Halal Argentinian steakhouse in west London, you say? We’re all ears! As we’re walking past Queensway/Bayswater the other day, we received a flyer with a 50% off offer for a newly opened Argentine steakhouse, Chamuyo, just around the corner. We also discovered that Chamuyo London is an Argentinian steakhouse with halal options for steaks, chicken and lamb. Since we didn’t have any plans for dinner that day anyway, there’s no better time to pop in to check it out!
Chamuyo London: Argentine Asados Steakhouse from Brighton
Chamuyo Argentine Steakhouse actually first started in Brighton back in 2011. Following its success there, they have decided to take on the London market and opened up a second branch in Bayswater! The new Chamuyo London branch is an intimate space tucked away on a small quiet street at Inverness Terrace. It’s rather dimly lit and the interiors resembled a basement wine cellar. Personally, we’re not the biggest fan of it and would much prefer a lighter and airier interior.
Anyhow, moving onto the menu, it’s fairly simple with a couple of starters, some meat dishes like lamb chops and chimichurri chicken, and then a good selection of steak options. All the steaks, chicken and lamb are halal (but not the beef in the empanadas) at Chamuyo. Alcohol is served at the restaurant and do note that Chamuyo London is currently only open in the evenings from 6 pm.
The Food: What We Ordered
*Date of dining: August 2022
Complimentary Bread
We started out with a complimentary bread & cheese basket, which is always nice. I’ve always said that one can usually tell a lot about the restaurant with the bread basket. The immediate impression I got is that Chamuyo goes after a rustic style and it’s not going to be any sort of sophisticated dining experience – which isn’t a problem. It includes crusty bread and a little pot of cheese which was a bit rough around the edges when it comes to presentation but tasted alright.
Meat Sampler (£59) + Spicy Hot Chimichurri (£1.75)
Chamuyo offers quite a few steak selections on the menu. As we struggle to decide which steaks to pick, the best way is to order the Meat Sampler, which includes four “premium cuts” and is enough to serve two. The steaks come piled over a hot sizzling plate and it also includes two side dishes to choose from (more on that below). Any sauces are at an extra cost and we paid an additional £1.75 for the spicy hot chimichurri (there is a regular chimichurri sauce as well if you don’t want spice).
I do apologise in advance that I wasn’t entirely sure which is which on the platter. From what I can figure out, it was the ribeye steak that turned out the best of the rest. We asked for medium-rare but the steaks turned out more medium-well. Of the four, the ribeye had the most flavour in it and was the most tender one. However, the remaining three steaks (one is a fillet) were underseasoned, overcooked, and dry. As for the spicy hot chimichurri, it was decent but given the unimpressive steaks, it didn’t get to shine much.
Mash Potatoes & Chips (included in the sampler)
Moving onto the side dishes, you get to pick two with the Meat Sampler. Options include chips, mash potatoes, and salad – we went with the first two. Unfortunately, the chips lacked seasoning and the mash potato, simply put, resembled canteen food. Neither would I deem proper restaurant quality. The only positive thing was that the portion sizes were relatively generous. But apart from that, it was rather unimpressive.
Restaurant Review Summary
At the end of the day, having only paid £30 total for 2 people because of the new opening promotion, I’m not going to complain much. However, if it were at full price, we wouldn’t be too happy about the quality of food we received at Chamuyo. The idea that Chamuyo is a halal-friendly Argentine steakhouse in London is a huge draw and would have been an easy win. But the current food quality nor presentation are enough to make an impact on the market.
Given that they’ve literally just opened, there were some minor teething issues, such as forgetting our side dishes and sauce. Nonetheless, the staff tried their best in giving good service and have been very friendly throughout. But since the food has failed to impress, which is the most important thing, I’m afraid we couldn’t really recommend the place.
Looking for other halal-friendly restaurants in Queensway/Bayswater area? Check these out too:
RATING
-
Food
-
Atmosphere
-
Service
-
Value for Money
Tel: 020 7727 5082
Website: https://chamuyo.co.uk/london/
Instagram: chamuyosteakhouse
Nearest station: Queensway / Bayswater
