Buen Ayre
50 Broadway Market
London
E8 4QJ
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GHASTLY
This is truly the most appalling place I have had the misfortune to eat in. Four of us went well out of our way on a weekend visit from overseas to London on Saturday night last (22/08/09) to eat at this restaurant, as it had been recommended. I have never been treated so badly in an eatery in my life.It is difficult to know how to begin to describe the contempt with which we were treated. Many of the myriad problems were down to the waiter, who persisted in blatantly sneering each time we asked him a question. At the outset he snapped at us when we tried to place an order with him saying his "brain couldn't cope". We had to repeat our orders three times, despite the fact that the menu is very limited. He then returned to the table at least three further times at intervals of some five minutes apart to ask us again what we had ordered and how we wanted our steaks cooked (the steaks were later not cooked to specification and one had to be returned to the kitchen). Notwithstanding this, only three starters were slammed down rudely on our table. When my husband asked where my starter was the waiter shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes and said "what's the problem, it'll be here in 5 or 6 minutes". Some time later I received my cheese - a gloopy, congealing mess which was rapidly hardening on the cheap nasty tinned plate on which it was served.When I asked if they had Malbec he snapped in a derisory tone "All the wines are Malbec". He spilt wine on a bread plate when serving us and when this was pointed out to him, he simply snatched the plate and replaced it with another from a different table, without an apology. When I asked what sauce came with the steaks, he again snapped at me, rolled his eyes and said that it was a special Argentinian sauce, except he forgot to serve it with the steaks until we had almost finished, whereupon he brought a tiny container of sauce for the entire table, again this was thrown on the table. When one of our party had placed the knife and fork which she had used to eat her starter on the plates when he was clearing them away, he made a face at her and nodded at the knife and fork to tell her to take them back, rather than giving her a fresh knife and fork. Two of our parties plates were cleared away while others were still eating and one of the party whose plate was taken was not finished eating when her plate was taken.Word limits will not allow me to further describe the other issues which arose throughout our awful meal, but suffice to say that after further repeated abhorrences from the 'waiter' the final straw came after we received the wrong bill for twice the amount of our meal, asked for the correct bill and were presented with a bill with a large 'gratuity' added to it. When I questioned the waiter as to why a gratuity had been added he indignantly looked at me in his sneering manner and said "That's my tip". I said that we weren't paying him a tip and he said that no other table had a problem with him. I pointed out that I wasn't sitting at any other table. He then said his service was 'good'. If the whole thing wasn't so pathetic, it would almost have been laughable. Naturally, we refused to pay the 'gratuity'. When we asked to speak to a manager, we were told that the owner was there that evening and so we asked to speak to him to complain. Our requests to speak to him were repeatedly ignored, despite one of our party approaching the kitchen area. This summed up the place for me and I can't say I was surprised. Anyone who employs a waiter like the one who served us obviously has a complete disregard for the interest or enjoyment of his customers.This indescribably awful place ruined our entire weekend visit to London. I personally was very upset by the way in which we were treated, and embarrassed that I had suggested the place as somewhere to go. I deeply regret every penny of the £120 which we wasted there (you quite literally get 'a steak' for twenty something pounds. Chips are more).The waiter was not the only problem - amongst others, there were little black bits in the butter; it was swelteringly hot in the restaurant and there wasn't so much as one fan in the place. The door was open even though it was bin collection night on Broadway Market and unpleasant smells were wafting in the open door from the detritus on the street and from the bin collection lorry. I also have no idea why people raved about the meat either - mine was sinewy and gritty.I noted they had a 'Reviewed on Tripadvisor" sign in their door. I also note that there is another website devoted to London with what i would consider more accurate reviews of what the restaurant is really like. How this dreadful place is number 65 on Tripadvisor in a city full of great restaurants is baffling.I have gone to the trouble of writing a lengthy review in the hope that if it prevents even one other group from having a similar experience to ours, it will be worth it. I implore you to bring your custom to a restaurant in London where your patronage will be appreciated, and not to this hellhole.
A User - 09/08/2009 | report this review
Good, but not great
I decided to try this place after reading all the reviews on here. I was expecting great food and bad service from what I read.I thought the service was fine and the staff were friendly. Me and my friend ordered a brazier between us which was £23 a head. It included a sirloin, a ribeye, 2 black puddings and 4 sausages. And also 2 blocks of cheese which melt onto the barbeque\hotplate that it all comes on.First problem is that it dosen't come with any salad or chips so you have to order them seperatley which brings it up to about £28 each.The other problem I had was that it was just not anything special. It was nice but just not worth the money. You could do the same thing at home, just light a cole barbeque, get some ribeyes and some taste the difference sausages, and some black pudding and you're pretty much there.I also ordered a bottle of Malbec for £18, which is a lovely Argentinian red. That was very enjoyable and it went well with the meat.My friend ordered a dessert that I didn't try as I was busy drinking wine. So I don't know what that was like.Overall it came to about £100 including a tip as the staff were nice, and professional, and they gave us a shot of tequila on the house.So basically it was nice but for me just not worth the money, I think I should have just ordered a ribeye main for £20 and I would have been better off, but it was a fun night anyway. I just don't think I'd go there again, too many other places to try.
