The Buenos Aires Café, Blackheath

In order to keep a healthy balance on the blog, this next post is all about meat. Vegetarians look away.

The Buenos Aires Café is located in the lovely ‘village’ of Blackheath, in South-East London. There is sadly no tube connection to Blackheath, perhaps one of the reasons as to why it is able to maintain its charm, but there is an over ground connection in the heart of the village, just 12 minutes from London Bridge. The restaurant is located on Royal Parade, overlooking views of the heath, which gives a relaxed feel to the place.

There are quite a few interesting establishments in the area covering a selecting of price ranges. For example Chapters, aimed at the more up-market customer, in contrast to the rustic approach of the ‘Hand Made Food Café’. With its close proximity to Greenwich Park, Blackheath makes for a lovely afternoon out.

The Buenos Aires Café falls in the middle of the price range, with a steak retailing in at £14 to £30, depending on your preference. It is a firm favourite for a ‘treat meal’ in my family, particularly with my brother. The co-owners, an Argentinian and his English wife, run the place themselves, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The café was inspired by their revulsion at the quality of beef in the UK and the way in which animals are reared. All of their meat is sourced from an Argentinian supplier who provides them with the best cuts. The cattle industry of Argentina is highly profitable, with live-weight cattle production totalling $4.7 billion in 2005, yet it operates in a unique way. The Pampas region, where Argentinian cattle varieties traditionally come from, is an area covering 190,000 square miles where approximately 31 million cattle are able to roam free. This style of cattle ranching is one of the most ecologically sound in the world, as animals are ‘free-ranging’ and unnatural supplements are prevented from entering the heard, cattle ranching as it should be.

It is important to understand the different types of meat available, and although it may be more expensive, it is more ethical of opt for organic or ‘free-ranging’ meats, as the animals will have been raised in good conditions that are less damaging to the environment.

If you don't like meat - I suggest you really do look away now....

The Café’s philosophy is: “The simplest food is often the best, providing that high-quality and authentic ingredients have been used.”

This definitely shows through in the menu as meats are ordered with simple accompaniments of hand-cut chips, steamed spinach and sweet corn, but everything is delicious and cooked to perfection. My family ordered a steak platter with a selection of meats, which were all of a high quality. It must also be appreciated that the chef is not a one-trick pony – they also serve Argentinian style pizzas, pasta and bread-crumbed chicken. Having a vegetarian in our midst, I was able to sample the pizza first hand, and I was not disappointed. They obviously know a thing or two about cooking a variety of consistently excellent food.

Scores:

Food: 9/10. It can’t be a 10 because they were a bit stingy with the tomato ketchup (which wasn’t Heinz)

Ambience: 8/10, friendly environment with a good view and relaxing background music.  Perfect for a family meal or an intimate date…

Value for money: 8/10, It is pricey, but it’s worth it for a treat.

Would I go again: Yes.