We Love Local: Santa Maria Del Sur
Tell us a little bit about Santa Maria Del Sur?
SMDS has been in Battersea for more than seven years. It was established after great success at another restaurant with similar characteristics in north London. Its owner, Alberto, is a native Argentinean who started the business by simply 'acting Argentinean' and organising BBQs at a local pub. He soon saw the potential, and decided to make his BBQ with his well known and unmatched Argentine steak, which saw an immediate success with his customers.
What do you think makes Santa Maria Del Sur unique?
What’s unique about SMDS is its unplanned nature. The fact that it all happened coincidentally, and by just acting 'naturally Argentinean’, has ensured that its operational principles are just as natural. There has not been any fancy business planning or complicated procedures, therefore the hospitality that comes embedded with the vibrant and warm hearted Latin culture persist within our ambience. This is, of course, just as important as the prime quality of the grass-fed, free-roaming cows that produce our meat.
Santa Maria Del Sur is an Argentine grill – How important is Argentinean culture to your restaurant?
Argentine (and also Latin) culture provides the basis of our service, products and basic functioning. We transmit an attentive service with the charismatic approach that our roots have given us. Argentina is in the meat, Argentina is in the wine, and Argentina is in the entire experience of eating at SMDS
What is your favourite item on your menu?
All items have a raison d’être in our menu, and we have carefully chosen them in order to fulfill the broadest amount of customers’ tastes as possible. But if I have to pick one, then a rib eye steak, with its particular tenderness and strong taste, would be the one. I would accompany it with a grilled red pepper with garlic, and a glass of Luigi Bosca Malbec.
Do you have any particularly fond memories of customers or experiences shared at your restaurant?
On Friday evening, this past Friday evening, a person came and pulled a post-it off his wallet. It read “Go to Santa Maria Del Sur in Battersea, World’s best steaks”. He said he had it there for 5 years, after seeing us on Gordon Ramsey’s “The F Word”. We were glad to have caused such a big impression on him, and of course we were impressed by his loyalty to himself by accomplishing it after five years!
What is one important thing that Londoners should know about culture and cuisine in Argentina?
As I have mentioned before, like in football and in other disciplines we are fans of, we approach food in a passionate way - this is by default, not something we are forced to do. We serve customers in the way we would serve our families, our friends. We care about the satisfaction of the person we are approaching and we make sure they are feeling at home every time.
At Douglas & Gordon, we love local. Why do you love Battersea?
We love the way Battersea is changing. We love the way our street has become full of life through the years and how more and more businesses have started opening their doors to a public that is used to going out to areas like Clapham Junction or the common. I believe in a few years, with the coming tube station near the power station and all the developments under way in the area of Battersea Park, this will be a busy and vibrant area to go out to.
Douglas & Gordon are running a competition to give away a meal voucher to the value of £50 to be used at Santa Maria Del Sur. Visit us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know why you love the London food scene to be in with a chance of winning! To find out more about SMDS, you can visit theirwebsite .