A User - 02/07/2009 | report this review
Tabl, what table?
I had some friends coming to London for one of their birthdays which I was organising and I had booked a table two weeks in advance and we were all really looking forward to it.I got a phone call the day before our booking on the Friday saying that we had not turned up and did we still want the table.I had booked the table for 7pm Saturday. Confused? I was.I did not book the table for Friday at 9pm but for Saturday at 7pm.I was told that there was no tables for four free for Saturday and that there was no room for me and my guests.I asked if there was anything that they could do for me in the future (hint hint) and I was told 'no'.There was no apology, nothing,just a slightly smug manager.So I was left on Friday night to try and find a replacement table for a busy Saturday night and I had to break the news to friends that they could not go to the Argentinean steak house that has so many great reviews.I have been before, a year or so ago and enjoyed myself as the food is good, this however shows little consideration for customer service and it should be known.If I had got a slight apology and a solution then that would have helped. We will maybe one day give them another go, but in the mean time, very disappointed, sorry guys.And hey, at least we did not turn up on the night to find no table for us.
A User - 12/05/2009 | report this review
service? what service?
I organised to meet a friend at Buen Ayre, and was lookig forward to nice food and wine. Not having booked a table, I looked through the window, and saw several free tables. I entered the restaurant, in the hope of securing a table. There were several staff milling about the open plan kitchen, none of which seemed particular bothered about seating me. After a what seemed like longer than naturual, a waiter did come over to 'greet' me. Actually, it was a totally blank expression on his face that greeted me. I asked, 'Would you have a table for two?'. To which he answered, 'Yeah', but did not guide me to a table. So again, I politely asked, 'May I sit anywhere?'. Where he then simply shrugged his shoulders, still staring at me blankly. For a minute, I thought I was at the end of some hidden camera comedy program. But no! It simply transpires that the waiter was rude and arrogant, with the attitude of a moody teenager. Once I had established there was no language barrier, simply an attitude problem, I decided I didn't want to support a place that thought this kind of service was acceptable, and walked out. I consider myself a very polite person, and certainly have never left a restaurant in a huff. As you can telI,I am still smarting. To the point I felt compelled to write this review. Why do people think it's OK to treat customers like this. It's Hackney, not Knightsbridge, for God's sake!
A User - 10/05/2009 | report this review
Good meat in Buen Ayre
This Latin-American restaurant is located on the trendy Broadway market and is known for serving fantastic meat.The staff were very friendly and even entertained some bored children left alone by their parents…I had a 8oz grilled Argentine Sirloin steak which was very nice and even better than the one I had at Santa Maria del Sur.Two from our group ordered PARRILLADAS (Braziers) which is basically a barbeque full with mixed meat on your table… It was so huge that we had to enjoy from it and eventually it was put into doggybags…The chips were chunkey, covered with spices and had a nice texture.Try the Quilmes Argentian beer (4.9%) it is a great one!I had a home made crème caramel with dulce de leche for dessert with a good espresso which was a nice way to end this amazing meal.gilka.co.uk
A User - 05/02/2009 | report this review
not quite as good as the hype
I went with high expectations which were not exactly lived up to. The staff were pushy about time and not attentive - for a small place it shouldn't take 10 minutes to get the attention of a waiter - and then when you asked for things they tended to forget.But this should be about the food - which was well there in abundance. But from a table of 6 we sent back 2 items for either being overdone, or not cooked at all (uncooked blooded sausage is not exactly appetizing) - we should have sent back more.Two people were lucky to get probably some of the most amazing steak I've tasted - but the 4 other people were left chewing on overdone/under done or just plain poorly done steaks.If you think your order is not perfectly rare/medium/well done or however you ordered it - send it back. This should be great a great restaurant, but its needs to be producing great food all the time in order to be considered a London must.
