Santa Maria del Sur

01What to order

• Bife de chorizo (sirloin)£12.50 per 100 g / 3.5 oz, minimum 200 g / 7 oz, on the online menu.
• Bife ancho (ribeye)£13.50 per 100 g / 3.5 oz. The Infatuation, in September 2025, pointed to the bife ancho among the cuts.
• Ribeye Twister500 g / 18 oz of ribeye marinated in garlic and parsley, with grilled red pepper, £67. The Infatuation says it is enough for two.
• Parrillada Deluxe, for two£89: 300 g / 11 oz of rump, 300 g / 11 oz of sirloin, black pudding, sausage, provoleta, Padrón peppers and crostini.
• Empanadas£3.90 each, or 6 for £22: beef, chicken, ham and cheese, spinach and mozzarella, caprese, blue cheese and walnut.
• Flan with dulce de leche£6.90, the Argentine way to end.

02The beef

The house says the meat is flown in from Argentina, and the lunch menu calls its rump Argentine. Harden's 2026 entry describes beef imported from the pampas. The menu lists four cuts by weight, with Argentine names first: bife de cuadril (rump) at £9 per 100 g / 3.5 oz, bife de chorizo (sirloin) at £12.50, bife ancho (ribeye) at £13.50 and bife de lomo (fillet) at £17.60, with a 200 g / 7 oz minimum. Offal and sausages complete the grill: mollejas (sweetbreads) £9, morcilla and chorizo criollo £5.50 each. The menu does not give the breed or any aging.

03The fire

Time Out's 2013 review praised the kitchen's parrilla skills, and Sotheby's guide in 2024 wrote of parrilla meats; neither source names the fuel. Sauces are extra at £3.50: chimichurri, peppercorn, béarnaise or smoked chilli.

04The story

Santa Maria del Sur opened on Queenstown Road in 2006. Sotheby's Realty counted eighteen years of a loyal local following in July 2024, and Harden's marks the 20th anniversary in 2026, calling it an independent Argentinian steakhouse. The house names Alberto Abbate as founder; Time Out, in 2013, described him as co-owner and linked him with two other Argentine restaurants in London, Zoilo and Casa Malevo. Time Out then described the room as raw brick and warm wood, roomy but often full. The Infatuation, in 2025, added Argentine flags by the till and large folding windows, where the tables are popular in summer.

05The practical

129 Queenstown Road, London SW8 3RH, in Battersea. Harden's 2026 hours: Monday to Friday 12:00–15:00 and 18:00–22:00; Saturday and Sunday 12:00–22:00. Lunch, 12:00 to 15:00 every day, is a shorter menu: a 140 g / 5 oz Argentine rump with fries for £12, or 200 g / 7 oz for £18, and empanadas with salad. Book through SevenRooms, by phone at 020 7622 2088 or by email at info@santamariadelsur.co.uk. Harden's 2026 puts a three-course dinner with half a bottle of wine at about £68 a head.

Address

129 Queenstown Road, Battersea, London SW8 3RH

Phone

+44 20 7622 2088

Website

santamariadelsur.com

Directions

Google Maps ↗

06In London’s selections