Gaucho Newcastle — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

If this is Newcastle’s idea of high-end dining, then Gaucho should be ashamed.

We arrived promptly for our booking only to be told our table wasn’t ready—despite several empty tables clearly sitting there untouched. Instead, we were dumped at the bar and left for 25 minutes before finally being seated.

As an apology for the delay, we were given fresh bread and olives. Ironically, this turned out to be the best part of the meal.

While waiting at the bar, I tried to order a bottle of wine. The list looked impressive enough, but the first Shiraz I requested wasn’t in stock. The second Shiraz I asked for wasn’t available either, forcing me to settle for a £50 Pinotage I didn’t really want. Let’s just say I’ve had supermarket bottles at £6 that were far more enjoyable. For a supposedly premium restaurant, that says it all.

The food? Average at best. The chips were the sort of thing you’d turn your nose up at in McDonald’s, and the 300g sirloin—though cooked rare as requested—was completely devoid of that deep, beefy flavour you’d expect from a decent cut. Instead, the only thing it tasted of was charred grill. In other words, burnt. My wife’s medium-rare sirloin didn’t fare much better, equally lacking in flavour and overshadowed by the harsh char from the grill.

To top it off, once we’d finished eating, it took another 25 minutes before anyone even thought to bring over the card machine. At that point, it was less “dining experience” and more “hostage situation.”

Strip away the glossy branding and the inflated prices, and what you’re left with is nothing more than an average chain steakhouse pretending to be something special. Gaucho Newcastle talks the talk of a high-end restaurant, but delivers sloppy service, poor stock management, and food that doesn’t come close to justifying the bill.

Overall, the entire experience was an utter disappointment. For a £150 meal, we expected quality food, attentive service, and a sense of occasion. Instead, we left feeling short-changed, frustrated, and wondering how Gaucho has managed to convince anyone it’s...

Lucky enough to get on the promo opening of this restaurant but ill make this review on the basis we paid full price.

The positives thankfully there were many. In the main what do you come to a steak restaurant for - great steak! I opted for Chorizo (Sirloin) medium and easily one of the best i’ve ever had, it was succulent, melt in your mouth and cooked to perfection. Apparently the key is wet raised opposed to dry but ill let experts debate that one. The starter of seared Scallops (a personal fav) were also very tasty though perhaps a little accompaniment of salad wouldn’t of gone amiss. My side order of thyme salt chips and a buttered lettuce which I thought was an interesting twist and complemented the steak really well as did the Bearnaise sauce which was beautiful though could of been a slightly more generous pot. Finishing off with warm cookie dough, gooey really hot and a generous helping of vanilla ice cream. Everything was delicious! Customer service was superb, staff were attentive and we felt really looked after.

Negatives, look guys I dont come to an a la Carte restaurant to be terrified of the bill, you come for quality food, drinks and service however it pushes the boundaries for me to pay £7 for a small bottle of Malaga Beer, its not as premium as you make out (3 for £5.50 at Tesco c’mon) and a short walk up the street to one of Newcastles best Tapas houses they sell £6 odd a pint (no pints in here - is that a stuck up thing….?). The wine was tasty if unspectacular but price list was also on quite heavy side. The steaks aren’t cheap either but no complaints in that department as you get you pay for, delicious 5 star food.

Id return albeit for a special occasion but some pricing does...

Approaching the entrance of Gaucho, our senses were assaulted by a very strong and unpleasant smell of kitchen grease. This doesn’t really fill the first-time visitor with eager anticipation. Inside the restaurant, the smell was only faint, much to our relief. The food is by no means cheap, nor is the drink. At this price point diners should have a realistic expectation of high quality. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. We found the offerings to be average, and therefore overpriced for the quality we experienced. The restaurant also adds a “Gratuity” line item to the bill, assessed at 12.5% of the pre-gratuity total. This of course means that if you select an item of food or drink that’s at the higher end of the price spectrum, you’re going to be penalized with a higher “gratuity” burden. But why? The standard of service doesn’t improve with the amount of money you’re spending. Also, it’s not really a gratuity when the restaurant determines how much you’ll pay (or give..!), it’s a 12.5% penalty for having the misfortune to eat here. It would be much better if the restaurant priced its offerings to cover its costs properly, including the cost of paying decent salaries to its staff, instead of adding 12.5% to everyone’s bill. If the product and service delivered is good, diners will leave the gratuity they deem appropriate. Put customers first, profits will follow; put profits first, watch former customers eat at your competitors… On leaving the restaurant we were again treated to the unpleasant smell of kitchen grease – not the best way to...