Lima

Bit of a mixed bag

Peruvian cuisine has become somewhat of a trend in London lately. Lima, a restaurant in Fitzrovia serving Peruvian contemporary food is one of the latest restaurants to be awarded a Michelin star in its latest GB guide. Having eaten there last year and was impressed, I suggested it to my friends for lunch when I was asked to pick something unusual with creative elements. 

Kantuta. Cucumber infused Pisco,
beetroot,agave syrup

Bread

We ordered a selection of starters to share, the Peruvian trademark: Sea bream ceviche in "tiger´s milk"( lime juice, spices and herbs) with Ají limo pepper, red onion and cancha corn. It was a classic ceviche at a very good standard, the lime juice really does freshen up the raw fish and the pepper and onion added a nice spicy kick at the back. "Octopus olivo" was also a real winner, the braised octopus was well cooked, tender and smoky, the quinoa had a lovely texture and the shiso gave it a great aroma.

Sea bream ceviche

Octopus olivo

However, the "duck crudo" was a real let down, the syrup was far too sweet and the Queso fresco(cheese) just didn't work with the dish at all, all the support ingredients overpowered the duck which resulted in a very imbalanced dish. The asparagus was even worse, the vinegar dressing was far too strong and totally took over the natural sweetness of the asparagus, and at £9 a plate, I found it rather outrageous.

Duck crudo

 Asparagus Peru

For main I ordered the suckling pig "Andres", this was the dish that really impressed me on my first visit and today it was no different, the pig had lovely crispy skin, great balance of fat and meat. The Piquillo pepper together with the green rocoto gave the dish a nice spicy undertone while the corn added a nice layer of texture. My friend's lamb shoulder was a disappointment on the other hand, the lamb itself was cooked well but really lacked any flavours and impact to the palate, same went for the potato and pea, weak in seasoning and the whole dish just tasted rather bland.

 Suckling pig "Andres"

Lamb shoulder "Seco"

Amazon fish “Paiche”

Over all it was a very hit and miss meal, some very good dishes on one hand but bit of a disaster on the other. Service was also weak, and failed to get the order right not once, but twice. And when we chased up about one of our orders were missing, rather than telling us a mistake was made, he told us it is on its way which resulted in us waiting for another fifteen minutes, it was very unprofessional. Service aside, doesn't Michelin only reward top level consistency? This was one of the most inconsistent meals I've had this year and I wonder if Michelin had hired some "noob" inspectors for this year's guide.

Food 2.5/5

Head chef: 
Robert Ortiz

What I paid: £53 per head with a cocktail

Average cost without drinks and services:
£50


31 Rathbone Pl, London W1T 1JH

http://www.limalondon.com/