If you’re looking for a London restaurant to go to for a special occasion, then Lima restaurant in Fitzrovia could be the perfect choice. I came here with my family after reading great reviews of the creative menu. Also because Lima is the first and only Michelin starred Peruvian restaurant in London. I was eager to see what the fuss was all about!
I’ve never actually been to South America, so wouldn’t be able to tell you if it was truly authentic. I am however pretty certain that a typical dish in Peru wouldn’t be as pretty and elegant as these were!
In fact, the food was really nothing I’ve ever seen before. Or heard of. The menu was a stream of beautiful sounding words, so I essentially closed my eyes, pointed to various parts of the menu and welcomed my surprise dinner.
This Tubers dish was a fantastically colourful and beautifully presented combination of braised root vegetables, beetroot, fresh cheese and yellow chilli. The creamy, crunchy, foam-like textures were unexpected, but an intriguing and satisfying start to my meal.
Almost too pretty to eat!
The Tuna Nikkei was light and tangy – fresh yellowfish tuna served with rocoto pepper, samphire and crunchy organic radish. Enough to wet our appetites for the main courses.
The Sea Bass Ceviche was a fresh combination of sea bass, avocado, yellow tiger’s milk and cancha corn. Perhaps not the most exciting dish on the menu, however it would be criminal to not order ceviche when in a Peruvian restaurant!
This Duck Cocona was lip-smackingly good. Wonderfully tender with a slight sweetness to it too. It was soaked in cocona syrup, served with juicy plums and cusco corn cake, which might just be my new favourite accompaniment.
The flavoursome Suckling Pig had a big thumbs up from everyone at the table. Delightfully crispy on the outside, served on a bed of giant corn, piquillo pepper, green rocota and cashew nuts. This was definitely a course worth returning for.
The Lamb Seco was as wonderful to taste as it was to look at – slow braised shoulder and seared loin served with deliciously creamy pumpkin puree, fava beans and corn beer juice. Such an interesting dish that I highly recommend ordering too.
The unique desserts didn’t disappoint either. Each served delicately with a lot of thought put in to their flavours and appearance.
The Avocado Mousse caught my attention on the menu. I love avocado but had never dreamt of having it as a dessert, in the form of mousse. It was served with 75% rich chocolate and rocota pepper. The rich and creamy mousse complimented the chocolate surprisingly well, and the crunchy pepper gave a real satisfying mix of textures.
Below is Chirimoya Parfait, accompanied with amazonian chocolate and blue potato crisps!
Last but not least is Aljafores, a traditional soft and crumbly cookie found in Latin America. Served with dulce de leche ice cream and sweet bee pollen.
Although I wouldn’t say Peruvian cuisine is my favourite, I’d love to go back again to appreciate each beautifully presented dish, like little works of art. It would be interesting to visit the Floral branch in Covent Garden to see how they compare.
You can download the full menu here if you’d like to peruse the menu first. Make sure you book here before you go. It does get full pretty quickly so try to book a table well in advance!
Lima Fitzrovia
31 Rathbone Place
Fitzrovia
London, W1T 1JH
+44 20 3002 2640
enquiry@limalondon.com
