full and content. Really recomeend the bone cut from the asador.
Atmosphere of the restaurant was ok but a little quite when we arrived, although I would not want to be there when full as tables are way too close together. Service was friendly and helpful although we had to ask for the wine list which for me is no big deal but some people would complain about this.
All in all good place and I definitely want to eat from and sit near the asador again.
I had such a nice meal tonight in A La Cruz that I made the effort to post a positive comment. I am surprise to find people have so many negative experience there.
To be fair I will acknowlage both positive and negative comment from other people with my own experience tonight.
The best thing about A La Cruz is that their Maxi Grill is excellent. With the steak I enjoyed a glass of Malbec. To finish it off, we had some lovely flan and good ice cream. While we're eating I already asked my boyfriend to take me back to A La Cruz for my upcoming birthday.
The services is very good too. The staffs are attentive to us. When our next table had problem with the amout of fat on their lamb, staff honestly try to sort out the problem. The chef found a leaner piece of lamb. However, it was still not lean enough. Thus, they offer other dishes.
Infact, their fatty lamb is a set back in A La Crus along with the tight sitting. The seating will definately improve if they drop a 2 people table.
Hopefully, when we return to A La Cruz on my birthday, the Maxi Grill and dessert will as good as this time.
We had a disappointing and expensive experience here. The service, particularly the "welcome" was off-hand and sniffy and the food was disappointing - ok but not great, world-class cuisine. The service once in the restaurant was equally poor. A number of choices were "off" despite the fact that they used cheap ingredients, "the meat". Service was slow and my future daughter-in-law's main course was forgotten.
I
As with other commentators I found the room crowded and the tables too close to each other. We didn't have to worry about our conversation being overheard, we could hardly hear each other over the din of the other diners.
I can find nothing about the experience to commend and certainly won't bother going back
I totally agree with the comments. My experiences were bad too .......... massively over-priced for below average food!!
What a disappointment on the quality of my Argentinian Rib Eye Steak!! This from a restaurant that built up my expectations with claims "to provide a truly memorable experience, designed to satisfy all the senses". It was probably the worst steak (consistency of old rope) I have struggled with as the 'off-cuts', gristle and lumps of carved out fat around my plate amply illustrated. Even though they did not charge for my steak ..... sadly the damage was already done and 'memorable' for entirely the wrong reasons.
My wife's fillet steak was excellent and so was the Aubergine. The rest were instantly forgettable.
I subscribed to a "Groupon Deal" which, in my eyes, gave this restaurant some credibility. Sadly, this bad experience reflects on Groupon and it's implicit endorsements too !!
I am not a chef but even I could have cooked a better Rib Eye Steak with some good British Beef supplied by my local Master Butcher!! Pity that this was my first (and last) experience of / introduction to Argentine Cuisine and their Beef in particular. Being lunch-time, we were informed that the asador was not functional .... just a traditional grill.
It is a pity that I did not read the 'Time Out' review before deciding on this restaurant. It seems that, seven months down the track the improvements are still awaited and perhaps long overdue!! Avoid unless you are a gambling person.
Couldn't disagree with the previous comment more. This place is awful. Lacks atmosphere and anything close to service. "Meat" was in fact just fat, with no meat to be found. French fries only hot side you can order. I would not go here again - for the same price you CAN eat at Gaucho Grill and get far better food, service, the works.
What a little gem of a place. Nice and friendly service, good wine list - of course focused on Argentina - and with affordable bottles. Meat was fantastic, we had some from the asado, some from the parilla. everything was tender, cooked to perfection. Make sure you come hungry...I like the decor too. will go back soon and recommend to friends! I am now reconciled with Argentinian restaurants after the poor experiences at Gaucho...
Including exclusive offers and tickets, the best events, news, competitions and giveaways.
© 2012 Time Out Group Ltd and Time Out Digital Ltd. All rights reserved. All material on this site is © Time Out
Share your thoughts