London’s best Peruvian restaurants

Bored with burgers? Tired of tapas? Then let Martin Morales (of Ceviche fame) tempt your tastebuds with a roster of Peruvian-inspired ceviches, superfoods, lethal pisco sours and colourful smoothies. Unfamiliar ingredients and unusual combos abound on the menu, but that’s part of the fun. Morales started out as a DJ, so you can also count on a cool soundtrack in the bar.

Soho townhouse meets Peruvian den at this venture from the team behind Ceviche. Not surprisingly, Casita mixes bits of the original (zingy marinated fish) with bits of big brother Andina – especially when it comes to the ‘superfood’ ingredients. Lean eaters might choose the annatto-marinated lamb loin with herbs, while indulgent choco-cherry balls await those who couldn’t care less about the calories.

Martin Morales’s original restaurant-bar instantly struck a chord with Londoners, and the party hasn’t stopped on Frith Street since Ceviche showed up. Here you can down some of the best pisco sours in the capital, although the place is also a showcase for belting Peruvian food – not simply the famous ceviches, but also grilled meats, colourful salads and much, much more. There’s also a larger branch in Old Street.

The grown-up Chelsea sibling of Marylebone’s Pachamama, Chicama is all about seafood served with oodles of local pizzazz. Look for contemporary Peruvian small plates such as sea bass ceviche and chargrilled bream with smoked ají panca, which deliver knockout flavours without troubling those size-zero waistbands. Chicama’s flirty young staff, bubbly vibe and deep Latin beats may set your pulse racing but – oh – those tapioca marshmallows!

With three open kitchens, multiple dining rooms and curtains sectioning off private tables, this City offshoot of Mayfair’s Coya promises pisco-fuelled Peruvian entertainment for those with fat wallets. Expect big hits on small plates – ceviches, tacos, tiraditos and steaks, backed by thumping music, bright Incan-themed decor and hugely welcoming staff. Just beware the constant upselling, or you could be stung with an embarrassing bill.

This Covent Garden offshoot of Fitzrovia’s high-rolling Lima is perfect for inquisitive diners who are put off by the original’s fussy vibe and stinging prices. Instead, Floral promises appealing contemporary interiors and a bevy of easygoing staff – plus playful, imaginative cooking noted for its kick-ass flavours, subtle textures and striking visuals (rather than high-tech wizardry). Head down to the basement bar for pisco-fuelled cocktails.

Named after Peru’s ‘Mother Earth’, Pachamama is certainly one to revere if you’re a Marylebone hedonist – this gorgeous low-lit basement hotspot has it all, at a price tag mere mortals can afford. To eat, there are modish (but never wacky) Peruvian plates full of finesse and flavour, all accompanied by party-time DJs at the weekends. Psst: Pachamama’s bottomless brunch is a local legend.

Harry Edmeades (aka Señor Ceviche) had plenty of practice before opening his first bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Soho – and it shows. There’s a touch of Lima’s boho Barranco District about the vibrant interiors – a theme that spills over into the equally colourful ceviches, chargrilled anticuchos skewers, salads and beefy grills. The music’s upbeat, the staff are almost improbably good-natured and the cocktails ooze Latin spirit.