A User - 12/09/2008 | report this review
Carnivorus Maximus
Popeseye to the West, Buen Ayre to the East and when I do forget to top up the Oyster I shall walk to Black and Blue on Wigmore Street instead. These are my steak faves.No I've not been to Argentina and yes I've certainly been to at least three of the Gaucho branches. This place unequivocally knocks the spots off the latter. Tremendous steaks, the best so far. Dining companions are absolutely mandatory for the sole reason of sharing the Parrillada (brazier mixed grill) courses. The sirloins and the rib eye were suitably beefy, well hung and beautifully tender, which can only suggest that they came from a herd of happy cows and a savvy griddler. My fellow diners almost always pass up on the black pudding that comes with the course, oh well all the more for me, as they were contrastingly luscious to the steaks. Given the presence of the huge amount of meats on the table the relative parts of the salads and Atkins' nightmare of chips were purely cameo. A bottle of Malbec provides the right synergy with these beautiful steaks. Helado (ice cream) is the ideal afters following the epic red meat mains. Service was no nonsense and time wasters are promptly dealt with, the friendly multi-tasking waitress was brilliant. Veggies are thankfully acknowledged as well.You can't take the fertile pastures of the Pampas out of Argentina but Buen Ayre has more than allow us Londoners to enjoy its beef.
A User - 10/08/2008 | report this review
Best Argentinean restaurant in London
If you're looking for Argentine beef, this is the place to go.Having lived in Buenos Aires for two years, I always enjoy going to Santa Maria del Buen Ayre. They took the best of Argentinean restaurants (the beef) and added proper service and confortable seats.Do not expect refinenement, a parilla is simply beef that's grilled steak till it's very well done. It's perfect for meat lovers.The atmosphere is nice as well, informal and packed with people having a good time. Service is consistently friendly and efficient.Pricewise it may be a bit expensive given that's it's just a parilla place. You'll be paying 8 times BA prices for food and 16 times for wine, but you're in London. That amounts to about £20-30 per person total.
A User - 01/07/2008 | report this review
Finally a nice steak house
Those who live in Hackney can tell over the past few years the quality just gets better and better. The complete tranformation of broadway market still astonishes me. That said when Buen Ayre was open, i immediately fell in love the restaurant. We are not talking about steak which is flatted out, dry and tasteless that you will in pubs these days. This was steak was huge as if it was just chopped off from a cow. Anyone tried the suagages there.. man they are huge. The food there is lovely and service is quality everytime i have been there. The dissappointed thing i can say is that it is always packed out, full of people, and it can be hard to get a reservation there.
A User - 06/06/2008 | report this review
Massively over rated
I went here based on its reputation for high quality steaks.My visit was an utter disapointment. Terrible service and large flavourless slabs of meat. I love a good steak and living in England provides us with access to some of the best raised and hung beef in the world, this is not the place to find it. Avoid if you like your steaks juicy and flavoursome.
A User - 10/05/2008 | report this review
A good place to take fat friends to
Not bad - but it did seem to over-prioritise quantity over quality, and the beef I got was neither as tender as full of flavour as I would have expected.That said, there was lots of it, and if you have a big appetite - or a fan of novelty-sized superbig cuts of meat, then you won't be disappointed. And the atmosphere is nice and lively, and the service fine.Also the house red wine wasn't too harsh - not expecting world class here obviously, but it didn't complement the meat at all.
A User - 01/01/2008 | report this review
An absolute London must - but don't take it from me, go there yourself
If only I lived around the corner from Buen Ayre... this Argentinean shrine to all things meat has been open for a couple of years now, its main attraction the South American style of grill called the parilla, where meat is barbecued in a special fashion over a long, moveable charcoal grill in order to achieve the most tender and luscious results.Owned and run by an Irish-Argentinian who mans the grill on a regular basis, Buen Ayre pays homage to the Argentinian tradition of celebrating family get-togethers and events over the asado, or barbecue. All meat on the bone is imported from Argentina; due to import restrictions, meat off the bone cannot come from Argentina but is supplied by niche UK meats purveyor.The prices are excellent, especially when you take into consideration that someone must stand over a very hot grill for hours on end in order to achieve the intended juicy and slow-cooked result when using more difficult cuts of meat, and the wine list is a very thoughtfully chosen point of reference for Argentinean wines. Of course, the focus of the restaurant is on the meat - and I'm lost for words when it comes to describing how fantastic it is.Buen Ayre acts as a home away from home for many ex-pat Argentineans, many of whom travel from outside of London on the week-ends to eat here, and it's safe to say that 95% of the staff is of South American descent; it is very, very busy with an extremely loyal clientele and it is advisable to book roughly three days in advance.Please, please go here - I promise that you will not leave disappointed - the food is simple and superb, the staff is incredibly friendly, and the prices are just right.
A User - 10/07/2007 | report this review
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