Santa Maria Del Sur is a cosy little Argentinian restaurant in Battersea which celebrates its 10th birthday this week!
I was invited here for a media get together a little while back and really enjoyed the restaurant. I have such great memories from South America and I always love trying restaurants here in London that remind me of those good times. The exterior of Santa Maria Del Sur is quite subtle but as soon as you step inside, you can feel the South American vibe as you’re surrounded by dark wooden decor. I like that the restaurant has remained authentic throughout the years and it doesn’t have a chain-restaurant atmosphere.
As soon as everyone had gathered, the lovely Juan went through pretty much the whole menu. It all sounded amazing but I wanted to go for the most traditional dishes, so for starters I had the ham and cheese empanada (£3.10). I enjoyed the flavour of the empanada, however I had imagined the cheese to be melted inside but it arrived crisp on the outside and medium cooked on the inside.
Disclaimer: I’m usually not a big red wine drinker but the Abasto Malbec (£37.85) was just so smooth and delicious, it went down so well! It was one of the nicest red wines I’ve had. The wine had also been specifically bottled for Santa Maria del Sur which made it extra special.
Reminiscing of my good times in South America, I knew straight away that I wanted the Lomo (£29.50). I ordered it medium rare as that’s the recommended option for the most tender outcome. The quality of the meat was great and the steak was presented sizzling on hot stone. I really enjoyed the steak, although it wasn’t completely tender throughout. The chimichurri, the wine, the grilled peppers with garlic & herbs dressing (£3.50) and the mushrooms with melted cheese (£3.50) all complimented the steak so nicely. I definitely recommend having the mushroom and peppers as sides. The whole meal was absolutely delicious!
SUMMARY
Apart from questioning the starter, I think the rest of the meal was delicious and would recommend Santa Maria Del Sur for a good steak. The starter, lomo steak, 2 sides and sharing a bottle of wine would have cost around £60. Perhaps it’s suited more for a special occasion. If you compare it to other high end steak houses such as Gaucho, Goodmans and Hawksmoor, the price is on the same level but you get a more authentic experience at Santa Maria. I always love coming across low key neighbourhood restaurants which remain consistent throughout its years. I personally think its worth the little trek away from Central London.
Santa Maria del Sur
129 Queenstown Rd, London SW8 3RH
020 7622 2088
Catch52 – A London Food & Travel Blog
