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March 7, 2022

Gaucho is now officially open to the public in Glasgow.

The 120 cover West Nile Street restaurant is in the former Benihana premises.

Part of a seventeen-strong group, Gaucho opened its first restaurant in London in 1994.

Taking its name from South America's version of cowboys, the restaurants specialise in Argentinian beef.

More specifically, their beef comes from 'premium Black Angus cattle, bred in Argentina at hand-selected farms'. Apparently, when not enjoying the sweeping views, the free range cattle graze on 'seventeen different types of grass from the Pampas provinces of Argentina'.

As well as burgers, seafood and empanadas - Argentina's take on a pie - they offer several different cuts of steak.

A 225g piece of rump comes in at £18.50 and then prices rise up to £105 for a Gaucho Sampler which comprises a 1.2 kilo selection of four different cuts. And is presumably designed for sharing.

Sunday roast

Featuring three different joints of roasted meats accompanied by unlimited seasonal vegetables and Yorkshire puddings, we predict that the never ending Sunday roast at £32.50 will have no difficulty finding a loyal following.

Of course, there are veggie and vegan options across the various menus. 

The Gaucho seak tartare served with slow cooked duck egg and crackers. Pic from Gaucho Facebook.

The Gaucho seak tartare served with slow cooked duck egg and crackers. Pic from Gaucho Facebook.

As noted when we flagged up Gaucho's Glasgow plans in January, the new unit aims to be Scotland's first carton neutral steak restaurant.

Their greening efforts include reforestation and offsetting projects in South America. In 2021 they planted over 4,000 trees which will offset over 1,400 tonnes of carbon emissions across their lifetime.

This is Scotland's second Gaucho and it joins an Edinburgh branch on St Andrew Square.

We're happy to be corrected but, if memory serves, Gaucho established a Glasgow outpost way back in the Nineties. Or perhaps it was the Noughties.

Anyone else remember that or is this scribbler losing it?

Ka Pao in Edinburgh

On the other side of the M8, Ka Pao have announced a long anticipated launch date for their new branch in the St James Quarter.

The finishing touches are being put on the fourth floor unit which will open its doors on Monday 21st March.

From the same stable as Glasgow's Ox and Finch, Ka Pao offers dishes inspired by the countries of South East Asia.

We're speaking jungle curries made with monkfish cheeks, pork belly and ramiro pepper; salt and Szechuan pepper oyster mushrooms with pickled mooli and stir-fried minced venison and pork, chilli, lime leaf and lemongrass.

The original Ka Pao on Glasgow's Vinicombe Street is the happy holder of a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Main pic is from Ka Pao's Facebook.