Argentinean streak house franchise CAU has landed in Kingston, and there are plans it could be on its way to Wimbledon before the end of the year.

If you hadn’t worked out how to pronounce the name, the black and white decor should prove a hint, and if you’re still not getting it, the bucolic image created by screens of simulated grass and sky should hopefully do it.

Steak is one of those dishes which as I have got older and I typically avoid – often very expensive for mediocre quality, can easily be overcooked, and smothered in sauce or salt to mask its deficiencies.

However before I could sample the signature meats, I was faced with a choice of tapas style “small plates” to start.

Empanada are sold the world over and are somewhat akin to the Cornish pasty, incorporating meat and veg wrapped inside a baked pastry.

Originating in Europe, the dish has migrated to Argentina where it has become a popular street food.

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Empanadas in a trough-like plate

CAU offered three types, at two for £7. I sampled the chorizo and cream cheese and the spinach, ricotta and date. Both provided strong distinct flavours, but as with pasties were quite heavy, and is certainly quite a filling choice for a starter.

The food was served in very cool looking high rimmed, trough-like plates, maintaining the bovine theme, but while the image was fun and quirky, the design proved obstructive when it actually came to cutting and eating your food.

For the main, CAU offers classic cuts of rump, rib-eye and sirloin at 220g and 260g, as well as Lomito, which CAU claims is the favoured cut in Argentina, served in a huge 440g steak, or the even more massive 500g Asado de Chorizo or Tira de Ancho, both priced at more than £30.

I opted for 220g Tapa De Cuadril, described as thin cuts slivered from the rump, while my partner had the medallions of Lomito, served in a more manageable 220g portion, both costing just under £15 a dish.

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Tapa de Cuadril                                                  Medallions of Lomito

Salad, burgers, and a choice of main courses such as grilled salmon and chicken milanesa are also available.

The thin slivers of meat provided a very different texture to traditional steak – not as succulent and soft, but more flavoursome than I expected, and excellent with the chimi churri sauce that accompanied it. The medallions were rated as superb by the other half, and a quick stolen bite confirmed the meat had been cooked to perfection.

To finish we shared a glass of Salta Clericot, Argentina’s answer to sangria. Like its Spanish cousin this proved dangerously drinkable, with the fruit masking the alcohol content.

With a prime location (it replaced Frere Jacques on the riverfront) this restaurant is already attracting good numbers, and with good reason. While not the best meal I have ever had, nor the best steak, this was very reasonably priced good quality food in a friendly environment.

That family friendly vibe was confirmed when the toddler eating at the neighbouring table succeeded in upending her drink, and that of her mothers, all over the table shortly before we left. The staff were on it in a flash, cleared the mess in good spirits, and provided a replacement drink.

CAU, Riverside, Kingston, KT1 1QN, caurestaurants.com