Lima, 31 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1JH

Lima, 31 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1JH

03/09/2012

www.limalondon.com

She said: Peruvian, why not. This place is easy to miss tucked away near the post office sorting office. You enter a bar-like narrow area but this stylish South American restaurant opens up into a lovely sky-lit contemporary dining area. There’s a choice of a good value set menu (three courses for £20) or a la carte. As I was craving ceviche which was not on the set menu I went for the ‘sea bream ceviche with white tiger’s milk, sweet onion skin and inca corn’ – a fancy description set expectations which were surpassed. Zesty, juice flavours accompanied by some corn nuts were the perfect entrée. I followed this with a halibut and corn fritter like concoction which again did not disappoint; original flavours and healthy but not huge portions. If I hadn’t filled up on fruity breads and a very strong pisto bloody maria I would have made it to desert but more reason to come back. Service was relaxed but friendly and the fellow diners were equally relaxed and a mix of well-heeled older couples and oddly younger Japanese student-types. The a la carte came to £68 – including alcohol. Would definitely come back but probably going for the set menu second time around.

He said: eating here is a really refreshing, sensory experience. The space is intimate (ie small) but decorated to great effect in a fairly neutral beige and grey palette highlighted by flashes of colour from the glass-wear, cushions, etc, and an abstract mural on the back wall. Very stylish. When the food arrives you realize that the room actually works as a canvas against which the gorgeously presented food can stand out. Peruvian cooking is fairly new in London, so there’s a certain old-school excitement to ordering foods that include lots of ingredients you can’t quite place, and flavours you can’t quite imagine. Like when galangal and kholrabi were novelties, back in the days. Soon we’ll all be blasé about tiger’s milk and huacatay. I devoured my tiradito and my delicious vegetarian stew which included half a dozen things I’d never eaten before. Prices are at the higher end, starters and mains averaging at £ 8 and £20, but it’s worth it. Lima is fantastic, I can’t wait to go back.