Zoilo

A Buenos Aires Bar in W1

The chequered floor tiles arrive before the menu does. Zoilo's Marylebone dining room reads as a deliberate reference to the tiled cantinas of Buenos Aires: red leather banquettes, a dominant U-shaped bar counter, wood panelling overhead. The design isn't ambient decoration — it frames a specific dining proposition. This is a room built for lingering over grilled meat and Malbec, not for a perfunctory set lunch. Within Marylebone's relatively restrained restaurant scene, that kind of atmospheric commitment is notable.

London's Argentinian dining options have historically been thin outside the steakhouse format, with much of the market occupied by brands like Gaucho Piccadilly and their emphasis on high-volume beef. Zoilo occupies a different position: smaller in scale, more focused on regional breadth, and structured around a menu that treats the grill as one tool among several rather than the entire point. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 signals that this approach has attracted critical attention, placing it in a tier of London restaurants where execution is being measured against a consistent standard.

The All-Argentinian Wine List

Argentina's wine industry has spent the past two decades building an export identity around Mendoza Malbec, and most London restaurants serving Argentinian food pour accordingly. Zoilo's wine list takes a different approach: it is entirely Argentinian in composition, but it draws from the country's regional vineyards rather than defaulting to the Mendoza monoculture. That distinction matters for anyone who wants to understand what Argentina actually produces beyond the standard-issue bottles that appear on every mid-range list in the city.

The country's wine geography is more varied than its international reputation suggests. Patagonia's Río Negro valley produces Pinot Noir and Merlot at latitudes that generate genuine acidity. Salta's Cafayate region, at elevations above 1,700 metres, delivers Torrontés with an aromatic profile that has no real equivalent elsewhere. San Juan's Syrah operates in a hot-climate register distinct from Mendoza's output. A list that reaches into these regions rather than stacking familiar names offers real drinking intelligence for the table.

Practical accessibility matters here too. Bottles open at £32, and many options are available by the glass and carafe — an arrangement that suits a menu structured around multiple smaller dishes before the mains, where matching different pours to different courses is more natural than committing to a single bottle upfront. For the wine-focused diner, this is a more considered list than the room's mid-range price point (££) might initially suggest.

Those interested in exploring the broader geography of South American wine alongside Argentinian expressions might also consider Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann in Miami or Beba in Montreal, both of which approach Argentinian culinary traditions in their respective North American contexts.

The Menu: Grill Logic and Regional Range

The menu's structure follows a Buenos Aires logic: small plates built around signature flavours, then a pivot to the grill. The provoleta , baked provolone with oregano honey and almonds , appears on the menu as a bestseller, and it reflects a wider Argentine bar culture where melted cheese served with wine is an entirely reasonable way to begin an evening. Alongside it, sea bream ceviche and warm green asparagus with soft-boiled egg, almonds, ajo blanco and bottarga di muggine indicate that the kitchen is working with European technique applied to Argentine flavour references, not simply importing South American street food.

The steaks are pampas-reared Argentinian cuts: bife ancho (ribeye), lomo (fillet), and asado , grilled flank served with Roscoff onions, Taleggio cheese sauce and salsa verde. The last of these shows the kitchen's willingness to treat classic cuts as a platform for composed accompaniments rather than serving them plain with chimichurri on the side. Fish runs alongside the beef: grilled monkfish with braised white asparagus, a jamón-spiked ragout of green peas and chicken jus is the kind of dish that places Zoilo in a different register from the all-steak format that dominates much of London's Argentinian market.

Dessert leans into Argentine staples. Dulce de leche appears in a crème brûlée; the alternative is a warm cinnamon and rhubarb jam roll with spicy custard and Chantilly cream. Neither dish attempts reinvention, which is probably the right call for a menu that earns its interest in the savoury courses.

Marylebone as Context

The W1U postcode places Zoilo in a part of London where the surrounding restaurant scene runs considerably more expensive. Marylebone's dining corridor contains destination-level addresses, and the neighbourhood's foot traffic skews towards an audience comfortable with higher price points. Zoilo's ££ positioning makes it an accessible option within that geography, though it is not competing on price with the neighbourhood's casual daytime cafes. It sits in the gap between the expense-account steakhouse tier and the quick-service end , a position that suits the Buenos Aires hangout atmosphere the room is designed to project.

For context on where Zoilo sits within London's broader fine dining range, the city's Michelin-starred tables at the leading of the market , CORE by Clare Smyth, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Sketch's Lecture Room and Library, and The Ledbury , operate at ££££ and require advance planning of a different order. Zoilo's Michelin Plate status places it in the recognition tier below starred restaurants but above the unrecognised majority, in a bracket where the cooking is considered consistent and the kitchen is working to a standard the guide deems worth flagging. Beyond London, the wider EP Club guide covers standout addresses from The Fat Duck in Bray and L'Enclume in Cartmel to Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton.

For a broader view of eating, drinking and staying in the capital, see our full London restaurants guide, our London hotels guide, our London bars guide, our London wineries guide, and our London experiences guide.

What Do Regulars Order at Zoilo?

The provoleta , baked provolone with oregano honey and almonds , is the kitchen's acknowledged bestseller and the logical starting point for a first visit. From there, the all-Argentinian wine list rewards attention: ask for options from outside Mendoza to get the most from the regional scope the list covers. On the mains, the asado (grilled flank with Roscoff onions, Taleggio cheese sauce and salsa verde) demonstrates the kitchen's approach to classic cuts more clearly than the ribeye or fillet. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 reflects a level of consistency that makes repeat visits a reasonable proposition rather than a one-off occasion.