De La Panza is a few-week's-old Argentine bodegón in the heart of De Beauvoir Town. Headed up by front of house Gaston Carrano, who helped with the set up of Broadway Market's Buen Ayre Restaurant and Santa Maria del Sur in Battersea, it's an attractive and elegant restaurant and, judging from the buzz during our Friday night visit, a welcome addition to the dining options on Southgate Road.
If you like Argentine wine and steak, you're in for a treat. For these offerings alone, the place is awesome. We loved our mountainous main course of bife de lomo fillet steak (284 grams, £25) and reckon all but the most finicky of carnivores would wholeheartedly approve. The chimichurri sauce rocked too. Our bottle of Massi Passo Doble Malbec/Corvina (£22) delighted, working well with the beef and the other dishes sampled. Other highlights included a starter course of gorgeous oregano-seasoned provoleta (grilled provolone, £5) and a dulche de leche enriched flan de la cafe for dessert (£5).
Other items failed to please, however. Pimientos de piquillo rellenos de pescado (piquillo peppers stuffed with cod and bechamel sauce, £15) was kinda meh, while a cheese, onion and tomato empanada (£2.50 each) was good but just so. Panqueques with cream and dulche de leche unfortunately fell flat.
In short, it's probably not the best spot for vegetarians or pescatarians and is pointless for vegans, but a winner of a choice if you're craving a big chunk o' cow or keen to work your way through an impressive wine list.
De La Panza is located at 105-107 Southgate Road, N1 3JS.
Photo/Chris Osburn
Disclosure: Londonist visited De la Panza upon invitation of the restaurant.
