The opening of Victoria Gate and Leeds’ long awaited John Lewis store caused quite the buzz.
The lavish Christmas decorations, high end stores and a seemingly never-ending, sparkly new John Lewis is a lot to take in, especially amidst the throngs of shoppers on a weekend. Everything seems so shiny and clean you almost don’t want to touch anything.
So it might be understandable - given the mesmerising sparkle of Victoria Gate - that I didn’t realise the new centre had brought a new steak house with it.
CAU is the only proper restaurant in the new centre (unless you count the John Lewis cafe-come-restaurant), so to see if it matches up to the rest of the sparkle, I took my boyfriend and his steak-loving mate to give it a go.
CAU (pronounced cow) is an Argentinian steak house, offering a menu with ‘small plates’ of typical Argentinian bites like empanadas, yerba-smoked beef and tortillas, and a bumper menu of steak options for meat-loving diners.
As well as rump, rib-eye and sirloin, you can try specially marinaded cuts, spiral-cut rib-eye, Brazilian flash-fried streak and a feasting plate with 400g each of the three speciality cuts (for an eye-watering £87.95).
As we entered on a chilly Tuesday evening, we were promptly welcomed and directed to the seating upstairs (the entrance, downstairs, holds a small bar and waiting area). There we were pleasantly surprised to be offered a choice of tables - a central one, or a booth in the corner. “I don’t like to sit in the middle of restaurants,” the cheery waiter told us.
We opted for the booth and agonised over the menu - even the drink options tested us, with a menu of tempting cocktails as well as beers and wines.
Alistair, a big rum fan, opted for a Pina-CAU-Lada (£6.95), my boyfriend Matt chose a Quilmes Bock red lager (£4.50 for 340ml) and I ordered a large glass of the Trasandino Malbec (£5.95).
The service was snappy, and as we mulled over the food menu a steady flow of diners was coming in, encouraging for a Tuesday evening - the atmosphere was vibrant but not too loud.
To begin we ordered the chorizo and red pepper anticuchos skewers, yerba-smoked beef and salt and pepper squid.
The starters arrived promptly, and we all sampled a bit of everything - the skewer was simple but the portion of chorizo was huge and beautifully cooked, with a light, mayonnaise-based sauce on the side.
Squid is always a gamble but CAU got a gold star, with crisp, seasoned batter and a spicy chipotle mayo for dipping. Finally, the yerba-smoked beef, thinly sliced and beautifully laid across a thin platter, melted in the mouth, with a kick from the wasabi mayo.
The ‘small plates’ portions were small, but the flavours delicious - and considering the size of the steaks, it’s probably wise not to offer huge starter portions.
Alistair led the steak charge with a 500g Asado Chorizo - sirloin steak in a churrasco marinade and impressive in size.
Matt ordered a 320g rump steak, and I chose the 260g sirloin. The weights being listed in grams was a touch confusing - all of us were too used to ordering steaks in ounce weights.
We all asked for medium rare - the waitress said my steak was recommended medium-pink, but I stressed that I didn’t mind blood and wanted it medium rare.
Sadly when they arrived it seemed the message got lost - my steak was medium and pink in the centre, which was disappointing. I still enjoyed the cut - but it would have been better a little more rare.
Matt’s rump, however, was perfectly cooked and melted in the mouth - and Alistair, amazingly, ate all of his 500g steak, which was the perfect shade of red-pink and tasted divine.
The fries and sweet potato side orders were tasty, but it was all about the meat.
The service slipped a touch during our meal, as the restaurant got busier - a drink order got lost in the ether but turned up in the end.
Determined to sample three courses, we ordered the CAU cornflake ice cream sundae, with cornflake flavoured ice-cream, cornflakes, crumbled chocolate and dulce de leche. For every sundae ordered, 20p is donated to Action Against Hunger.
The sundae was topped with cornflakes, hiding huge chunks of brownie and delicious ice cream beneath. It was just the right amount of sweet, and a nice end to the meal, shared between Matt and I (Alistair had admitted defeat). We hoped to try the churros too, but they had sold out.
The layout of CAU is nice - plenty of tables without feeling too squeezed in together, and an airy atmosphere - although it did feel a little odd exiting into the closed, empty Victoria Gate.
The burgers looked tempting and were noted for next time - as well as some churros hopefully!
Despite some minor delays in service, the quality of the food was undeniable, and CAU is just casual enough that you could pop in post-Saturday shopping spree and not feel under dressed in jeans.
A nice addition to Leeds’ ever-expanding restaurant scene.
All about CAU Leeds
Victoria Gate, Eastgate, LS2 7LY
Phone: 0113 244 0055
Opening hours: Monday to Friday noon-11pm, Saturday 9am-11pm, Sunday 9am-10pm.
Kids: Welcome, with a kids menu including a 130g rump steak!
Disabled access: CAU’s dining area is on the first floor, but there is a lift.
The bill: £130.79 for three people including drinks.
Would you go back? Yes
