A branch of high-end Argentinian steak restaurant Gaucho looks set to open in Newcastle city centre.
The steakhouse, which has eateries in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester, has lodged plans for a site on the corner of Market Street and Pilgrim Street.
An application for a premises licence for the former Virgin Money site has been submitted to Newcastle City Council.
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According to its website, Gaucho first opened in London in 1994, “taking inspiration from Argentina with a vision of bringing the world’s best steak to London”.
It now has 12 restaurants in London and regional sites in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
The website says, “Our restaurants continue to serve some of the finest beef in the world, now complemented by a broader food and wine offering in a contemporary setting, inspired by Modern Argentina and all of its global influences.”
Last month Gaucho confirmed plans to open “Scotland’s most sustainable steak restaurant” in Glasgow ahead of Valentine's Day 2022, serving exclusively ‘Carbon Neutral Steaks’.
The upmarket chain specialises in Gaucho’s Argentine Beef - beef from cattle which have “enjoyed a life roaming in vast pastures at specially selected pampas farms”.
A revamped menu last year featured new additions including swordfish causita, spiced purple potato, roasted pepper and torrentes cream sauce, new ceviche dishes such as tuna ceviche, with dulce de batata, sweet potato, chilli, tortilla, and shrimp ceviche.
Desserts include dulce de leche cheesecake and alfajores - an Argentine ice cream sandwich.
Announcing the opening of the Glasgow site in November, Rare Restaurants founder and CEO Martin Williams said: “I am delighted to announce our second ‘Carbon Free Beef restaurant’, all our future new openings will serve only carbon neutral beef and as of January 2022, all our 20 restaurants will boast a carbon neutral steak and wine offering which sits alongside our zero food waste and green energy policies.
"We created the Sustainable Steak Movement, to highlight steak restaurants whose beef offering comes from sustainable farms which have outstanding husbandry and animal welfare in their DNA and whom have reduced methane and greenhouse gasses at source, encouraged sequestration and committed to calculate and offset any carbon emissions.
"We must stop eating intensively reared, poor quality meats and support responsible restaurateurs committed to regenerative farming and providing an ethical, guilt-free beef offering on menus.”
