Buen Ayre

BUEN AYRE

Cuisine: Argentine

Nearest tube: Bethnal Green

Address: 50 Broadway Market, E8 4QJ

Tel: 020 7275 9900

The meal at Buen Ayre took years off my life. In the best possible way.

This was a masterclass in gluttonous indulgence. I would eat here every week if I could, but unfortunately, I'd be dead faster than you can say 'pass the Stilton butter'. After my meal, I felt on the verge of a triple bypass, but had I died, it would've been with a smile on my face.

Everyone should eat here at least once before (/because) they die. A rustic and stylish little restaurant in the grottiest armpit of East London, Buen Ayre is full every night, and it's easy to see why. Booking is a must, so bring your friends along for an unforgettable evening out.

When ordering, if you don't choose the Parrillada Deluxe, you might as well go home. 14oz prime Argentine Sirloin steak + 11oz grilled Argentine Rib-eye steak, two Argentine-style pork sausages + black pudding + provolone cheese = WIN. The steaks are succulent and full of flavour, and the black pudding was the standout performer, moist and bursting with flavour. Add a side order of papas fritas a la provenzal - huge, fat, golden brown chips, crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and dripping with delicious garlic and parsley butter. The joy of this meal came with the bizarre and horrific combinations Gerard and I came up with: chips dipped in meat juice; steak smothered in the blue cheese butter that accompanies the bread; black pudding with melted cheese. Now I know how Elvis felt.

Buen Ayre is a bit of trek from Bethnal Green station, so you might fancy a taxi to carry you back when you're bursting with meat. It isn't cheap, weighing in at about £40 per head, but for the sheer guilty pleasure of it, I'd say it's worth every penny. You might die, but you'll die happy.

Service 3/5

Food 4/5

Value 2/5

Ambience 3/5

Total: 12/20

Why you should go there: This is probably how Henry VIII used to eat.

Don’t leave without trying: Parrillada Deluxe