Buenos Aires Café
17 Royal Parade Blackheath London SE3 0TL
There's been a restaurant on this site since the year dot, but strangely none of them really succeeded until Buenos Aires came along. Now, the residents of Blackheath don't know where they would be without their favourite local Argentinian. Perhaps its predecessors over-complicated things because Buenos Aires does the simple things well: its homely interior of mismatched furniture, and walls decorated with pictures from co-owner Reinaldo's paparazzo days, isn't going to win any design awards. But somehow it works as well for a special occasion as it does for a casual supper, both of which Buenos Aires is eminently suited to. The menu is authentic too, with Argentine-sourced beef – sirloin, rib-eye, fillet – cooked to order and served with some of the best chips you'll find on either side of the river. Make sure you leave some room, though, because the starters – several different varieties of delicious homemade chorizo, black pudding, a heart-attack-inducing grilled provoleta cheese and a selection of grilled vegetables to die for – can leave you dangerously full before you've started. At the other end of the scale, hungry folk will enjoy pitting their stomachs against the Buenos Aires mixed grill – a jaw-dropping platter of steak, ribs, black pudding, chicken and more that will have even the most committed carnivore struggling. There are pizzas too – thin-crusted little beauties – a range of puddings from creme caramel to trifle and one of the best Argentine wine lists this side of Buenos Aires itself. They also have a café down the hill in Greenwich that serves great coffee.
