Zoilo

Last Updated on July 30, 2026

Steak supremacy in Marylebone

4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Zoilo has been a fixture in the steak scene in London for 14 years now. Bringing Diego Jacquet’s take on the classic Argentinian steakhouse to this chocolate box of a restaurant just down from Selfridge’s side entrance. This year, however, Jacquet and his team have cause to celebrate as they have been ranked number 96 on the world’s top 101 best steak restaurants, firmly placing them in the big leagues.

It isn’t just steak you can find here, of course, as they are also proud of their extensive Argentinian wine list, over 250 labels and a Michelin recommendation. We got to field a few questions to Jacquet, who was very proud of his team:

‘We’re incredibly proud of this recognition, but our focus has never been on chasing rankings. Our priority is to keep improving every day—continuing to train our team, who regularly travel to Argentina to visit wineries and meat producers, strengthening those relationships and deepening their knowledge.’

All this with a keenness to focus on authenticity and originality rather than trend chasing:

‘I think what makes Zoilo stand out is that we’ve never tried to follow trends. From day one, our focus has been on being authentic to our Argentine roots while using exceptional British ingredients and delivering genuine hospitality.’

The restaurant itself has a quintessential exterior down to half-curtained windows and beech bent seating. Inside tells a different story with low lighting, an industrial aesthetic with exposed brick walls and burgundy leather banquettes.

We started with cocktails. A Mr Hendricks, gin-based, of course, fresh cucumber, foam on top. This was refreshing, summery and a little savoury. We also had the Zoilo take on a Pisco sour, which was delightful and not too sweet, smooth but not missing a grapefruit tang.

And then sourdough with butter and salsa verde, which was soft and lightly warmed; the salsa verde was very basil-forward and not very sour at all; it was more reminiscent of a pesto without the cheese or nuts. With the mild sourdough, it was a considered pairing.

One of our starters was the hamachi Ceviche with aji amarillo, avocado, pickled kohlrabi and coriander (£22.90). Buttery soft, with triple-cooked peppers in the aji amarillo interspersed with dollops of cool avocado crema. While I found the chia seeds used to thicken the accompanying sauce into a slick and viscous almost syrup and inspired idea, it could possibly be described as an acquired taste.

We enjoyed this with a Torrontes white from Salta in Argentina; this was peppery and citrusy.

Another starter was a beef, grilled peppers and olives empanada (£7.90). Bubbled and blistered from the fryer, this South American speciality, while similar in aspect to its Cornish cousin, was soft and spicy with the help of a zippy sauce in accompaniment.

Our final starter was brown crab croquettes, pickled beetroot and saffron aioli (£10.90). Bursting with smooth and oceanic brown crab with a panko crust that burst rather than crunched, protecting our teeth from crackage, the richness of the dish was cut with a pickled beetroot topper which was a little reminiscent of the pickled ginger you might get with tempura.

Then on to the real star of the show: the Ojo de Bife, Ribeye (£54.90). This was the real deal, with peppercorn sauce (£5), melty and meaty, tender and juicy, all the things you could want with a steak.

Our steaks were accompanied by a Flechas Gran Malbec 2018 from the Uco Valley in Mendoza in the Argentinian Andes. Another indigenous wine was peppery, with minerality and a long finish, yet remained fresh and lively.

Our other steak was a Lomo beef fillet (£34.90). This had that signature Argentinian char and was pleasingly toothsome.

On the side we had Chips (£6.90), which continued the trend as they were perfectly crisp. They were also intensely garlic-ey with the aroma of a French restaurant kitchen. It was these chips that stayed in my mind longest after the meal. We also had grilled peppers with chimichurri (£9.50), a lovely pairing with Malbec and a cool contrast to the sizzling steaks.

Our dessert was accompanied by a Domingo Hermanez Laborum Late Harvest Torrontes from the Cafayate Valley. This was clean and floral with elderflower notes. We finished with a baked banana ice cream on top of a creme brulee. Cold and creamy, the ice cream’s caramelised banana was a canny balance to the custard and burnt sugar.

Zoilo is certainly true to the vision Diego Jacquet shared with us, offering up intelligent and contemporary Argentinian fare that does not compromise on quality. While the exterior is classic, the interior is very much up to date.

Zoilo
9 Duke Street
London W1U 3EG
T: +44 (0) 20 7486 9699
info@zoilo.co.uk

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