Gaucho unveils new ‘creative direction’ for restaurants
In an announcement the group, which was bought out of administration in September 2018, says its updated ‘creative direction’ is designed to ‘win new fans while being true to the brand’s DNA’.
The debut ‘Gaucho 2.0’ will be its original UK restaurant on Charlotte Street in London’s Mayfair, which will relaunch on 9 December before updates are rolled out to the group’s 15 other sites in London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester.
New features include a four-seat Beef Bar 'chef's table' counter; a projector set up to run film nights throughout the year; and Argentinian wines on tap.
Plug sockets and fast WiFi are being implemented to allow co-working during the daytime, and dogs will also be welcome.
Gaucho’s culinary director Mike Reid, who has cooked at Le Gavroche and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, is overseeing the menu. Steaks will remain the focus and be available in a variety of cuts and weights alongside dishes such as fillet of sea bass; spatchcock chicken; and beetroot risotto.
As part of Gaucho’s “socially responsible vision” 10% of staff will be employed through partnerships with charities including Clink, Just a Pavement Away, Leonard Cheshire and Armed Forces Covenants.
The overhaul follows the closure of Gaucho’s entire 22-strong spin-off chain Cau in July 2018. The main Gaucho brand was bought out of administration by Lomo Bidco in September 2018, with former managing director Martin Williams returning to the brand as CEO.
Gaucho was founded by Zeev Godik in Amsterdam in 1976 and opened its first London restaurant in 1994. Godik stepped down from the company in 2017.
