Night Out at Canary Wharf - Jamie's & Gaucho Grill

Gaucho Grill
Multiple locations in London
29 Westferry Circus
London, E14 8RR
Tel: 0871 332 7606
http://www.gaucho-grill.com

Jamie's
28 Westferry Circus
London E14 8RR
Tel: 020 7536 2861

We decided to do a Friday night out in Canary Wharf after my co-worker Tim suggested ice skating. It's a strange getting out of the tube station and seeing so many sky scrapers. Most of London is not like New York City, so it felt very modern compared to central and west London. Note that Canary Wharf is where all the banks are concentrated, which could explain the high concentration of Porches and Mercedes in a 3 block radius. I do have to commend the large indoor mall linked to the Canary Wharf tube station. All inclusive, with there own fully equipped Waitrose (like Whole Foods). Sounds like NY's AOL Time Warner Builing huh? Yuppies live here. :)

After a painful hour of ice skating under the bright lights of towering buildings, we had to kill some time before our 930pm reservation at Gaucho Grill (we had a big party). The bar Jamie's right next to Gaucho Grill is a fun and lively place to kill some time. Both are located on Westferry Circus and have a romantic evening view of the Thames River. I wouldn't mind coming back to Royal China for some dim sum during the day, also next to Gaucho Grill.

Jamie's serves up good beer and delicious appetizer plates. Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc is Joe's beer of choice now, and I'm always down for a good cider. Food-wise, you can get your hands on some mini burgers, mini shrimp burritos, duck egg rolls, potato wedges, onion rings, and chicken satay. Do order the 'sampler' platter. Yes, skating around in circles does work up an appetite. Also, word is Jamie's is where all the Essex girls hang out in hope of snagging a banker husband, or just a sugar daddy. Just FYI (wink wink).

If you crave a steak while you are in London, Gaucho Grill can do the job as long as you get your steak with a side of béarnaise sauce. We found that the Argentinian beef was not as flavorful as we were used to, probably cooked with no salt/pepper. But quality wise, the fillet seemed to be the favorite (pronounced FILL-ET in London).

Don't miss out on trying at least 1 bottle from the extensive Argentinian wine selection. Floriane picked out a great bottle Malbec from Terrezas de los Andes 2004. Great red wine to have with a steak. Fruity, black cherries, prunes, raisins combined with vanilla, caramel notes. Great body, structure and volume.

The service was incredible for London standards. I would come back to try other non-meat dishes, as the chopped salad and grilled gambas were delicious.