5 Peruvian Restaurants in London To Book Now

Ceviche, Pisco Sours, antichuchos: us Londoners can’t seem to get enough of the Peruvian party. From upscale city eateries to lively Clapham spots, these are the best Peruvian restaurants in London, guaranteed to get your tastebuds tingling.

The Best Peruvian Restaurants in London

Chicama

The second restaurant from the Pachamama group, Chelsea’s Chicama is a charming restaurant named after a coastal town in Peru – not the word chic, although that does describe it well. Unlike its sister, Chicama is meat-free, focusing instead on fish served small plates-style. Seafood is delivered daily from Cornwall and given a South American twist – the squid is marinated in garlic and ají panca, for instance, while the trout is cooked in banana leaf and served with red quinoa. But there are also plenty of delicious, flavoursome vegetarian options, like the fried aubergines with plantain miso and the smoked mushroom ceviche with ceps tiger’s milk. Don’t knock the tapioca marshmallows before you’ve tried them: made without eggs or sugar, these bitesize snacks have the texture of fluffy marshmallows but the flavour of cheese – they’re made with deep-fried parmesan, and served with a chilli sauce. Pisco Sours are the natural drink of choice, though the Spicy Margarita shouldn’t be overlooked. Eat al fresco on the lovely plant-filled outdoor terrace, or watch the chefs working their magic up close from the pastel pink marble counter, which looks onto the open kitchen.

383 King’s Rd, London SW10 0LP; chicamalondon.com

COYA Angel Court

The City offshoot of the original COYA Mayfair is equally alluring. Glitzy, low-lit surroundings evoke the Peruvian party spirit with Incan-themed décor, Latin American art and handcrafted furniture, backed by a pumping party playlist. It’s a large space spanning more than 400sqm, with with three open kitchens, multiple dining areas, a Pisco Lounge and a dedicated ceviche counter: swanky settings, which unsurprisingly prove popular with the city’s well-heeled city workers. This glamour is mirrored in the menu, which includes a range of small plates – ceviche, sashimi, tacos, you name it – alongside larger fish, seafood and meat dishes. Everything here is delicious, but the sashimi is particularly good, and be sure to order one of the anticuchos dishes: marinated skewers grilled on the Robata. A heads up: this is a pricey spot, so keep an eye on what you’re ordering or you may end up with a hefty bill – particularly if you’re getting stuck into the cocktails.

31-33 Throgmorton St, London EC2N 2AT; coyarestaurant.com

Pachamama

From the outside, you’d never expect the vibrant, bubbly hangout that is Pachamama, hidden in a basement down a set of Narnia-style steps on an unassuming Marylebone street. The restaurant is named after Peru’s Mother Earth, and this friendly family theme runs throughout, with warm interiors and delightful staff. A combination of low lighting and Ibiza-inspired tunes creates a buzzing atmosphere, which is more than matched by the bright, colourful food. The eclectic dinner menu is split into four sections: snacks, land, sea, soil and sweets – the kind of fresh and flavoursome small plates you could chance upon in South America. Highlights include the beef short rib with sweet potato, the Peruvian fried chicken, the sea bass ceviche, and the unusual yet delicious brown crab and yucca churros. The restaurant’s bottomless brunch is also legendary: free-flowing bubbles paired with a mix of sweet and savoury waffles, topped with everything from fried chicken to toasted quinoa ice cream.

18 Thayer St, London W1U 3JY; pachamamalondon.com

MOMMI

On a Saturday night sojourn down Clapham High Street, you could easily mistake Mommi for just another South West boozer. But on closer examination, you’ll discover something quite unique: a hybrid restaurant with a fun party vibe, which serves really good food. Japan meets Latin America at Mommi: the vibrancy of Miami mixes with the upbeat rhythm of Peru, the eclecticism of Venice Beach with the refinement of Japan. Dishes are designed to be shared, and packed with flavours from around the world: pan-fried king prawns with spiced garlic yuzu buter, sticky miso glazed chicken wings, crisp-fried belly pork bites with smoked corn and caramelised sweet potato, and tuna tartare with pickled ginger. Quirky flavour combinations continue into the dessert menu, which includes a salted caramel ice cream with agave syrup and puffed quinoa, a passion fruit, yuzu and ginger cheesecake, and a Pisco spiked jelly with lychee and kumquat. On weekends there’s live music, and their cocktails are especially good – we recommend the Passion Pachamama: a punchy number mixed with dark rum, passion fruit, ginger & vanilla and almond.

44-48 Clapham High St, London SW4 7UR; wearemommi.com

Floral by LIMA

Floral by LIMA is the younger, less pricey sister of Virgilio Martinez’s famed Fitzrovia restaurant. Found on Covent Garden’s Floral Street (hence the name), Floral is a more accessible option – classy without being formal, ideal for dates. Expect more of the cooking Martinez is famous for: unusual ingredients cooked with flair and imagination. The slightly lower price tag means you can go all out on the dishes: some of the best are the smoked chicken causa, the sea bream ceviche, and the Chinese cauliflower, served with ginger chimichurri and Rocoto mayonnaise. Afterwards, continue the party at buzzing basement bar The Lost Alpaca, where you can enjoy colourful surroundings and an innovative cocktail list featuring not just pisco, but rum, tequila, mezcal and more.

14 Garrick St, London WC2E 9BJ; limalondon.com