La Patagonia, Camden High Street: what to order and when to go

La Patagonia, 31 Camden High Street, NW1 7JE. Book through OpenTable, expect roughly £26 to £49 a head, and go for the steak. It is an Argentine grill and steakhouse, and the nearest tube is Mornington Crescent.

What it is

The restaurant says it was established in 2010 and is family-run. Its own site describes beef sourced directly from Argentina, cooked slowly and simply on a charcoal grill (the parrilla). Inside, Visit London and Latino Life describe exposed brick, black-and-white photos and Argentine memorabilia. The Infatuation includes it in its current guide to the 12 best restaurants in Camden and calls it a friendly bolt hole from the chaos of Camden. It tags it as good for big groups, casual dinners and lunch.

That makes it a sound pick when the High Street is shoulder to shoulder and you want to sit down with a proper plate.

What to order

• Steak. The Infatuation says to get one, from the top-of-the-range lomo down to a rump and chips for under £20. No current lomo price is published in what we can point to, so ask when you sit down.
• Empanadas. Both The Infatuation and the restaurant's own site name them. OpenTable's menu snippet shows them at £4.00 each, though prices move.
• Humita. A side of corn, cheese and béchamel, recommended by The Infatuation.
• Malbec. Time Out describes an extensive list, with all the wine from Mendoza. Quilmes, the Argentine beer, is there too.
• The wider menu. Time Out lists grilled sweetbreads, morcilla (blood sausage), loin of lamb with mint and coriander chimichurri and a brocheta de carne (a beef fillet skewer). The restaurant's site also names milanesas and homemade sorrentinos, and SquareMeal mentions handmade pasta, a clay oven and dulce de leche desserts.

If you are sharing, start with empanadas and the humita, then split the steak decisions between the table. Order the malbec with the first round rather than the last.

What it costs

OpenTable puts the price band at £26 to £40 per person, SquareMeal at £30 to £49. Drinks push it up: one Tripadvisor reviewer grumbled about a £160 bill for five people, and the site's value score sits around 3.8 out of 5. Treat that as a nudge to check the wine list prices before you order a second bottle. Tripadvisor shows a 4.2 rating from about 558 reviews.

When to go

Published opening hours do not agree, so check before you set off. The safe plan is weekday evenings from 18:00 and weekend lunch from 12:00, with the kitchen closing around 22:00 to 22:30. Visit London lists weekday lunch on Wednesday to Friday, but confirm that first. Reviewers mention a lunch deal, though its price and days are not clear.

Our suggestion: weekend lunch if you want daylight and a slower table, or a Thursday dinner if you want company. Latino Life described the room as lively at 21:30 on a Thursday, though that review is undated.

Booking

Book on OpenTable. For parties of more than six, the restaurant's site asks you to email mail@lapatagonia.co.uk. OpenTable lists casual dress, empanada takeaway, and AMEX, Mastercard and Visa as accepted. There is no confirmed walk-in policy, so book if the table matters.

For after: KOKO

KOKO is at 1A Camden High Street, opposite Mornington Crescent tube, so it is a few steps from the restaurant. It is a Grade II-listed theatre that first opened in 1901 and reopened in 2022 after a major restoration. Visit London calls it the former Camden Palace, a 1,500-capacity venue for live music and club nights. One OpenTable reviewer ate at La Patagonia before a gig there, so the pairing is a proven one. Check KOKO's own listings for what is on, and do not assume a show every night.

Dinner first, then a few steps to the door: that is the whole plan, and a good one.