Following Pepito we were back in the Hispanic world for the youngest’s birthday (he’s nearly as old as me now) prior to a big night out (him) and a Pet Shop Boys gig (us). It was clear from very early on that he’d made an excellent choice in booking La Patagonia. We arrived just as it opened and were welcomed warmly by a cheery couple of servers. The room is decorated with a fascinating mix of Argentinian memorabilia of sporting stars (including their 2006 Copa America-winning women’s team – it’s not all Maradona), revolutionaries and musicians, as well as a selection of contemporary photographs of English-based footballers hanging out at La P.

And when you look at the menu you can see why they were here. As expected it goes big on steaks but there is also a good range of interesting Argetinian tapas to get warmed up. We shared some cheese croquetas (as good as the ones at Pepito but dense rather than fluffy), boudin noir, a chunky lump of sausage and some marinated aubergine. The only slight fault was a very salty aubergine but this at least gave me an excuse to get stuck into the meaty Malbec that James had selected for us.

For main I had a rump steak, which arrived simply presented on a white plate with a smattering of mushrooms in a light sauce. Home-made chimichurri was served on the side to share, as were crispy chips and a generous side salad. Credit to the guy on the grill who we could see toiling away at the back of the room – he did the beef to perfection.

Despite it being a birthday none of us could squeeze in dessert so we just took a coffee and enjoyed the buzz of a full room of happy diners. Then it was a short stroll to see Chris and Neil send the disco-fevered senior citizens into raptures.

8/10

To see where else I’ve been click on the google map below.

Food London Restaurants Argentinian Camden Food London Restaurant