Santa Maria del Sur, Battersea

Santa Maria del Sur: Anyone who knows me remotely well knows that I am self-confessed red meat fiend. I mean I've tried being a vegetarian, I've tried very hard...I lasted two days. For me - a good steak is the root of my happiness. Thankfully in London, you've got plenty of options to choose from when it comes to this - but more often than not it's the family-run restaurants which provide you with the perfect steak experience. 

In this case, this humble Battersea abode; Santa Maria del Sur.

Santa Maria del Sur is located near Queenstown Road, and nestled away in a very community-led location. Battersea is known for having a combination of families, young professionals making it the perfect place for Santa Maria del Sur. 

The lunch was for a group of 10; 10 hungry foodies with one thing on their mind. Seated in our cosy surroundings, it genuinely has the homely, family run restaurant feel which, personally, I love. I've always said that as much as I love dining in modern, art-deco style restaurants my true love lies with restaurants which make me feel comfortable and as if I can fully immerse myself in the atmosphere. 

The Argentinian cuisine is some of my favourite, for starters we were treated to Provoleta - which is grilled provolone cheese - which firstly I'd never heard of before, nor tried, and it's essentially a plate of melted cheese. Cheese is undoubtedly my biggest weakness, and to say my heart skipped a beat when I saw this delicious offering making it's way to the table is an understatement. Alongside the cheese we also had an Argentine tradition; empanadas. We opted for the chicken; they were slightly spicy, but delicious. I wasn't expecting them to be as tasty as they were, but I could happily have nibbled on those for the entirety of my stay. 

As with most places specialising in red meat, red wine is compulsory and we're provided with a bottle of Malbec..specifically for Santa Maria del Sur. It's lovely; it's not too heavy, and it's the perfect companion for all on offer.

Now onto my favourite part; steak. With Santa Maria del Sur you're sure to find a cut perfect for you, or if you are like myself and Natalie and cannot choose just one then you've got three options for different grills. We took the recommendation of the manager on the Parrillada San Telmo; 600 grams of grilled prime steaks, Argentine-style sausage, black pudding and more provolone cheese, all served on a grill. 

My favourite part? The rib-eye was the winner for me and I was completely blown away with the Argentine sausage. I normally don't enjoy anything like chorizo, however this was incredible and didn't resemble it. Slightly smokey, but with an abundance of flavours. The portion sizes are worth a mention too; it was huge. With a couple of sides, you're sure to be full for the rest of the day and needless to say we couldn't actually finish it. I mean I normally eat everything in sight, but I couldn't. Massive portions; you definitely will not leave hungry.

So for the finale - despite being painfully full - we were presented with every dessert item on the menu. Challenge accepted.

We all tucked in, the waistbands stretched to their absolute limits and in between feeling a little comatose I powered through. The banana based dessert alongside the crepe were standouts for me - however to be completely honest with you I could have happily eaten my share and the rest. Composure, Kassie.

Needless to say; it was fantastic. The staff at the restaurant couldn't have done more for us if they tried; they made the experience so much better. The owner impressed me also to no end; he sat with us all, and got to know us all. He genuinely cared about the restaurant and the people dining there - this kindness didn't just stretch to our table, but the surroundings too.

I personally cannot wait to head back and share it with my friends and family, it's the kind of place you can sit for a few hours and just enjoy the food, atmosphere and of course get progressively steamed.

Thank you to Alberto and Juan for hosting; you were truly the best hosts and absolute gems. Jose - your food is fantastic and I kind of want to marry you for it.

129 Queenstown Road, London 

santamariadelsur.com