June 26, 2026 |
If you’re heading west for the weekend – perhaps after a wander around Kew Gardens or an afternoon mooching through Richmond – there’s only one sensible way to round it off. And that’s with dinner at Gaucho Richmond.
This summer, Gaucho has given its terraces a seasonal refresh in partnership with St-Germain, bringing spritzes, live music and alfresco dining to some of its prettiest locations. Richmond is the jewel in the crown. Perched beside the Thames, the terrace feels like a genuine escape from London. There’s a huge centuries-old Plane tree at its centre, leafy planting everywhere you look and uninterrupted views across the river as the sun begins to set. Blankets are handed out when the evening cools down, making it dangerously easy to linger for another cocktail.
Inside, the restaurant seats around 320 people and when we visited it was absolutely rammed. Usually that means a long wait for food – but not here. Plates landed at impressive speed without feeling rushed – credit where it’s due to a kitchen clearly firing on all cylinders.
Our server, Saleema, struck exactly the right balance: warm, funny and attentive without hovering. The manager, who proudly told us he’d been there for 15 years, summed up the atmosphere perfectly. It’s polished but never stuffy, with the kind of easy confidence that comes from knowing exactly what you’re doing.
The menu goes well beyond steak, making it easy to mix and match across the table. We started with Gordal olives – gloriously plump and satisfyingly meaty – before moving on to a golden three-cheese empanada. Crisp pastry gave way to molten cheese, making it impossible not to demolish while it was still far too hot – what can I say, sometimes that scorch of the tongue is well worth it.
The crab-on-toast starter was one of the standouts. Sweet white crab was piled generously onto toasted sourdough with crisp cucumber, apple and soft herbs adding freshness without overpowering the seafood flavour. It tasted exactly like summer by the river should taste.
My ricotta and parmesan ravioli was comfort food dressed up for dinner. Pillowy pasta came coated in a glossy cacio e pepe sauce with plenty of parmesan and crunchy brioche crumbs scattered over the top for texture. Alongside it, the Latin mac and cheese delivered exactly what you’d hope for – rich, creamy and deeply indulgent with just the right amount of over-baked crisp.
Across the table, the gazpacho earned rave reviews. “Gazpacho is hard to perfect and easy to get wrong, but they did it really well,” my friend declared after a few spoonfuls. Bright, chilled tomato, cucumber, basil and olive oil came together in a bowl that felt both refreshing and surprisingly satisfying. I tasted it, and I can honestly say the same: this was a Gazpacho to savour.
Then came the steak. Gaucho’s grass-fed fillet lived up to its reputation: lean, beautifully tender and packed with clean, delicate flavour. My friend paired hers with English mustard, although choosing from the sauce list alone could easily take several minutes, with chimichurri, peppercorn, béarnaise, Malbec and bone marrow jus and firecracker all tempting alternatives.
The mashed potato, meanwhile, was exactly what steak restaurant mash should be – smooth, buttery and outrageously rich – while sautéed spinach added a welcome hit of freshness and spice.
Dessert kept things playful. Banana split ice cream leaned into nostalgic flavours without becoming overly sweet, while the vegan white chocolate option disappeared quickly enough to suggest it was every bit as successful.
Of course, Gaucho will always be synonymous with steak. But what Richmond proves is that it has far more strings to its bow. Between the standout seafood, excellent vegetarian dishes, slick service and one of London’s loveliest riverside terraces, this is as much about the setting as it is the food.
Order a St-Germain Spritz, settle in beneath the Plane tree and don’t make any evening plans afterwards. You won’t want to leave.
Photography courtesy of Gaucho.
