Lunchtime Thursday with a Groupon
I made a reservation for 1:30pm on a Thursday afternoon through the El Toro website's online booking system the day before dining, having purchased a £16 Groupon for a steak meal for two. The restaurant has a rather large facade and was easy to walk to from the Kensington (Olympia) railway station.
There were only two occupied tables in the massive dining area, which was decorated above my expectations given other reviews. It was spunky and clean (good enough for me). We walked in and we just...kind of stood there. From behind a counter midway through the restaurant, a woman in her late 40's/early 50's waved us over. She asked if we had a booking, I said yes, and she pointed to a table along the wall for us to sit at. There goes the star that would've given you five, El Toro.
We ordered: Ribeye steak with chips (Groupon), Sirloin steak with chips (Groupon), calamari, a coffee, and a glass of wine. Ok, three glasses of wine. Try not to judge--my friend was getting over a broken heart. It was a miracle I got her there to begin with.
The ribeye: Ordered rare, came medium. It was close enough not to complain, and baby, it was so tender. Melt in your mouth tender. They could've given me a butter knife and I'd have had no problem cutting it--that good. Got the chimichurri sauce on the side, which was absolutely delicious.
The sirloin: Ordered well done, came well done. Just as tender as the ribeye. The chilli sauce side was declared the condiment champion of the day.
The chips: I'm an American, so these are what I call "steak fries." They were thick cut with a crispy outside, soft inside. Yum, yum. Next to the chips was a piece of lettuce, a tomato, a highly discoloured cucumber, and something else I couldn't pinpoint. I didn't try it (see cucumber description for reason why).
The calamari: Hot, crisp, tasty, and served with a too small lemon wedge and a dipping cup of tartar sauce. I wouldn't have minded a second round of those.
The coffee: In a cup slightly larger than an espresso, but really delicious. Definitely not Nescafe and with all the usual accoutrements (sugar, sweetener, milk).
The wine: An Argentinian Rosé. I don't know how it was, I didn't have any. She seemed to like it--and really--after the first glass does it even matter?
The damage: £16 for the Groupon, £36.15 for the calamari, coffee, wine, and service charge. Yes, service charge. I'm one of those loud mouthed American's who is quiet about tipping because I am used to it. I expect to tip regardless of the level of service because iz what we do. My friend of the non-American, British variety was too deep into the wine glass to care. £52.15 in total. In my opinion, this was a fare price for the food quality, service, and atmosphere.
The service: The single hostess/waitress in the whole restaurant brought our food, cleared our plates, and came over smiling when we waved her for coffee, more wine, and the bill. Yes, we had to waive her--but who cares. She came and was polite and friendly.
The verdict: I'd return with another Groupon. Would I go back and pay full price? Probably not. read more