Upon arrival at this sophisticated Fitzrovia restaurant, we were greeted warmly and shown to our seats. We were positioned in a corner table, where we felt shielded from the noise of the restaurant, if a little out of the servers’ lines of sight. Our server told us about the new seasonal menu that has launched for this spring, enthusing us with his excitement for the dishes and leaving us looking forward to placing an order.
I began with the croquetas de ají de gallina (£9) which were delicious: well-balanced flavours, a mix of softness and sustenance, and a decent sized portion, only downside being that the dish would have benefited from being hotter when it reached the table. Alongside this, I tried some of my companion’s tuna nikkei tartare (£17) which was not only beautifully presented, with the colour palette a shining example of how a spring menu should appear on the plate, but also incredibly flavourful and tasty. A perfect bite was one where the sharpness of the tuna contracted with the smoothness of the avocado tiger’s milk. I made a mental note to switch my order for another time.
After the success of the tuna tartare, my next dish of the tuna tiradito (£18) fell somewhat short. Whilst it looked gorgeous and colourful on the plate, the visual excitement and contrasts were somewhat undercut by the flavours, which blended into one. That said, the fish was fresh, and the fragrant tiger’s milk offered a crisp alternative to my croquetas from before. Washed down with Pisco sours (£13), this made for a tasty start to the meal.
Next we enjoyed the asparagus and passion fruit salad with tomato, queso fresco and aji amarillo (£16). New for the spring menu, this is a light, flavourful dish that comes highly recommended by the staff and now by me. The liquidised passion fruit is sticky and sweet, and a mouthful where it coats the a tomato and one of the pieces of deep-fried goat’s cheese is utterly delicious. The ratios of ingredients in this dish were precise and excellent; each bite was proportioned and enhanced because of it. The tastes evoke warmth and freshness; this is a top pick from the menu.
Alongside our next dishes, we enjoyed a glass of the Intipalka red wine, which was perfectly nice but no standout. The quinoto del mar (£32) was a heavier dish as compared to the courses prior. A Lima London specialty, the tuna tataki was tasty, but quite meaty and immediately very filling when paired with the thick sauce. As with the tiradito, this dish is visually inkeeping with the spring colour palette - a symphony of greens, purples and yellows - whilst not, perhaps, quite delivering on the spring lightness. Followed by the miso aubergine (£21), one of the couple of vegan dishes on the menu and another substantial plate, I found myself feeling more saturated than satiated as I finished my meal.
To finish off, I appeased my sweet tooth with the piura chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis (£9), a strong end to the experience: the chocolate was creamy and light, and the raspberry cut through it refreshingly. Accompanied by another Pisco sour, this last dish finished us off on a high, sleepy with fullness and ready to call it a night. It is worth noting that Lima may not be the place to go if you are in a rush - having arrived at 19:30, we left just after 23:00, slightly perturbed by how much time had passed.
It is hard to fault Lima London. The space is beautiful and stylish, the service is attentive and the staff are clearly very familiar with the menu and well-equipped to point their diners in the right direction. And whilst nothing quite stuck in the mind, the food was in many places exciting and in all places very beautiful to look at. For contemporary Peruvian food in style, this is a lovely place to go.
