Gaucho restaurant, on Water Street, is in a grade 2 listed building that was once an opulent bank. It boasts Italian marble pillars, marble walls and impressively high vaulted ceilings. The building has been lovingly adapted, with minimal alteration. The curved, artfully lit, art deco bar is magnificent and the lighting throughout is subtle, yet still has that wow factor. The sparkly Christmas tree, perched above the bar is a lovely festive feature.

Feature by Jean Hill

The staff we chatted with were friendly and were really excited to be flying the flag for such a prestigious restaurant. We were interested to learn about food provenance and the origins of the restaurant.

The Gaucho food and wine menus are a true reflection of modern Argentina. The beef comes from Argentinian, premium Black-Angus cattle. The cattle graze on diverse types of grass from the Pampas provinces. Cows enjoy a lush, free-range lifestyle in an area famed for its fertile soil.

Through reforestation projects, Gaucho is now 100% carbon neutral in all its restaurants. The wine list, features, as you might expect many noteworthy wines from Argentina and then expands to include fine wines from around the world. There is an impressive cocktail menu too, that is hard to resist. The central bar draws a person in. Seems as good a place to start as any!

The seating is upholstered, ‘tailored’ and really comfortable. We enjoyed our first drinks, just gazing in wonder at the epic dimensions of the building. The dining area seats 194 handsomely.

We were happy to take advice on accompanying wines. My favourite was Susana Balbo, barrel fermented signature Torrrontés. Seared diver scallops with Nduja butter, Aguachilli verde with lemon crumb was probably the best starter I have ever tasted. The scallops melted in the mouth with a wonderful spicy after-taste. My companion had secured some crispy, homemade sourdough that I devoured as I sipped the delicious white wine.

On to the mains. Do not believe I can do justice to the whole sea bass with olive oil, herbs and lemon. Anything so uncomplicated must deliver on the quality of the fish and a chef who has a gift for using simple ingredients and has impeccable timing. This was a feast of flaky, rich satisfaction with fresh juicy flavour. And I never wanted to stop. My companion was of the opinion that the black, truffle stuffed gnocchi with kale and chestnut pesto, sautéed Porcini mushrooms, cream and Parmesan was simply the best gnocchi ever. Such a clever combining of compatible ingredients.

The cuts of beef are impressive. The fillet would be my choice next time. The meat is finely marbled, which is appropriate in such a setting.

Salted dulce de leche cheesecake, roughly translated: with condensed milk and toasted marshmallow was a perfectly crafted dessert. The richness is cut with a little saltiness and my companion, who swore she could not manage a mouthful of the shared dessert, somehow managed  several. Beautiful food with a real sense of occasion and a backdrop of grandeur from a different age; irresistible probably.

https://gauchorestaurants.com/restaurants/liverpool/

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