There’s no denying it – Linden officially has the best South American restaurant in Johannesburg. Welcome to Gaucho where everything from Peruvian & Chilean style seafood to carefully sourced grilled meats and fish,  and of course not forgetting the delicious cocktails are made to perfection with seasonal and vibrant ingredients to transport you to South America

Gaucho is a sassy restaurant with a very warm and welcoming feel to the decor that sets the scene and creates an exotic environment with South American food, beers, and cocktails that make for a memorable Latino boozy brunch, lunch and dinner experience.

To celebrate my birthday weekend my friends and I decided to do it with a little bit of extra sass by having breakfast and lunch at Gaucho. 

For our breakfast we kept it simple to set the tone for the day by ordering the: 

Cubano (R85): Pastrami, cheese, gherkins and mustard, the cheese melted perfectly and the mustard gave it a delicious tangy flavour, a perfect start to a great day.

Croissant (R76): Scrambled eggs and bacon bits. Can never go wrong with this combo.

Meat (R105):  Chorizo, potato crisps, 2 eggs and bacon, cooked and served on a hot skillet. A classic that is unfussy and flavoursome.

For Lunch we got a little crazy wanting to try as much as possible. Each meal was cooked to perfection with the freshest high quality ingredients and the flavours packed a punch. The smashed potatoes were the highlight of the day, they just melted in your mouth and left you wanting more. 

Starters:

Gambas Pil Pil (R105): Prawns in a spicy tomato and onion salsa

Lamb Riblets R95: Open flame cooked lamb riblets  

Smashed Baby Potatoes R40: with Butter, Garlic and Herbs (A must have, best side on the menu)

Salt and Pepper Squid (R100): Served with homemade tartar sauce

Mains:

Grilled Calamari (R175):  served with olives, red peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes and chorizo sausage. The flavours all which tantalise, stimulate and thrill.

Basil Pesto (R125): Creamy Chicken basil pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes and Danish feta

Pork Steak 300g (R130): with truffle mash and sofrito rice (best rice you will ever have)

For a sweet ending we tried the:

Cookie Skillet (R130): Large chocolate chip cookie, baked in a skillet, served with dulce de leche. Served with two scoops of ice-cream – salty vanilla or caramelised milk

Sopaipilla (R55): Argentinian style doughnut with dulce de leche, Bar-One sauce or homemade jam and cream

The outstanding food and service just put Gaucho over the top! You can look at spending anywhere between R350 – R450 for a starter, main, dessert and a drink. Give this place a try and Let the Gaucho take you on a culinary tour of South America! You will be extremely surprised!