Ceviche

Relaxing Peruvian food in Soho

Ceviche is a Peruvian Kitchen and Pisco Bar in Soho, opened in 2012 on the back of the rising trend of Peruvian cuisine, serving refreshing dishes in small plates with signature cocktail Pisco sour. With my limited knowledge in Peruvian food, I brought along a friend who used to work in Peru to investigate Ceviche and to compare it to Lima, another Peruvian restaurant in London which we both were really impressed with when we were there last year.

Ceviche London

We kicked off the evening with "Causa Pecado", Coley with avocado and ginger on top of a potato cake. The sweet coley blended really well with the smooth and buttery texture of avocado and potato with bit of a spice kick on the back. My cocktail: Illapa, matched perfectly with the starter, rich orange and ginger aroma with a well balanced sweet and sour note from the pisco. Great twist on a classic cocktail.

Causa Pecado

Illapa

Ceviche de Alcachofa, artichoke and sweet potato with red onion was the disappointment of the evening, the overly sour dressing with the lime and vinegar totally destroyed the whole dish, the natural and delicate sweetness from the artichoke was totally lost. "Alianza Lima" on the other hand was a lot better, a ceviche of seabass, mussels, prawns and octopus with sweet potato. The seafood was fresh and the right amount of lime juice acid really lifted up the whole dish with its citrus notes.

Ceviche de Alcachofa

Alianza Lima

Best dish of the evening was either the Drunk scallops or "Ensalada de Quinoa". The finely sliced king scallops were heavenly, the pisco and pomegranate really freshened up the scallops. The tiny hint of chilli and coriander added an extra edge of spice and aroma, a beautifully executed scallop dish. The other winner was the white quinoa, the tomato, avocado and beans all synced up nicely with the quinoa, the quinoa itself were crisp, light with lovely texture. The lime and chilli seasoning were absolutely spot on as well, great stuff.

Drunk scallops

Ensalada de Quinoa

After two rounds of cold dishes, we finished off with grilled chicken on skewers: "Pollo Rico". Great seasoning with the charcoal and smoky flavours really shining in the tender chicken meat. This was followed by "Jalea": a mixture of fried seafood which was rather average, the flavours just weren't there with the frying process, which seemed to take out the dedicated taste from the seafood.

Pollo Rico

Jalea

Although there were a few dishes that I wasn't particularly impressed with, I quite enjoyed the overall experience. Some very interesting elements and refreshing flavours, the kind of food I love to eat in the summer. It is no contest to compare it with Lima in the end, the food quality at Lima is far superior but then again so is the price. I found Lima is more for a special occasion while Ceviche is more of a social venue with its buzzing atmosphere and trendy décor. A good place to catch up with mates and people who are keen to explore Peruvian flavours.

Food 6
Service 5
Ambience 5
Value 5

£42 per head with two drinks

17 Frith St  London, UK W1D 4RG

http://cevicheuk.com/